An Open Letter to Minister Joanne Thompson: Save Canada’s 30 Beluga Whales from a Needless Death

To the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard,

We, as concerned citizens, zoo patrons, scientists, zoo professionals, and advocates, are writing to you today with deep concern for the thirty beluga whales currently in an uncertain situation at Marineland Canada. With the facility now closed to the public and facing financial collapse, the fate of these animals rests entirely on the actions of your office.

Your decision to deny export permits for the belugas' transfer to an accredited facility in China has eliminated the only viable relocation plan available. Marineland's owners have warned that without intervention, bankruptcy or forced liquidation may follow, a scenario that could lead to the euthanasia of all thirty whales.

Minister Thompson, we respectfully but urgently request that you reconsider your decision and grant the export permits for their humane relocation. These animals deserve to live under expert care, not face death due to policy.

When Compassion Collides with Reality

Minister Thompson, you publicly stated that you "could not in good conscience approve the export," describing it as a "continued life in captivity, a return to public entertainment." While your emotional plea to "look into the whales' eyes" shows genuine sympathy, policy decisions must be based on science, welfare standards, and practicality, not solely on sentiment.

Marine mammal researchers have highlighted that public display and welfare science are not mutually exclusive. When conducted under accredited standards, educational presentations can raise conservation awareness and fund the advanced care these animals need. Equating responsible managed care with exploitation is a misunderstanding that jeopardizes lives rather than safeguarding them.

The Consequences of a Misguided Law

The 2019 Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act (Bill S-203), initially hailed as a moral victory, has paradoxically jeopardized the welfare of cetaceans already in human care. The law's prohibition on breeding and transfers, without clear exceptions, has left animals like Marineland’s belugas in a precarious legal situation. This oversight has eliminated opportunities for accredited, collaborative care, effectively trapping these animals in facilities that are no longer sustainable or fully operational. Despite its well-intentioned origins, Bill S-203 has translated compassionate goals into institutional stagnation, even preventing life-saving relocations. Consequently, the very creatures the act aimed to safeguard are now facing the gravest harm.

Dispelling the Sanctuary Myth

Releasing belugas raised in human care into the ocean is not a viable option, as they lack the necessary survival skills, and such an act would be a death sentence, according to marine mammal scientists.

Relocation to a proposed beluga sanctuary in Nova Scotia is also not feasible. This facility is not yet operational, lacks construction permits, and cannot accommodate the number of animals in question. Experts like Bruck (2014) and Almunia & Canchal (2025) have highlighted the significant risks, logistical challenges, and high mortality potential associated with creating and operating open-sea sanctuaries for large whales.

Entrusting these belugas to an unbuilt "sea pen" run by activists rather than accredited zoological professionals would be a dangerous experiment, not a rescue. The Whale Sanctuary Project's proposed site, while well-intentioned, has not proven its feasibility. Furthermore, no sanctuary under the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries has successfully managed belugas long-term.

Previous attempts at sanctuary placement have resulted in animals needing to return to controlled tank environments due to stress, illness, or social issues (Bruck, 2024; Almunia & Canchal, 2025). The scientific evidence clearly indicates that sanctuaries do not guarantee animal welfare.

Accredited Care Is the Only Humane Option

The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China, the sole proposed destination for Marineland’s belugas, is not a random or exploitative choice. It is an accredited marine facility with veterinary infrastructure, environmental enrichment programs, and professional staff experienced in cetacean care.

Marine mammal scientists, including several from North American research institutions, have committed to working with Chimelong to ensure that any educational displays featuring these belugas are built around conservation science and modern welfare education. As Bruck Lab’s statement on social media emphasizes, this relocation represents a scientific partnership, not a return to outdated “shows”.

Surely, this alternative, a life in care, with nutrition, veterinary access, and social structure, is better than euthanasia in a shuttered facility.

Euthanasia is Not an Ethical Policy

The thought of euthanizing thirty healthy, social whales due to a lack of political resolution is profoundly unsettling. No ethical framework, veterinary standard, or conservation policy could justify killing animals that could thrive elsewhere.

Euthanasia, in this context, is not a compassionate release; it's an abdication of responsibility, a bureaucratic solution to a human-made problem. Pursuing this path would severely damage Canada's global reputation in marine welfare leadership.

If the Fisheries Department genuinely cannot support the export of these whales under current regulations, then temporary exemptions or legislative amendments must be considered. The Fisheries Act grants ministerial discretion in matters of animal welfare, and such discretion exists precisely for situations like this.

A Constructive Path Forward

Minister Thompson, we urge your immediate action on the following:

• Grant Export Permits: Under the Fisheries Act, authorize the safe relocation of the 30 belugas to an accredited facility that upholds verified care standards.
• Suspend Euthanasia Planning: Publicly confirm that Canada will prioritize relocation over termination for these belugas.
• Establish Independent Oversight: Appoint a panel of independent marine scientists and veterinarians (excluding activists) to oversee the transport and verify the welfare of the belugas.
• Amend Bill S-203: Revisit and revise Bill S-203 to ensure a humane and viable future for cetaceans currently under human care.

These steps would demonstrate Canada's commitment to compassionate, science-informed decisions, unhindered by political considerations.

Leadership and Legacy

Minister Thompson, your decision regarding the fate of these thirty intelligent beluga whales will be a pivotal moment in history. The world is observing how Canada will address this crisis.

We urge you to choose pragmatic compassion, guided by evidence, over rigid ideology. To truly "look into the whales' eyes," as you've suggested, should inspire decisive, informed, and humane action, not despair.

We implore you to allow compassion and science to unite. Approve the export and save the belugas.

Respectfully,

Concerned Canadian citizens, animal lovers, zoo patrons, zoo professionals, and scientists.

Sources and Further Reading

• Bruck Lab (2025), Tell DFO Director Joanna Thompson to Grant Export Permits to Relocate Marineland’s Remaining Belugas!
• Questioning the Effectiveness of Iceland’s Beluga Sanctuary in Ensuring Improved Welfare for Cetaceans in Captivity – Vocal Media, 2023
• National Aquarium’s Sanctuary Plan: Problematic – Vocal Media, 2024
• Marineland Decries Ottawa Decision to Bar Export of Remaining Beluga Whales to China – St. Albert Gazette, 2024
• Bruck (2014), The Cetacean Sanctuary: A Sea of Unknowns
• Almunia & Canchal (2025), Cetacean Sanctuaries: Do They Guarantee Better Welfare?