Niagara Falls Police indicted Marineland in an investigation alleging that the theme park used animals for a performance at the park without authorization.
The Niagara Regional Police (NRPS) says the investigation began in October and is linked to a summer display that investigators say violated the Act to end the captivity of whales and dolphins.
“During the investigation, it was found that dolphins and whales were used for entertainment purposes during the month of August, without being authorized to do so after an amendment to the Penal Code under Bill S-203 on June 21, 2019 ”Said NRPS. in a sentence.
Read more:
The province orders Marineland to repair the water system after a watchdog finds endangered animals
On Friday, the advocacy group Animal Justice claimed that Marineland was under investigation after the group’s lawyers filed a legal complaint over concerns that the actions of dolphins in the marine park violated the Penal Code.
The groups pleadings Point out that the dolphin shows in the park featured pop music, animals performing tricks, and the staff encouraged spectators to cheer them on.
“Authorities must intervene to investigate whether the actions of Marineland dolphins violate federal laws that protect dolphins from being forced to engage in degrading actions,” said Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, in a statement on 6 December. October.
In a statement, Marineland told Global News that their presentations are for “educational” purposes and were “expertly designed to provide Canadians with an accessible opportunity to learn about marine life.”
They also said the screens adopted “behaviors that they exhibit in ocean environments.”
“We look forward to the opportunity to defend ourselves in a court of law where the feelings of non-experts are not treated as fact and the truth prevails,” the statement said.
Lawyers for the park are expected to appear in St. Catharines court on February 14, 2022.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Reference-globalnews.ca