The fate of Wikie and Keijo, the two orcas still detained in a water park in France, is now in the hands of the Ministry of Energy Transition. In fact, the Marineland park in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes) has officially submitted a request to export the two orcas it houses to the Kobe Suma Sea World park in Japan. The government, which confirmed on Monday, November 25, that it had received the request, has two months to respond.
A report issued in June by the General Inspection of the Environment and Sustainable Development formalized the existence of a contract between Marineland and this Japanese dolphinarium to transfer the orcas there, something that the animal protection associations that follow the file had suspected for several months. “The objective, with this export request, is to comply with French legislation that prohibits cetacean shows from 2026.specify in World park management. We need to find a destination for cetaceans, we act responsibly in anticipation of the fateful date of 1Ahem January 2026, so as not to be illegal. »
For the associations, a departure to Japan would be a snub, three years after the vote on the 2021 law to combat animal abuse, which was presented as a great step forward for the protection of animals in France. For the first time, lawmakers recognized that tank life was unsuitable for the needs of large marine mammals (while enacting other measures such as ending traveling circus shows featuring wild animals). “Even if the orcas survived the trip, they would quickly die there.”fears Christine Grandjean, president of the Basta association. At Kobe Suma Sea World, orcas can perform up to six shows a day. At Marineland, it’s a show a day. »
The non-governmental organization (NGO) launched a petition to urge the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, to reject the transfer. “It would be an indelible stain on the minister’s record if exports to Japan were authorized”warns M.me Grandjean. “The government, in principle, has free rein to reject a shipment of this type to this Japanese amusement park”says the NGO One Voice.
Lack of anticipation
The request to transfer the orcas comes while still awaiting the result of an independent veterinary examination ordered in 2023 following a lawsuit filed by One Voice. In January, the Grasse judicial court prohibited any movement of the orcas pending this examination, a ruling that Marineland appealed. After a hearing at the end of October, the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence is due to rule on December 5.
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