Sawt Falasteen - France struggles to find new home for two orcas after park closes

Founded in the city of Antibes in 1970, Marineland closed to the public in January following a drop in attendance and a 2021 law banning orca and dolphin performances from December 2026.

The government, under pressure from animal rights activists, has struggled to find a new home for the park's two orcas, 24-year-old Wikie and her 11-year-old son, Keijo.

In February, the park's management submitted a request to urgently transfer the two orcas -- also known as killer whales -- and 12 dolphins to two parks in Spain by mid-April, when the contracts of its employees run out.

The management says it is now a matter of "extreme urgency" to find a solution.

But animal welfare groups, who have for years insisted that orcas have suffered at the French marine zoo, say conditions for such animals in Spain would be even worse.

Activists argue that such a transfer would violate the spirit of the 2021 law and have called for the creation of sanctuaries where the captive-born animals could live more freely.

French Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher says she has been working with her Spanish, Italian and Greek counterparts to address the problem, but has not been able to find an immediate solution.

In mid-March, the minister suggested that Wikie and Keijo be temporarily moved to Spain until a better alternative is found.

- Untreated infections -

Following a lengthy legal battle from the animal rights group One Voice, two experts appointed by a French court released a report this week on the living conditions of orcas at Marineland.

One Voice had requested such an assessment in 2019 before the performance ban, and a court requested the report in 2023.

In the report released on Tuesday, the experts concluded that the park's water and infrastructure complied with the standards and that the shows provided useful distractions and stimuli for the mental health of the captive animals.

But it also pointed to health problems among the captive animals.

In 2023, an orca called Moana died aged 12 of an infection, while another orca, 23-year-old Inouk, died last year after ingesting a small metal spring.

According to the report, in the eight months preceding his death, Moana had been on antibiotics for 107 days, corticosteroids for 31 days, painkillers for 36 days and antifungals for 21 days.

Despite this, the autopsies of the two orcas revealed severe untreated infections.

- 'Shameful transfers' -

When the animal welfare law was adopted, Berangere Abba, then secretary of state in charge of biodiversity, said the government would be on hand to provide help to find a new home for retired dolphins and orcas.

But few people initially responded to a government call for ideas, Pannier-Runacher's office told AFP.

By 2024, her office had finally received five sanctuary proposals, but none of the solutions were immediately operational.

Sea Shepherd France has objected to the proposal to move the orcas to Spain, even temporarily.

"As soon as the animals are moved to Spain, France will no longer have any control over their destiny", the conservation group said in an open letter to the minister that gathered more than 90,000 signatures.

The group offered to pay five million euros ($5.5 million) to keep the orcas in Antibes until the sanctuaries are ready.

Marineland declined to comment on the proposal.

"We will do everything in our power to prevent these shameful transfers," Sea Shepherd France said.

L.Hussein--SF-PST