marineland orcas tenerife urgent transfer

French government urges urgent orca transfer to Tenerife

Urgent race to save last two orcas from closed French aquarium

The fate of the last two orcas still held at the Marineland marine park in Antibes, on the French Riviera, has become a race against time, with the Canary Islands emerging as their likely destination. In a dramatic reversal of policy, the French government is now demanding that the cetaceans be transferred immediately to Loro Parque in Tenerife, describing the current situation at the French facility as an “absolute emergency” that threatens the animals’ lives.

French minister confirms all obstacles removed

Mathieu Lefèvre, the French minister delegate for ecological transition, confirmed in an interview with the newspaper Nice Matin that bureaucracy is no longer a barrier. “All the permits are now in place. It is up to Marineland and the Spanish parks to reach an agreement to proceed with a transfer that could take place in the coming weeks.” The urgency is driven by the severe deterioration of the park, which closed permanently last January.

Just five months ago, the same French executive was advocating for the orcas to be relocated to a semi-wild marine sanctuary in Canada. However, Lefèvre acknowledged that the situation has changed drastically and said he refuses to “condemn them to certain death.” The main concern is the alarming condition of the pools in Antibes since the complex closed.

Warning of structural collapse

“If nothing is done, given the state of the pools, they are doomed,” warned the minister, pointing to the real risk of a structural collapse in the tanks where the cetaceans swim. Marineland’s closure after more than half a century of operation is a direct consequence of the law banning cetacean shows in France. The site is owned by the Spanish group Parques Reunidos, which plans to redevelop the land for other commercial uses and supports the relocation of the animals to the specialist centre in Tenerife, which is run by a different operator.

Environmental groups raise objections

The plan to move the orcas to the Canary Islands is not universally supported. The influential environmental organisation Sea Shepherd has already voiced strong opposition to the Tenerife move, insisting that the only ethical alternative is to find a destination in protected marine sanctuaries in the ocean. Despite the environmental pressure, Minister Lefèvre has dismissed the sanctuary route due to time constraints: the bureaucracy and preparation of such spaces would take longer than the orcas can afford if the Marineland structures collapse.

Destination: Loro Parque, Tenerife

Loro Parque in Tenerife has facilities already prepared for handling large cetaceans. The planned timeframe is the coming weeks, pending a final agreement between the operators. The context is the legal ban on orca and dolphin shows on French soil. To resolve the final outstanding issues, the minister delegate is holding a key meeting with Marineland’s management to force an immediate housing solution before the structural problems in the pools put the animals’ lives at irreversible risk.

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