Efforts to rehome the pair have hit repeated walls. An application to move them to Japan was blocked by the French Ministry for Ecology earlier this year — a decision that adds layers of cross-border liability, wildlife relocation insurance disputes, and potential policyholder objections from environmental stakeholders.
Another plan to send them to Loro Parque in Tenerife — already home to four orcas — was also halted after a Spanish scientific panel concluded the facilities did “not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions.” This raises questions about facility accreditation and risk management assessments in marine rehabilitation zones.
Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach of World Animal Protection told the BBC that the decision was “unexpected but rational,” adding that it “perfectly illustrates the fact that marine parks are an outdated industry with dropping acceptability” — an industry facing escalating insurance underwriting costs, compliance scrutiny, and calls for sustainable healthcare ecosystems for captive animals.
Canada Could Be Their Last Chance
Now, animal welfare groups are urging the French government to approve a transfer to what may be the only viable remaining option: a sanctuary in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia, run by the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP). Such a move would require full compliance with international marine transport regulations, custom veterinary certifications, and marine relocation insurance policies.
Lori Marino, president of the WSP — which had a previous proposal rejected by the French ecology ministry — says it is the “only option left”.
