Victory: Bill S-203, Ending the Captivity of Whales + Dolphins Act, Passes in Canada!

On Monday, June 10, 2019, after years of opposition by pro-captivity Conservative lawmakers, the House of Commons overwhelmingly passed Bill S-203—Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act! The bill, which bans the capture, breeding, and confinement of cetaceans, now awaits Royal Assent to become law.

Bill S-203 was first introduced in Dec. 2015 by now-retired Sen. Wilfred Moore and sponsored by Sen. Murray Sinclair. The bill was later adopted by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May in the House of Commons in 2016.

Currently, there are only two facilities that house captive cetaceans in Canada: Marineland and the Vancouver Aquarium. LCA exposed shocking abuse and neglect of beluga whales being held at Marineland during a five-month undercover investigation into the park. LCA documented inadequate care that fell below the prescribed standards in medical treatment, food, water quality, protection from the elements, and psychological well-being. LCA found belugas suffering from untreated skin conditions, eye abnormalities, and "rake marks"—visible scarring from being attacked and bitten by other whales.

WATCH LCA's undercover investigation of Marineland Canada. 

Whales and dolphins are highly complex, intelligent, and social creatures that roam vast distances in the ocean. Scientific evidence shows keeping cetaceans in display tanks is unjustifiably cruel, and countless marine scientists agree whales and dolphins suffer physical and psychological traumas when held in captivity, such as chronic health problems, abnormal behaviors, and high infant mortality.

This is a landmark victory for marine mammals—one that couldn't have been made possible without the hard work of Bill S-203's sponsors, the Canadian government, and your outpouring of emails and phone calls to MPs urging their support for this bill.

Click here to learn more about LCA's investigation into Marineland.

Photo: Unsplash