After Decades of PETA Protests to Save the Whales and Dolphins, Canada Bans Whale and Dolphin Captivity

Decades of hard work by PETA and other activists to save the whales and dolphins exploited for entertainment in Canada have paid off: The country has banned whale and dolphin captivity!

For the first time in history, Canada has voted in favor of federal animal protection laws in Parliament. Adopted by a majority vote, Bill S-203 bans all confinement and breeding of cetaceans in captivity—all but ending the cruel practice that PETA has protested against in the country for decades. Parks and aquariums that dare to violate the new provisions against cruelty to animals in the Criminal Code could face fines of up to $200,000.

The new ban slogged through the legislative process for nearly four years, surviving many attacks from animal abusers, such as notorious Marineland. This vote sends the bill for Royal Assent, the formal process by which a bill becomes an act of Parliament and part of the law of Canada.

“The bill is a simple and straightforward one. It works from the presumption that placing these beautiful creatures into the kinds of pens that they have been kept in is inherently cruel,” said Independent Sen. Murray Sinclair, the former judge who helped usher the bill through Parliament.

Only one Canadian facility—Marineland—is still heartless enough to imprison bottlenose dolphins, beluga whales, and orcas. It will be allowed to keep the cetaceans who are currently there but won’t be able to breed them or confine new ones.

Cheers to Everyone Who Joined With PETA to Save the Whales and Dolphins

Lawmakers received tens of thousands of e-mails and phone calls in support of the bill throughout the process. We’ve held protests and persuaded sponsors to drop aquarium parks, and we’ve always kept the conversation alive—letting others know that sensitive animals deserve a life free from torment. You best believe that PETA and our supporters will never stop until every tank and cage is empty.

Canada proves that the tide of public opinion has turned against marine-mammal confinement. But there are still animal abusers—such as the notorious SeaWorld—that will try to exploit orcas until the very end. Together, we can stop them.

Join with PETA to save the whales and dolphins trapped at SeaWorld by urging companies to sever their ties with the abusement park.