Three more whales, two belugas and an orca, have died at Marineland of Canada, Niagara Falls, in the past seven months. The latest death was 17 August. Both female belugas were part of the group of 12 belugas acquired by Marineland from the infamous Russian White Sea beluga capture in 1999. This latest death occurred in a petting pool, where an eleven-year-old girl was bitten by another beluga on 5 August. Dr. Jon Lien, Memorial University in Newfoundland, had submitted a commissioned report in March to the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), examining the issue of marine mammals in captivity in Canada. Although the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) has been reported to have developed standards for marine mammals, based largely on Dr. Lien's report and appendix material, they are not yet official. One of Dr. Lien's recommendations was for a moratorium on any further imports or exports of marine mammals into or out of Canada until DFO could establish appropriate regulations. The Minister has received many pleas to suspend imports pending completion of captivity regulations. Had the Minister acted on Dr. Lien's recommendation the belugas would never have arrived at Marineland in the first place. Again in September Marineland imported six bottlenose dolphins from Russia, through Zoolex, the same company they used last year. Marineland needed only a CITES export permit from Russia to bring the dolphins to Canada. Off the record, many people in the Canadian zoo/aquarium industry and government feel Marineland is an embarrassment, and the Minister's delay is puzzling.

Canada has two other aquariums, the West Edmonton Mall (WEM) and the Vancouver Aquarium. One of four bottlenose dolphins died at WEM recently, 19-year-old Maria. She died from ingesting coins. WEM has said that they will not acquire any more dolphins. The Vancouver Aquarium's controversies have been reported in previous newsletters. By selling Bjossa they have decided not to display orcas in the future.

Please write a polite but forceful letter to ask DFO Minister Dhaliwal to begin a consultation process with the Canadian public on recommendations contained in Dr. Lien's report, immediately place a moratorium on any further imports and exports of marine mammals in or out of Canada pending those recommendations, and demand that any discussion of marine mammal regulations should include the issue of petting pools such as the one found at Friendship Cove, Marineland. Please join the international concern with a polite but forceful letter to: The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, 200 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E6 CANADA, Fax (613) 943-1943. For more information, please contact Brian McHattie or Rob Laidlaw at Zoocheck Canada, 3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3P6 CANADA. Phone: (416) 285-1744, Fax: (416) 285-4670, email: zoocheck@idirect.com.