– Information –Support Mr Japanization on Tipeee
This is a decision that was expected by animal rights associations. Following the promulgation of the 2021 law against animal abuse, which prohibits cetacean shows, the Marineland water park has announced the closure of the establishment from January 5, 2025. The fate of the park’s 4,000 animals is now next issue.
End clap for the Marineland of Antibes. This water park, located on the Côte-d’Azur, will permanently close its doors on January 5, 2025. This announcement was made this Wednesday, December 4 by the park, open since 1970.
At Marineland it was possible to observe thousands of animals like orcas, dolphins, sea lions, turtles and fishin their ponds. However, the park also organized cetacean showswhich is no longer permitted by law.
Indeed, the November 30, 2021the French government voted for a law aimed at fight against animal abuse. From December 2026, cetacean shows will be strictly prohibited in water parksexcept for exemption.
A hard blow for Marineland, whose notoriety was based on these shows. Since the announcement of this law and thanks to the advancement of knowledge and mentalities on the animal condition, the park had already undergone a significant drop in attendance. In 10 years, the number of visitors has increased from 1.2 million to less than 500,000.
“While 90% of visitors choose to come to Marineland to admire the representations of orcas and dolphinsthe law of November 30, 2021, prohibiting cetacean shows, requires Marineland to consider this closure”declared the park according to comments reported by BFMTV.
What future for animals?
For now, the fate of the establishment’s 103 employees remains unknownjust like that of 4,000 animals present in the park.
“I am very sad because for 50 years, our priority is the well-being of the animals. Marineland has always respected its responsibilities to care for these animals and today, our only goal is to comply with the law. We have more than 150 animalsnot counting the aquariums. If we count all the fish and corals, we are at more than 4,000 animals. So it is a colossal plan who is waiting for us”regretted Pascal Picot, the director of Marineland, to France Bleu Azur.
If the closure of the establishment is a disappointment for the director of Marineland, it is good news for the NGOs who have been campaigning for the closure of the park for yearsdenouncing the poor living conditions for animals.
“two orcas named Moana and Inouk, aged 12 and 25, died within the establishment”
– Information –Support Mr Japanization on Tipeee
In October 2023 and March 2024, two orcas named Moana and Inouk, aged 12 and 25, died within the establishment (the life expectancy of orcas is 30 years for males and 50 for females in their natural environment). One was the victim of sepsis while the second has ingested a foreign bodywhich did not fail to provoke a reaction from animal rights activists.
In 2021, the animal rights association OneVoice has filed a complaint against Marineland for acts of crueltydenouncing critical condition in which there was an orca at the dolphinarium. According to OneVoice, the quality of the water in the pond was poorthe orca was the victim of lesions and his state of health was alarming. For its part, the park has rejected all these accusations.
On October 18, 2023, the association It’s enough! also filed a complaint against Marineland, denouncing the desire of the park to “get rid of your orcas” en forecast of the 2021 law.
The transfer of the orcas
Indeed, the orcas Wikie and Keijo were intended to be sold to a Japanese park. However, the French government opposed to this decisionforcing Marineland to keep its orcas until the end of a expertise carried out on the living conditions of cetaceans.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, said that orcas would be better in a European park rather than Japanese, judging that the European legislation better protects these animals.
“There are parks which today are able to accommodate orcaslike in Spain. In Japan, there is no no such extensive regulation”specified Agnès Pannier-Runacher to Le Parisien.
For their part, NGOs are campaigning so that the orcas are integrated into a marine sanctuary. Thus, Wikie and Keijo could be transferred to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canadawhere an area of 44 hectares is managed by the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP). According to information from Sud Ouest, the dolphins could be directed towards another sanctuary in Italy. Some seals and sea lions have already been transferred to a zoo in Madrid…
If these animals have found a new home, the future of others is still uncertain. We will have to wait weeks, even months, before finding them shelter. In any case, Marineland claims to be in link “with the competent authorities to identify the best solutions” in order to welcome cetaceans “in equivalent structures in terms of quality of care and educational projects with the welfare of animals as their sole priority”. Far, therefore, it must be assumed, from the anthropocentric economic machines, unsuitable for the dignity and needs of animals (notably territorial and social), which are the show parks.
– Lisa Guinot
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