Questions remain over the validity of reasons given by the ministry
In a letter to the Whale Sanctuary Project, dated January 16th, 2025, and received on Monday, January 20th, Mme. Célia de Lavergne, Directrice de l’eau et de la biodiversité at the Ministry of Ecological Diversity, writes that the government has decided not to accept our application, submitted in April 2024 as part of an official Expression of Interest, to retire the two surviving orcas at Marineland Antibes to the sanctuary we are establishing in Nova Scotia.
The Director writes that our application was evaluated by a panel of scientific experts. However, not one member of this panel ever reached out to us to discuss any concerns they might have had. And we cannot help but question why the Ministry would reject the relocation of Wikie and Keijo to a natural seaside sanctuary without discussing any of this panel’s concerns with us.
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Our proposal also provided enough time for independent veterinarians to conduct an essential assessment of Wikie and Keijo’s health – physical, mental and emotional – and to treat any conditions. During that time, we proposed that the Whale Sanctuary team would complete the fundraising needed to be ready to welcome the whales while engaging in a collaborative relationship with the orcas’ current caregivers and preparing the whales for their transport.
We also welcomed the opportunity for some of Wikie and Keijo’s current caregivers to travel with them and to continue their caregiving work as part of our team in Nova Scotia.
However, crucial time was lost in the nine months that the Ministry allowed to elapse before replying to our application. On the day that we received the Ministry’s letter, January 20th, 2025, we requested a call to learn more about the timeframe requested by Marineland, the scientific issues raised about the water temperature in Nova Scotia and its suitability for orcas, and the scientific experts who reviewed our Expression of Interest.
The Ministry responded in an email, saying simply:
“After careful review, we regret to inform you that your project could not meet the scheduling requirements of Marineland, which ceased its operations in January 5, 2025. This timeline constraint made it impossible to align with the necessary conditions for the project to proceed.”
This nine-month delay in responding to our Expression of Interest foreclosed the option of retiring Wikie and Keijo to the sanctuary.
Through subsequent phone conversations with our contacts at the French government, we have learned that the only remaining option for Wikie and Keijo is to be sent to Loro Parque zoo in the Canary Islands, Spain. We were told that under French law, the government can prevent the whales from being sent to Japan, but they cannot prevent a permit to send Wikie and Keijo to another park in the European Union (EU) that meets the regulatory and welfare laws in the EU, of which France is a member. The French government would have to develop another legal reason for preventing the transfer of Wikie and Keijo to Loro Parque zoo.
We have asked the French government to consider organizing a meeting with the owners of Marineland Antibes, or even Loro Parque, so that together we can all identify a solution that best serves the welfare of Wikie and Keijo. We have offered to cover the costs of care for Wikie and Keijo to remain at Marineland Antibes while we complete fundraising and construction at the sanctuary. But, per our sources at the French government, Marineland refuses to consider any agreement with a sanctuary. Marineland is aware of our offer but prefers to move the whales out on a timeline that is as fast as possible.
Loro Parque has a history characterized by poor husbandry decisions, lack of transparency, imprudent practices regarding orca breeding and infant care, and an overall inability to provide enough space or enrichment for adequate orca welfare. (See our white paper, Report on Orca Welfare at Loro Parque: Past and Present, here.) Given the poor welfare record of Loro Parque, it would be a tragic mistake for the Ministry to dismiss the opportunity the sanctuary holds for Wikie and Keijo to lead healthier lives.
It is not too late for the French government to convene all of us – the government, Marineland Antibes, and the Whale Sanctuary Project – to do what is best for Wikie and Keijo.
In the best interests of Wikie and Keijo, we urge the Ministry to reconsider its decision.