Marineland in Ontario had hoped to offload the cetaceans on a theme park in Zhuhai, after suffering years of animal welfare concerns and financial woes. But their transfer was denied by the Canadian government last week over concerns they would face similarly substandard treatment as "public entertainment".

The park then asked for federal funding to be able to continue caring for the animals - but this was denied, being branded "inappropriate" by Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson. In the absence of funding as it winds down operations, Marineland has now said it may have to put the belugas to sleep, according to the New York Times and CBC News. It reportedly said that this was "a direct consequence of the minister's decision".

The park is said to have told ministers that it was in a "critical financial state" and unable to provide adequate care for the whales, having being closed over the summer while it removed the animals still there. But Thompson said Marineland's lack of a viable alternative home for the belugas did not entail the Canadian government should foot the bill for their care. Marineland had hoped to send the belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, which sits in between Hong Kong and Macau in China.

Thompson denied its export permit, saying the strengthening of fisheries legislation in 2019 that made it illegal to use whales and dolphins for entertainment prohibited the move. "I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured," she said. "To approve the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment." Criticisms of Marineland date back several years, and in 2020 Animal Welfare Services opened an investigation into the park. It found that 12 whales at the park had died over a two year period and declared all the park's marine life to be under distress. (BBC/Getty Images)