TORONTO—Animal Justice is deeply saddened by the news that Echo has died, a blind dolphin believed to be 30 years old, who was transferred from Marineland to Oceanogràfic València in Spain last month. Echo was the fifth Marineland cetacean to die since 30 whales and four dolphins were transferred from the shuttered Niagara Falls aquarium this summer.
“Echo and the three other dolphins moved to Oceanogràfic València spent their entire lives in a small tank, being forced to perform for Marineland’s profit,” said Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice. “Now Echo has sadly lost her life, a consequence of Marineland’s appalling lack of concern for these animals’ futures.
“Everybody failed these dolphins and whales. Marineland knew for years it was closing, so did the Ontario and federal governments. There was time to plan a real retirement for these animals, developing solutions which held their wellbeing as the chief concern, mitigating the risks of relocation. Instead they were haphazardly rushed out the door under threat of death. Now five of them are dead,” Ms. Labchuk said. “This steadily rising body count of whales, and now a dolphin, is absolutely heartbreaking.”
In 2021, Animal Justice lawyers filed a legal complaint after obtaining video of Marineland forcing dolphins to perform tricks for audiences, despite a 2019 federal law making such entertainment performances a criminal offence. Niagara police subsequently charged Marineland, but the Crown stayed the charge in 2022, saying that while they believed Marineland could be convicted, it was not in the public interest to proceed to trial.
Contact:
