The law has already been tested, with Canada’s Marineland granted permission to export two belugas to an aquarium in Spain, despite the recent ban on imports and exports in Canada.  The law makes exceptions for welfare or for conducting scientific research – seemingly good intentions from Canada, but these exemptions could open dangerous loopholes in the new law.

Now, it’s the U.S.’ turn – Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium has requested to import five belugas from Marineland, for the stated purpose of scientific research.  However, the whales would also be on public display, may be subject to breeding, or moved to other facilities.  The application states that while Mystic does not intend to breed the whales, they won’t prevent “natural” breeding, and it even includes plans for any calves that are born during the research project.  This directly contradicts Canada’s new law, which explicitly prohibits captive breeding.

WDC strongly opposes this proposal to move these belugas into the U.S.  This permit must be denied.  This request puts the lives of these belugas at risk, sets a dangerous precedent for importing whales descended from at-risk wild populations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and will only increase the number of captive-held belugas in the U.S. – a step in the wrong direction at a time when the public is strongly supporting the end of captivity, marine parks are moving to phase out whale and dolphin breeding and public display, and travel companies are no longer selling tickets to captive facilities.

Transport can be very stressful, and a move from Marineland to Mystic may not be the last journey for these whales, all young individuals.  Mystic’s application includes reference to a partnership between Mystic and the Georgia Aquarium for the project, the belugas, and any potential calves, but does not provide detailed information about how involved Georgia Aquarium will be, or the chances of further moves between the two facilities.  Additionally, trade between facilities only encourages further wild captures around the world, and any captive breeding sadly increases the number of captive-held individuals.

In 2015, WDC and our partners won the fight to prevent the import of 18 wild-caught belugas from Russia into the U.S.  Now, we’re working with many of the same partners to oppose this import request as well.  Sadly, the belugas who would be imported from Canada are descended from the same at-risk population of Russian belugas.  The Sakhalin-Amur community is considered “depleted” under the MMPA, and attempting to import the offspring of these wild-caught belugas raises questions about the legality of the request.  In another twist, the hugely controversial Russian “whale jail,” which brought international attention to the ongoing capture of orcas and belugas in Russian waters, originally held 90 belugas from this same population.

WDC is asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to deny this permit, and with your help, we can stop this attempt to bring captive-held belugas into the U.S.  The research proposed could be conducted at Marineland without the stress of transport or the uncertain future for these belugas – or better yet, at a sanctuary where the belugas can live in more natural settings.