U.S. approves relocation of Marineland belugas

Thirty beluga whales stranded at the now-defunct Marineland park in Niagara Falls, Ont. appear to be bound for the United States instead of to the Arctic Ocean, as one Nunavik man had proposed.

Last fall, when Canadians learned the once-popular tourist attraction considered euthanizing the whales it could no longer pay to care for, Nunavik’s Jason Etok proposed an alternative solution. He suggested they be relocated the belugas to an Inuit-led marine habitat in the Arctic, such as Hudson Bay or Ungava Bay, where they could live in a more natural environment.

But the relocation of Marineland’s remaining beluga whales is moving forward, after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authorized accredited American facilities to receive the animals.

In addition, Canada has issued the international wildlife trade permits needed to relocate the whales to accredited U.S. facilities, fedderal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson wrote in a statement Wednesday.

“This is an encouraging and critical next step for the safe relocation of the whales,” she wrote.

Before they can be moved, the whales must undergo a health assessment by a Canadian-accredited veterinarian.

Once those examinations are complete, Thompson says, she will issue final authorizations under the Fisheries Act to allow the transfer.

The announcement appears to end months of uncertainty over the fate of the approximately 30 belugas remaining at Marineland.

Earlier this year, the park sought approval to move the animals to the U.S. after Ottawa rejected its proposed transfer to China.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada rejected Etok’s idea to release them into the Arctic, saying belugas that have spent years in captivity lack the survival skills needed to live in the wild and could pose disease and genetic risks.