A court decision is due to be made Thursday on the fate of the orcas at the Marineland wildlife park, which was considering a controversial transfer to Japan.
The Marineland water park in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes), which presents itself as the first marine zoo in Europe, announced on Wednesday “its final closure plan from January 5, 2025”invoking the 2021 law which prohibits cetacean shows. This ban will come into force in December 2026.
“It is with great emotion and deep sadness that Marineland is forced to consider permanently closing the marine zoo as of January 5”announced management in a press release, after having indicated it to its corporate social committee.
Established on the Côte d'Azur since 1970, Marineland has sparked controversy in recent months by considering the transfer of its last two orcas to a Japanese park, to the great dismay of animal defenders and the Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier -Runacher, who opposed it at the end of November.
Economic difficulties
On Thursday, the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal must render its decision concerning the fate of the last two in the Riviera park. The animal association “One Voice” had filed an appeal to prohibit Marineland from transferring its cetaceans Wikie and Keijo until an expert opinion concerning their state of health had been rendered. The park management contested this first decision.
“In accordance with current legislation, Marineland is in close contact with the competent authorities to identify the best solutions to accommodate cetaceans in equivalent structures. […] with animal welfare as the sole priority.added the park. He also mentions “economic difficulties” since the Covid-19 health crisis and speaks of the 2021 law as “a fatal blow [qui] led to a lasting and continued drop in attendance”. This would have gone from 1.2 million visitors per year to 425,000 in just a decade.
