Marineland Beluga Export Denied: What Happens Next for Canada’s Captive Whales

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Can a Canadian marine theme park called
Marineland Getaway with euthanizing 30

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of its beluga whales after being denied
a permit to ship 'em off to China.

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That's the big question we're gonna
be talking about today because

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it is a big controversial thing.

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You know, the government that
refused the permit has been getting

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blamed for refusing the permit
because marine land is threatening

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that they'll have to do euthanasia.

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So they'll have to actually,
you know, put them down.

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but is this really the question here?

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Should they not be mandated that marine
land that is mandated to be taking care

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of these marine mammals as they purchase.

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Park a number of years ago.

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We're gonna be talking about the law.

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We're gonna be going over why it's
important from an ethical standpoint,

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and we're gonna talk about some of the
options that Marine Land has and the

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government has in making sure that these
animals are taken care of for the future.

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That's on today's episode of the
How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

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Let's start the show.

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Hey everybody.

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Welcome back to another exciting episode
of the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

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I'm your host, Andrew Lewin, and
this is the podcast where you find

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out what's happening with the ocean,
how you can speak up for the ocean,

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and what you can do to live for
a better ocean by taking action.

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Now, today's episode, we're gonna be
talking about quite a controversial topic.

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Now it's controversial because it has
to do with marine mammals in captivity.

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Now there are two sides.

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To the captivity argument.

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There's a side where people
think that it's okay to keep

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marine mammals in captivity.

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And they say it's good for entertainment
and education purposes as long as

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the animals are being taken care of.

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The other option is like
the other argument side.

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The argument is.

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No marine mammals should be in captivity.

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They should be out free.

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And those that are in captivity
should have a plan to put them

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free at some point in time.

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Now, the big argument against putting
them out into, say, like a whale seaside

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sanctuary, like the Whale Sanctuary
Project is doing is that these animals,

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a lot of them have been born in captivity
and they're not used to the, you know,

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the wild and they're not used to the
ocean and there's a lot of diseases

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and bacteria that they're not used to.

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They're not used to feeding
for themselves and so forth.

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And that's a big deal to a lot of people
that everybody wants to make sure that

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the marine mammals are treated properly.

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And the argument for those whale
seaside sanctuaries is the fact

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that no matter what, at some point
these animals should taste freedom.

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They should be able to be taken care of.

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You know, if they're already used to being
fed on a regular basis, they still get

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that care to be fed, but they're allowed
to roam around in a larger seaside pen.

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There's an opening that you can open.

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There's a great example of caco, you
know, free Willie, that orca that was let

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free up in Iceland eventually passed away.

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I think it was like six to 10 years later.

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I didn't a whole episode.

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I'll try and find it and link to
it below, but there's a lot of

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controversy around it, and it's just
because there's the each side says.

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The science says that it's better
to keep them either captive

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or keep them outta captivity.

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Everything is new when it comes to out
of captivity, but you'll see both sides.

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The goal that I'm trying to do
right now is present to you.

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You know, just the options
that are happening and sort

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of what actually happened.

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So just a couple of days ago, last week,
really, there are 30 marine mammals,

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belugas that are in captivity, in
Marineland, which is in Niagara Falls,

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Canada, not too far down the road from me.

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So I've been following this story quite
closely over the last number of years.

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Now, over the last five, maybe
even 10 years, Marineland has been

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under controversy because it hasn't
been taking care of its whales.

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Very well.

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The orca passed away.

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A bunch of beluga
whales have passed away.

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Those that they've transferred
around or out of the park

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have died after the transfer.

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It's because the water
quality's not great.

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There's been a number of inspections by
the Ontario government, the provincial

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government, where the marine park is,
like where marine land is, as well

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as since that time, there's been an
act passed to protect marine mammals

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from captivity in that you are not
allowed to import or export any marine

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mammals without any kind of permit.

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And so this year, the park wasn't open.

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It didn't open at all as it did last year.

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And so they weren't making a lot of
money or weren't making any money at

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all from people coming to the park.

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And even though Li tens was going down
anyway, and they weren't able to take

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care just as usual, they haven't been
able to take care of these 30 beluga

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whales, which they have left over.

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And so they wanted to get rid of them
and put them in a marine park in China.

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Now marine parks in Asia are blowing up.

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That means they're popping up all over the
place and we're seeing them everywhere.

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There is a concern on the US Canadian
side and advocate side, even in

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Europe, because we don't know
how animals are treated in China.

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We've seen some really bad treatments
of animals in the past, marine

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mammals as well as other mammals.

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We've seen polar bears be stuck in a
mall, like in a little box essentially,

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and not having a lot of Not a lot of
stuff to, you know, provide enrichment

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in that area or movement in that area.

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So a lot of people are concerned, a
lot of advocates for the anti captivity

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advocates are worried that if we ship
a lot of these belugas, offer all

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these belugas off to China, we'll
never see or hear from them again.

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They'll be put back into entertainment
positions where there'll be pet or

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You know, they'll have one-on-ones
with people, which is not good for

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them as well as this is according to
them and according to the science.

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It's not good for them
overall to be in shows.

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The whole point of the Protection
Act here in Canada was to make

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sure that they aren't bred and they
aren't put into positions where

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they are gonna be for entertainment.

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And so there's research permissions,
they're allowed, and we'll

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go through that in a second.

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but there's a lot of worry about that.

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So what happened was Marine Land
applied for a permit to export it

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based on this new protection act.

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And they got denied by the Fisheries
Oceans Canada because they were

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like, this is against what we want.

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We don't want these animals to go into
captivity forever, and so we need to find

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something that is different for that.

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And so that's what they're looking for
Now is a different avenue towards making

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these animals free or devoid of having
to do entertainment or any kind of theme

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park related show or even breeding.

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So.

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That's where we're at right now.

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And now because the application got
denied, the marine land is like, well,

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We can't afford to take care of this.

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So either provide us funding so
we can take care of these animals,

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or we might have to lean towards
euthanization, which is basically

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putting these animals down one by one,
all 30 of them Now that's blown up.

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The government of Canada.

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who gives the permits, so whether it's
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

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is taking a lot of flack from people.

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'cause nobody wants to see
these animals die for no reason.

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Just the fact that they
can't take care of it.

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And I've had a couple of
people ask me some questions.

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I was at a dinner last night, somebody
asked me questions about it and I

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was like, nobody's actually said,
Hey, Marine Land owns these animals.

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It is up to them.

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It is the ethical nature of people who
own, or companies who own these marine

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parks to take care of their animals.

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They haven't been taking
care of these animals.

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At all.

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And the risk you take when you have these
animals knowing what's coming and the

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new laws that's in place and everything
is that you still have to take care of

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these animals, even if you're shut down,
even if you're not getting any income

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in your ethical, I guess, mandate is
to take care of these animals at the

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best health as possible, meaning they
are fully healthy and not in degraded

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water quality, which is what we're
finding them in over the last 10 years.

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That's a big problem that I have with it.

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That's a huge thing of what
we are looking at before.

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So a lot of people are like,
okay, so what happens now?

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What are these animals going
to be, you know, killed?

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Are they gonna be euthanized?

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What do we do?

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So the first thing is,
here's the federal framework.

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You have the captivity of
Whales and Dolphins Act.

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It was established in 2019, so it
was amended to the criminal code.

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The Fisheries Act and an act
called, the acronym is wata,

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I think is what it's called.

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It's a pretty long one.

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I'll, look for it if I have
it, but it's a pretty big one.

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and so that's what we're looking at.

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So we're also looking at capturing
any new citations or breeding are

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prohibited with limited exceptions.

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Trade requires permits and must meet
strict welfare, scientific standards.

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So just to take it back a number of years
before COVID, I think it was like five

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beluga whales were transferred over down
into Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.

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Now, with those animals that were
transferred, many of them passed away.

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I think maybe all of all, but one, and
maybe all of them passed away when they,

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by the time, like maybe three or four
months after they got to mystic Aquarium.

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It wasn't necessarily
Mystic Aquarium's problem.

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But the problem is, is the way that
the assessment was done is marine land.

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Veterinarians look over the
belugas and then mystic looks

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over the belugas as well, and they
deem, oh yeah, these are healthy.

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And then we're gonna go through.

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But there's a conflict of interest there.

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There's no third party veterinarian
that's saying, Hey, you know what,

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there's actually a problem here.

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We're gonna call both of you
out because you guys, you know,

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mystic just wanted the belugas.

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The marine land just wanted to
get rid of the belugas and they

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want to get money for that.

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So, you know, there's obviously
a problem there that needs to

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be solved at some point in time.

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And so I want to make sure that we
got that out there, like that history.

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And so those animals ended up dying.

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There's obviously a problem with that.

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And so now these new laws and permits,
people are gonna be more strict because

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we don't want these animals dying
in the transfer plus everything with

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China that we don't know what happens.

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We're not familiar with the laws.

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We know what they do with marine theme
parks, but still kind of, we're not too,

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too familiar with what's happening or I'm
not too familiar with what's happening.

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So there's a bit of a worry about these
animals going across the world to go

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to China and be put in entertainment
situations, put in breeding situations,

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and we're not allowed to do that.

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So why are we letting other
countries do it as well to the

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marine mammals that were found here.

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Now, when you put them back out into the
ocean, into whale seaside sanctuaries.

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That's a possibility.

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but we just don't know where.

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It's never been done before, or it
hasn't been done in a long time.

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there's actually a story of a beluga
whale in Russia that either escaped or

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got let go in a pen and actually interacts
with fishers in Bo in like in Russia.

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And we'll actually go fetch a ball and
do all these tricks and stuff like that.

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That survived.

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So there's a little bit of an anecdotal
evidence that says, Hey, you know what?

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These animals could survive out
at sea, but we just don't know.

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So that's the thing.

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So here are the options that are next.

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I wanted you guys to
get that information so.

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Marineland can submit a new,
narrowly tailored transfer plan

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that meets the federal Welfare Test.

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So DFO Signal, it would consider
proposals under the Fisheries Act.

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It's a compliant plan would need to
show that any transfer is clearly

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in the animal's best interest, not
for the entertainment or breeding.

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And that the destination meets
high welfare standards with

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independent veterinary oversight
and lifetime care guarantees.

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Potential candidates include US accredited
facilities or non entertainment research

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and rehab settings subject to both
Fisheries Act and Society permits.

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Cities is like a trade, a convention trade
of animals across different, like certain

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animals can't go across certain borders

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You know, without being considered
or without being managed properly.

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Now the government assisted
placement in North America, there

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could be government assistance.

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So Ottawa and Ontario, the province
where marine land is where I live

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could coordinate with accredited
aquariums or sanctuaries that could

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take some of the animals possibly
in phases with monitored transport

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and individualized welfare plans.

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Ontario's paw, PAWS Powers, could
be used to enforce interim care

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standards or appoint custodians if
the distress thresholds are met.

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So there are ways that we can do it.

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From Canada and Ontario to
actually put people in place that

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will take care of this and offer
some funding that will do that.

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There's also interim stabilization
funding tied with strict conditions.

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So temporary public support is possible
as a bridge, but expect the third party

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management escrow funds restricted
to feed medical care, water systems,

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enrichment, and daily veterinary coverage.

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Plus transparent reporting.

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So Marineland has publicly asked for
federal help, which creates space

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for a conditional arrangement while
permanent placements are arranged.

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You can also transfer to the
C pen sanctuary when ready.

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Now the sanctuary is not ready yet.

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It's taken a while to put together.

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obviously it's very, very new.

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Within the taking out of captive animals.

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And it was more designed
for orcas at this point.

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so having that, I don't see
it happening anytime soon.

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I would like to see at least some of those
animals go out and just as a, pilot study.

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some people are not too happy about it.

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Some people are happy about it.

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It's a bit of controversial, but.

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Really, we won't know until we
start letting some of those animals

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go to those seaside sanctuaries.

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so that'll be interesting to see.

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Now, as I said before, these
animals could be fed by caretakers

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and taken care of managed.

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They're not just gonna be let go,
and that's the end of them, and

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that's the last time we'll see
it unless they're ready to do so.

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Now, provincial enforcement can
also be put in up to a seizure and

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custodianship if distress is critical.

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So if inspectors determine
that there's critical distress.

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The Pause Act of Ontario allows
intervention, including removing animals

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or mandating care by a third party.

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I can't see the removal of
animals at this point, but I

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can see a third party coming in.

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This could be triggered by a
failure to provide food, veterinary

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care, or safe water systems.

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Now, I assume that a lot of these
places aren't going to allow euthanasia,

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but the last one is euthanasia only
for legitimate medical reasons.

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So humane euthanasia belongs to
veterinary decisions for individual

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animals with intractable suffering.

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These animals aren't
suffering necessarily.

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They're suffering because of
their water quality conditions,

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but that can be improved.

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So euthanasia is probably
the last case scenario.

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And because it makes headlines and
it triggers, you know, clicks, I

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think that's being used a lot and
it's scaring the hell out of people.

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So that's where we're at
really is with these animals.

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It looks like the
government's gonna step in.

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They're gonna put people in place that can
happen, that can make this happen a little

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easier and take care of these animals.

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The biggest thing, like at, at
very least, these animals should

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remain in captivity and being taken
care of until they, they pass.

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That's probably the
safest thing for them Now.

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Not my opinion, but I'm sure that's what
a lot of people are thinking, just because

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we don't know how the transfer's gonna go.

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However, it would be more ideal, in
my opinion, my scientific opinion, to

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put them out, or at least some of them
out in a pilot study into the whale

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seaside sanctuary that is actually being
deemed in the coast of Nova Scotia.

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Will that be ideal waters for them?

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Not really, because there haven't
really been belugas in those areas,

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but at least they'll be monitored.

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By a team that can care, that can feed,
that can look after its medical stability.

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And so that will be really helpful.

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So that's it for today's episode.

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I would love to hear
your thoughts on this.

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Do you think that these animals should
be released out to the ocean, into

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these whale seed size sanctuaries?

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Do you think they should be kept
where they are or do you agree

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that they should go to China?

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I would love to hear your opinion.

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Let me know in the comments below if
you're watching this on YouTube or

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you can let me know through email.

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00:13:48,398 --> 00:13:52,088
Just go to speak up for
blue.com/contact, fill out the form.

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00:13:52,088 --> 00:13:53,048
It goes right to my email.

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00:13:53,048 --> 00:13:56,888
If you want to connect me right
away, you can do so through dms on

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00:13:56,888 --> 00:14:00,578
Instagram at how to protect the ocean,
that's at how to protect the ocean.

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That's it for today's episode of the
How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

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Have a great day.

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I'm your host, Andrew Lewin from
the True North Strong and Free.

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Have a great day.

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We'll talk to you next time
and happy conservation.