MEPs voted on a text that prohibits the keeping and breeding of these animals in captivity, as well as their participation in shows.
- On 29 January, the National Assembly adopted a bill that finally signed into law the end of dolphinariums.
- “Beyond the extremely detrimental prospect for the health and welfare of cetaceans, this decision, needless to say, has serious consequences regarding employment and the economy,” denounced Marineland’s director general on Thursday.
The Parc Marino de Antibes took the time to react. But its analysis is definitive after the adoption of a bill on 29 January by the National Assembly, that finally puts an end to dolphinariums. Pascal Picot, managing director of Marineland, evoked on Thursday the decision as “detrimental to the health and well-being of cetaceans”.
The deputies voted almost unanimously in favour of this text to combat animal abuse without “giving zoological institutions the opportunity to express themselves”, he said, condemning this as an ” injustice”. The proposed law prohibits the keeping and breeding of cetaceans in captivity, as well as their participation in shows.
Animals transferred to “experimental enclosures”?
Animals that may be transferred to demarcated and protected marine areas. A prospect Pascal Picot says he fears. “We cannot expose the animals for which we are responsible to the risks that experimental enclosures could expose them to,” he says, stressing the park’s “strong desire” to “work with the various stakeholders” in exploring the “feasibility” of these areas.
“Beyond the prospect of seriously damaging the health and welfare of cetaceans, as well as the research, conservation and education missions carried out by zoos, there is no need to say that this decision entails serious consequences for employment and the economy,” he denounces. In 2019, according to figures communicated by Marineland, the JRC Nice estimated the economic impact of the park at 97.9 million euros. It is also believed to generate around 952 full-time jobs per year.
