The Whale Sanctuary Project has renewed its efforts to provide a coastal refuge in Nova Scotia for two killer whales from a shuttered marine park in France, despite facing stalled approvals and unresolved landowner issues.
The U.S.-based non-profit aims to relocate Wikie and her son Keijo from Marineland Antibes, which closed in January following a 2021 French law banning the possession and display of captive whales and dolphins. French officials now face a year-end deadline to relocate the animals but recently blocked a transfer to Spain’s Loro Parque zoo due to substandard facility conditions.
The proposed Canadian sanctuary near Wine Harbour remains a $20-million concept without federal or provincial approval. Key obstacles include the lack of unanimous consent from adjacent landowners and concerns raised last year by the French government about readiness and ocean temperature.
Still, the Whale Sanctuary Project expressed renewed willingness to collaborate with French officials after the Spanish option fell through. The group emphasized the urgency of retiring the emotionally sensitive orcas to a natural environment.
Meanwhile, the Nova Scotia government reiterated that the sanctuary’s progression hinges solely on securing a Crown land lease, which requires full landowner agreement. The final say rests with Premier Tim Houston’s cabinet.
Source: Swifteradio.com
