Minister opposes transfer of whales from French aquarium to Japan

RFI

26 November 2024 at 6:59 am·2-min read

An orca swims in a pool water of the Marineland theme park on the French riviera city of Antibes, southeastern France, on 17 March 2016.

France's Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher has announced that she is opposed to the transfer of the two remaining orcas from the Marineland park to Japan due to its lack of extensive "regulations" on animal welfare.

Wikie and Keijo are the last two orcas, living in captivity at Marineland in Antibes in the south of France.

On Monday, the Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher said she was against the proposal to send the pair to Japan.

"There are parks which today are able to accommodate orcas", like "in Spain", but "in Japan, there are no such extensive regulations on animal welfare," she told TF1 broadcaster.

Located on the Côte d'Azur, Marineland has until 1 December 2026 to part with its two orcas, since a law prohibited their detention in 2021.

Wikie and her son Keijo, were both born in captivity in this park, the first in 2001 and the second in 2013.

Marineland made a request last week to transfer the pair to the Kobe park, in western Japan.

According to the managers of the site, "the park carried out several research projects to comply with the law (...) and it appeared that Kobe, which complies with the standards in force, was the best option".

Health assessment

However, animal rights groups like One Voice suggested a transfer to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia (eastern Canada), where the enclosures were bigger than in Kobe.

Marineland said that the solution was "not possible".

One Voice had requested a court order to suspend the transfer while an assessment of the health of the whales is underway.

(with AFP)

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Health assessment

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