The last stand: save marineland’s belugas from exploitation and euthanasia!

The Cruelest Bargain: Lives Used as Leverage

We sign this petition today with deep dismay and urgent solidarity for the 30 beluga whales trapped in Canada's Marineland. The park's reported threat to euthanise these magnificent animals if the government does not permit their export to a facility in China, or provide emergency funding, is a profound moral outrage. This is not a request for assistance; it is the ultimate act of animal cruelty, using the lives of intelligent, sensitive beings as a financial hostage.

These 30 belugas are already survivors of a deeply flawed system—years spent confined in sterile, undersized tanks for our entertainment. Marineland, which has seen numerous deaths in recent years, now pleads poverty, claiming it can no longer afford the basic care these animals require. This failure exposes the horrifying reality: when profit dries up, the animals pay the ultimate price.

We applaud the Canadian government’s initial refusal to grant the export permit, upholding the principle that "All whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for entertainment purposes." We must not allow these belugas to be shipped to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China. Sending them to another large-scale entertainment facility, no matter how "accredited," is a betrayal of every animal welfare principle—it is simply exchanging one prison for another. Their fate cannot be sealed by the financial collapse of their captors.

We, the undersigned global citizens, demand immediate and compassionate intervention from the Canadian government to end this crisis and protect the lives of these belugas:

1. 
   

   Stop the Transfer, Block the Threat: The Canadian government must immediately and permanently reject any attempt to export these belugas to any commercial facility, thereby nullifying Marineland's cruel threat of euthanasia.

   
   
   
2. 
   

   Emergency Seizure and Sanctuary Funding: The government must invoke legal authority to take protective custody of the 30 belugas without delay. We demand the allocation of immediate emergency federal funds to facilitate their transfer and long-term care in an accredited, protected coastal sanctuary where they can experience the sea once more, free from performance and concrete walls.

   
   
   
3. 
   

   Hold Operators Accountable: We demand a thorough and transparent investigation into Marineland's financial state and alleged neglect. Those responsible for allowing the welfare of these whales to deteriorate to this crisis point must face the fullest extent of the law.

   
   
   

We cannot allow a financial dispute to seal the agonising fate of 30 innocent lives. Their immense suffering in captivity should not end with the ultimate act of human callousness.

Sign now. Demand that Canada’s leadership acts decisively to seize these belugas and secure their freedom in a sanctuary. Their survival depends on our collective voice.