Marineland: a lawyer, a filmmaker and a scientist banned from access



A lawyer, a filmmaker and a scientist are among those who received a notice, which has identical wording except for the names.

Notices indicate that recipients are not permitted to enter the property known as Marineland of Canada, Inc. and can’t get in at any time and for any reason.

People who receive such a notice who enter the property can be charged under the Trespass to Property Act and face a $2,000 fine if convicted, the document reads. which is signed by the owner Marie Holer.

Marineland, which opened for the season on Saturday, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Canadian Press.

Miranda Desa, lawyer for the militant organization Last Chance for Animals, said it received such notice on Tuesday. He indicates that the ban applies not only to Ms. Desa, but also to the entire organization, its employees, volunteers, representatives, agents, directors and affiliates.

The first thing that comes to mind is “what are they hiding?”she said. I helped Last Chance for Animals to file a complaint against Marineland no later than last fall.

Last year, Last Chance for Animals sent an investigator to Marineland to see what was going on inside the park. The organization sent videos as part of a complaint to Niagara Regional Police in September 2021 and its investigator provided a statement to police a month later. In December 2021, Niagara Regional Police accused Marineland of using dolphins and whales for entertainment purposes, a charge the tourist attraction denies.

Marineland blamed the accusation on ideology-driven activists who filed a complaint with the police. This week, Marineland appeared in court for the fourth time on these charges. The case was adjourned until June.

In March, the police contacted the management of Last Chance for Animals to ask him for more photographs and videos, according to Ms. Desa. I think they’re trying to stop Last Chance for Animals from being around and seeing what’s going onshe said of the Marineland ban.

Ms Desa said members of the organization will abide by the trespass notice, while stressing that they have little recourse to fight the ban. There are many good ways to continue advocating for animal rightsshe said.

Rob Laidlaw, executive director of the animal rights organization Zoocheckalso said he received the notice earlier this week. Sounds silly, they can’t really ban everyone, did he declare. Mr Laidlaw said he received a similar notice several years ago.

I don’t plan to go back, it’s not necessarydid he declare.

Others who received the trespassing notice were puzzled, including three councilors from the Whale Sanctuary Projecta coastal refuge project in Nova Scotia for whales once kept in marine parks. I have nothing to do with Marinelandlaughed documentary filmmaker Harry Rabin. It’s really weird.

He suspects the notification he received may have something to do with his upcoming documentary Cry of the Wildof the 100 whales that were captured and held in Russian waters and destined for marine parks around the world.

Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer of the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [Société pour la prévention de la cruauté envers les animaux de la Colombie-Britannique, traduction libre]thinks these are her connections as an adviser to the Whale Sanctuary Project that got him on the list.

Honestly, I thought it was spamshe said. I have never had any contact with Marineland, I have never visited Marineland, I have never spoken publicly about Marineland until now.

A third councilor from the Whale Sanctuary ProjectLiv Baker, who lives in New York, also said she had never visited or discussed the park before.

It’s strangesaid Ms. Baker, a professor in the animal behavior and conservation program at Hunter College.

Charles Vinick, Executive Director of Whale Sanctuary Project, also claimed to have received a notice. He adds that some of his other colleagues also received one, but not all of them. It’s strangehe also believes.

Marineland and the sanctuary project had previously had discussions about the potential transfer of some whales at one point, but those discussions ended in December when Marineland released a report alleging the sanctuary’s waters were too polluted.

We look forward to chatting with Marineland in the futuresaid Mr. Vinick.



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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