A retirement house proposed for Marine Park whales on the east coast of Nueva Scotia has affected another obstacle.
France has denied a request to transport two orcs from the antibes of Marineland to the site that is proposed by the Ballenas Sanctuary project, a non -profit organization based in the United States, near Sherbrooke, ns
The Antibes Park permanently closed this month and is legally obliged to separate from the whales for next December.
Lavergne, Minister of Ecological Transition of France, said there were concerns if the sanctuary would be ready in time for whales. That is in accordance with a translated letter published by the online whale sanctuary project.
The minister said there were also concerns about the lack of contingency if the whales did not adapt to the natural temperatures of the water quickly.
The Ballenas Sanctuary project says it addressed the water temperature problem several months ago when it presented an expression of interest to the French government.
“We hope they reconsider and come to the table and at least have a conversation with us about what is best for these animals,” Lori Marino, president of the Ballenas 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 whales this summer.
She said the goal was to take them to Nueva Scotia in the summer so that they had had several months to adapt before winter.
Project delays
Phil Demers, co -founder of the URgent Seas Defense Group, based in Toronto, said the sanctuary is a good idea in theory. He said that the Ballenas Sanctuary project has lost supporters like him as delays persist.
“I think there comes a point where it becomes irresponsible and dangerous suggest that you are a viable and possible place for these whales when you are not really,” Demers said.
The whale sanctuary project has offered to cover the costs of attention for the two whales to stay in Marineland Antibes until the New Scotland sanctuary can open.
Demers, a former marine mammal coach, said the group should focus on opening the sanctuary and not finding whales to use in fundraising.
‘Another concrete tank’
Anyway, it is likely that the two orcs in France will end up in Loro Park in Spain, according to Marino.
Neither the Marine Park nor the Ecological Transition Ministry of France immediately responded to comments.
“They approved that law because they don’t want to see these entertaining animals and concrete tanks. And now they go to another concrete tank,” he said.
“It’s not about us, it’s about whales.”
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Natural Resources Department of New Scotland and Transport Canada are working together on the regulatory considerations for the project.
According to DFO, any application would be subject to a provincial review to evaluate any possible ecological risk, of diseases and genetic.
