Animal and environmental protection groups applaud the US National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) decision to prohibit Mystic Aquarium from breeding five captive-born beluga whales from Canada as part of an import permit issued Friday, August 28th. The permit also precludes Mystic Aquarium from training or using the whales for circus-like performances.
“The permit issued by NMFS is a first – the first permit to restrict the use of captive cetaceans by aquariums for breeding yet more captives and to end the circus-like performances of these magnificent animals,” stated Mark J. Palmer, Associate Director of the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute. “There are aspects of the import that we still oppose, but generally, this permit is a major improvement over previous permits for captive cetaceans in the US.”
The Mystic Aquarium of Connecticut applied for a permit last year to import the belugas from MarineLand, a marine theme park in Niagara Falls, Canada, for the purpose of scientific research. Among other research projects, Mystic proposed behavioral and reproduction studies, including breeding and research on pregnant females and their progeny, raising concerns that the real purpose of the import was to perpetuate the captive beluga population for inhumane public display in the United States. Moreover, under a partnership between Mystic and Georgia aquariums, three of the whales could eventually be transferred to Atlanta. The new permit conditions clarify that the NMFS must approve any decision to transfer the animals.
IMMP and many other organizations and individuals opposed the permit last year, especially due to the breeding proposal. IMMP and our coalition of groups are reviewing the permit closely with lawyers to clarify the permit conditions and restrictions.
In issuing the permit Friday, NMFS authorized seven of Mystic’s eight research projects; it did not authorize the studies related to reproduction. The permit conditions prohibit the aquariums from breeding the whales, using them in public interactive programs, or training them for performances.
“Many groups talked with Mystic Aquarium, urging them to drop their demand to breed the beluga whales, but they refused,” noted David Phillips, Executive Director of Earth Island Institute and IMMP. “Mystic suffered a significant loss in NMFS’s actions to not authorize breeding.”
The permit restrictions come after a group of animal and environmental protection organizations submitted comments in December opposing the permit, outlining their substantive legal and policy objections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). These groups, which included IMMP, the Animal Welfare Institute, and other US, Canadian and international organizations, urged the inclusion of the no-breeding and no-performance clauses in a permit if one was issued, as well as the clarification that NMFS — not the permit holder —should make any decisions regarding the disposition of these whales.
There is no conservation benefit to breeding beluga whales in captivity, as most experts believe such animals cannot be released into the wild. The only reason to breed beluga whales is to produce more beluga whales as lucrative objects that people will pay to see.
NMFS’s decision is indicative of a broader global movement in recent years to end the unsustainable and inhumane cetacean trade and public display. The 2013 documentary, Blackfish, had an enormous impact on the public’s view of captive orcas. That same year, NMFS denied a request by Georgia Aquarium to import 18 wild-caught Russian belugas for public display, a permit IMMP also opposed. In 2016, SeaWorld ended orca breeding at its parks in the US, and, last year, Canada passed a law to end the public display of all cetaceans in the country, both steps IMMP supported.
Before Mystic can import the belugas, the facility must provide NMFS with a detailed contraception plan to prevent breeding, and Canada must issue a permit to export the whales from MarineLand. Animal advocates support strong and clear requirements in such Canadian permits to prohibit breeding and performances, along the lines that NMFS approved.
Canada is currently developing regulatory procedures for issuing export permits under its new law. Many countries do not have comparable laws to the MMPA, so Canada must ensure any captive cetaceans exported from the country continue to be covered by Canada’s powerful legislative protections.
IMMP strongly supports retiring all captive cetaceans to seaside sanctuaries, providing food and medical care to the captives, so they can live out their lives without having to perform for their food in public.
