Marineland faces a criminal charge for the ongoing dolphin shows in the park.
The park has been accused of using a captive cetacean for entertainment purposes without authorization. In 2019, the approval of the federal Law to end the captivity of whales and dolphins, also known as Bill S-203, declared the use of mammals for entertainment illegal under the penal code.
The Niagara Regional Police Service launched an investigation into the park in October, following a complaint filed by Animal Justice Canada (AJC) regarding the dolphin shows. The investigation found that the dolphins were used for shows during August. The charge has yet to be proven in court.
The dolphin performances are an “educational presentation,” the park said in a statement sent to the Star, adding that the presentation was expertly designed to provide an “accessible opportunity to learn about marine life.”
“Marineland understands why ideologically driven activists would file a police complaint, and appreciates the pressure that the Niagara Regional Police was under to bring such a complaint,” Marineland said in the statement. “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.”
Camille Labchuk, CEO of AJC, applauded the position.
“We are pleased that the Niagara Police have charged Marineland with illegally forcing dolphins to perform as entertainment, in violation of federal criminal law,” Labchuk wrote in a press release.
“Canada passed groundbreaking laws in 2019 specifically aimed at ensuring that whales and dolphins are not used in degrading entertainment shows. The Animal Justice legal complaint was aimed at ensuring that those laws are respected, to protect these sensitive and intelligent animals. “
Marineland will appear in court on February 14.
More to come
Reference-www.thestar.com