France says no to retiring 2 orcas at proposed N.S. whale sanctuary
A proposed retirement home for marine park whales on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore has hit another hurdle.
France has denied an application to transport two orcas from Marineland Antibes to the site being proposed by the Whale Sanctuary Project, a U.S.-based non-profit organization, near Sherbrooke, N.S.
The Antibes park closed permanently this month and is legally bound to part with the whales by next December.
Célia de Lavergne, France's minister of ecological transition, said there were concerns if the sanctuary would be ready in time for the whales. That is according to a translated letter posted by the Whale Sanctuary Project online.
The minister said there were also concerns about a lack of contingency if the whales did not adapt to natural water temperatures quickly.
The Whale Sanctuary Project said it was unaware of concerns until Jan 20. By that time, a panel of scientific experts had already reached a decision.
"We are hoping that they will reconsider and come to the table and at least have a conversation with us about what's best for these animals," Lori Marino, president of the Whale Sanctuary Project, said Tuesday.
Marino said the project expressed interest in the two orcas — Wikie and Keijo — last April. She said the site in Barrachois Cove would have been ready for the whales this summer.
She said the goal was to bring them to Nova Scotia in the summer so they would have had several months to adapt before winter.
Project delays
Phil Demers, the co-founder of the advocacy group Urgent Seas, which is based in Toronto, said sanctuary is a good idea in theory. He said the Whale Sanctuary Project has lost supporters like him as delays persist.
"I think there does come a point where it becomes irresponsible and dangerous to suggest that you are a viable and a possible location for these whales when in fact you're not," Demers said.
The Whale Sanctuary Project has offered to cover the costs of care for the two whales to stay at Marineland Antibes until the Nova Scotia sanctuary is able to open.
Demers, a former marine mammal trainer, said the group should be focused on opening the sanctuary and not finding whales to use in fundraising.
'Another concrete tank'
Regardless, the two orcas in France are likely to end up at Loro Parque in Spain, according to Marino.
Neither the Marine Park or French ministry of ecological transition immediately returned requests for comment.
"They passed that law because they don't want to see these animals entertaining and concrete tanks. And now they're going to another concrete tank," she said.
"It isn't about us, it's about the whales."
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, and Transport Canada are working together on the regulatory considerations for the project.
Any application would be subject to provincial review to assess any potential ecological, disease and genetic risks, according to DFO.
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