News Archive - One voice

Reunion Island: the court condemns the digging up of common tenrecs… and the collusion between the State and hunters

Reunion Island: the court condemns the digging up of common tenrecs… and the collusion between the State and hunters
19.11.2025
La Réunion
Reunion Island: the court condemns the digging up of common tenrecs… and the collusion between the State and hunters
Animaux sauvages

For several years, we have been challenging the hunting of common tenrecs on Reunion Island. Like badgers, thousands of them are victims of digging out every year. Despite the prefecture’s full support to this practice and the usual attempts to circumvent justice, the administrative court of Reunion Island has just ruled in our favor across the board by canceling the two decrees that authorized the killings from February to April 2024. This is a victory for the animals and a severe punishment for the prefect, who had allowed hunters to write his decrees.

Repeated victories and a relentless prefect

Nothing is spared for common tenrecs, these little-known animals belonging to a unique species whose appearance resembles that of hedgehogs. Already victims of intensive poaching, every year nearly 100,000 of them are dug up and killed. And this at a time when there are still many young animals that are dependent on their parents.

In February 2024, we obtained an emergency suspension of the digging, authorized by the prefect from February 17 to April 14. Despite this decision, the authorities had yielded to intense pressure from hunters. A few days later, a new decree was adopted to allow the killing of common tenrecs until April 14… with even more days of digging to compensate for the effect of the previous decision. This was clearly a strategy designed to circumvent the justice system.

We say no to backroom deals between the State and hunters to kill common tenrecs!

We also revealed that the decree and the presentation note intended to provide the public with objective information about common tenrecs had been written not by the prefecture’s departments… but by the director of the departmental hunting federation and her lawyer! This was a case of total and unacceptable collusion, which we had confirmed by a bailiff.

For the second time, the court has ruled that the decrees were illegal. Like underground badger hunting, the blind digging up of common tenrecs directly endangers the young, whose killing is nevertheless prohibited. The judges also sanctioned the prefecture’s multiple instances of negligence in the procedure for adopting the order and formally reminded the prefects that they cannot under any circumstances delegate their duties to the hunters themselves!

In Réunion, as elsewhere, thousands of citizens oppose these archaic methods that cause stress, suffering, and death to animals that only want to live in peace. We will not give in! To put an end to this deadly practice, sign our petition for a radical reform of hunting.

November 24 hearing in Béthune: justice for the roosters tortured in Norrent-Fontes

November 24 hearing in Béthune: justice for the roosters tortured in Norrent-Fontes
19.11.2025
Pas-de-Calais
November 24 hearing in Béthune: justice for the roosters tortured in Norrent-Fontes
Exploitation pour le spectacle

On November 24 at 1:30 p.m., at the Béthune legal tribunal, the trial will be held of a cockfighting organizer from Norrent-Fontes (Pas-de-Calais). Between 2021 and 2025, he illegally revived a sadistic practice that had disappeared from this town in 1999. We will be there to remind everyone that “tradition” cannot justify violence.

A practice from another time

Behind the closed doors of the cockfighting arenas, roosters fight to the death. These animals, mutilated and made aggressive by human hands, suffer for the simple pleasure of a bloodthirsty audience. Their combs are cut, their beaks are filed down, and sometimes blades or metal spurs are attached to them to increase the injuries inflicted on their opponents. All this for a bet, a thrill, a “tradition” that some refuse to see disappear and which children can watch, accustoming them from an early age to the glorification of sadism towards animals.

These scenes of extreme violence are neither part of our heritage nor our culture. The images we revealed in the summer of 2025 show what these “fights” really are: synonymous with suffering, stress, and often a slow and painful death, all to the applause of a complicit audience.

Norrent-Fontes: a tradition interrupted since 1999

Like bullfighting, these fights are acts of cruelty and are banned throughout France. However, an unjust exception remains in cases of “uninterrupted local tradition”. In Norrent-Fontes, this practice had ceased since 1999. Despite this, an organizer has revived the fights between 2021 and 2025, even though the prefect of Pas-de-Calais revoked his authorization in 2022. The Lille Administrative Court, in a ruling on December 26, 2024, confirmed that holding these fights in the municipality was simply illegal.

Béthune: a date with justice and compassion

We will be present at the Béthune legal tribunal on November 24 at 1:30 p.m. to make the voice of animals heard, support the prefect’s action, and remind everyone that the law must be applied everywhere, without exception or complacency. This trial is not just about one organizer: it symbolizes the resistance of an old world, one where violence against animals could still be hidden behind the word “tradition”.

Citizens are increasingly rejecting these cruel spectacles. Respect for living beings, compassion, and justice have become shared values. Cockfighting is not a heritage to be preserved, but suffering to be abolished. Together, let’s call for an end to these cruel spectacles: sign our petition!

Wolves in danger: One Voice’s national mobilisation on 22 November

Wolves in danger: One Voice’s national mobilisation on 22 November
13.11.2025
Wolves in danger: One Voice’s national mobilisation on 22 November
Animaux sauvages

Their names are Milo and Mina. They live in the Corrèze region and have had cubs. A discreet family with an exceptional genetic heritage, now threatened with death. While the government wants to make it easier to shoot wolves, and lobbyists are calling for their extermination, a national mobilisation is being organised. On 22 November, voices will be raised across France to defend the wolves.

A fast-track policy of destruction

Last September, the French government announced its intention to simplify the procedures for shooting wolves. Behind these technocratic words lies a brutal reality: to kill more easily, more quickly and with fewer controls. This headlong rush deliberately ignores the fundamental rights of sentient animals, scientific data, solutions for coexistence and ecological issues.

In the same spirit, several agricultural and hunting organisations have intensified their pressure. In the Corrèze region, home to Milo, Mina and their cubs, voices were raised calling for a hunt, with a barely concealed objective: to make this family disappear before they could settle permanently. Our mobilisation led to its cancellation.

22 and 23 November, throughout France

Faced with this political violence, pressure from lobbyists and the State’s failure to fulfil its duty to protect biodiversity, we refuse to remain silent.

Over the weekend of 22 and 23 November*, a coordinated national action will bring together around fifteen activist groups throughout France. In Amancy, Bar-le-Duc, Bordeaux, Brive-la-Gaillarde, Fréjus, La Rochelle, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Nice, Paris, Troyes** and many other cities, rallies, symbolic actions, distribution of information and happenings will take place to remind people that wolves have the right to live in peace.

We will not let the worst happen. Because Milo, Mina, their cubs —and all the others— deserve better than a complicit silence.

* Dates, addresses and times of the events are available by clicking on the name of each city.

** Exceptionally, the action planned in Troyes will take place on 15 November.

Peyrelevade: a Chatipi in a medical-social establishment – Inauguration on 13 November

Peyrelevade: a Chatipi in a medical-social establishment – Inauguration on 13 November
04.11.2025
Peyrelevade
Peyrelevade: a Chatipi in a medical-social establishment – Inauguration on 13 November
Animaux familiers

On Thursday 13 November at 2pm, the EEAP MAS du Pays de Millevaches, a Jacques Chirac Foundation establishment, the local association Arist’o Chats and One Voice will inaugurate a new Chatipi in Peyrelevade (Corrèze). Located in the heart of the sensory garden of the facility which welcomes children, teenagers and adults with disabilities, this space aims to protect stray cats while promoting the bond between animals and residents. The goal is for residents to be able to come and see the cats, help feed them, and for the Chatipi space to serve as a support for therapeutic projects and new educational activities related to animals. The inauguration will be attended by Florian Curbelié, director of the EEAP MAS du Pays de Millevaches, Sarah Cadusseau, president of the Arist’o Chats association, and Mathilde Perrot for One Voice.

A concrete and caring initiative

While already involved in animal-assisted therapy, the EEAP MAS wanted to respond in a caring way to the presence of stray cats on its site. Thanks to the support of One Voice, the Arist’o Chats association and its own teams, the establishment has created a safe and sustainable space for these vulnerable animals, integrating their presence into the daily lives of the residents.

The Chatipi thus becomes a regenerative place, where animals play a soothing and mediating role, reducing anxiety, stimulating communication, developing attention and social bonds, and creating landmarks in a familiar and reassuring environment. The young residents can observe the cats, care for them, feed them and interact with them.

For their part, the felines accept it because it is designed for their well-being. It is a project with a strong affective, sensory and emotional impact.

An effective three-way partnership

This project is the result of a close partnership: EEAP MAS kicked off the project with the creation of the concrete foundation and the installation of the hut. The fitting-out was carried out in conjunction with the Arist’o Chats association which will be in charge of trapping the cats and transporting them to the veterinary clinic, as well as providing long-term health monitoring. EEAP MAS will be responsible for maintaining the hut and feeding the cats on a daily basis. It will also cover the animals’ long-term veterinary costs. One Voice has provided funding for the hut, cat flaps, boards, educational trail and initial care (sterilisation, tagging, health tests) for fifteen cats.

In addition, the Refuge Animalier Bortois, which has provided significant support to help the EEAP MAS manage stray cats, will be present at the inauguration. It is a partner of another Chatipi which is due to be inaugurated in Neuvic on the same day, in the morning.

An educational dimension

An educational circuit on the condition of homeless cats will be set up near the Chatipi to raise awareness among children, families and visitors of the problem of feline straying. This initiative aims to change people’s perceptions of these often-invisible animals and to strengthen public involvement in animal welfare. The objective is to confront children, families and visitors with the reality of stray cats while promoting an approach based on respect and kindness towards cats.

📍Inauguration

Date: Thursday 13 November 2025

Time: 2pm

Venue: EEAP MAS du Pays de Millevaches – 12, route du Puy Chabrol, 19290 Peyrelevade.

The inauguration will be followed by a light refreshment

On 13 November, inauguration of a Chatipi for stray cats in Neuvic

On 13 November, inauguration of a Chatipi for stray cats in Neuvic
04.11.2025
Neuvic
On 13 November, inauguration of a Chatipi for stray cats in Neuvic
Animaux familiers

On Thursday 13 November at 9am, One Voice will inaugurate a Chatipi in Neuvic, at Impasse de la Fontaine du Berger. This new shelter intended for stray cats will provide better care for the feline population while raising awareness among residents about their situation.

The inauguration will take place in the presence of Dominique Miermont, Mayor of Neuvic, Angélique Raynaud-Vedrenne, volunteer co-president of the Bortois animal shelter, and Mathilde Perrot for One Voice. The ceremony will be followed by a light refreshment.

Stray cats: vulnerable and dependent creatures

Too often mistakenly perceived as independent and resourceful, stray cats are not capable of surviving on their own in the long run. Deprived of care and shelter, they suffer from cold, hunger and disease, and are sometimes victims of human cruelty.

The Chatipi project provides a safe haven for these invisible animals and gives them a chance to live with dignity, while improving their coexistence with local residents. It also raises awareness among residents about their situation and helps change attitudes: the physical element serves as a reminder that these animals need care and protection, and that they cannot survive with dignity without human intervention. By involving residents – both children and adults – the project also creates, through its educational aspect, a link between animal protection and civic engagement at the very heart of the neighbourhoods concerned.

Acting locally to improve coexistence

Faced with a growing cat population, the municipality of Neuvic wanted to take sustainable action. The aim of this project is twofold: to offer homeless cats a more dignified life and to create a harmonious coexistence with local residents. This initiative reinforces the actions already undertaken by the municipality, in particular sterilisation campaigns.

An effective collaboration between partners

This Chatipi is the result of cooperation between the Neuvic Town Council, the Bortois Animal Shelter and One Voice, which initiated the project.

The town council built and financed the concrete foundation and the fence around the site. Together with its volunteers, it will be responsible for feeding the cats on a daily basis, maintaining the hut and covering any long-term veterinary costs.
The Bortois Animal Shelter was in charge of the interior design of the hut. It will also be responsible for trapping the animals for sterilisation and monitoring their health.
One Voice, for its part, financed the hut, educational boards, cat flaps and dry food. It will also cover the costs of sterilisation, tagging and health tests for fifteen cats.

Eight cats already frequent the Chatipi area. They have been tagged in the name of the town council.

A nationwide animal protection programme

The Chatipi in Neuvic is part of a nationwide programme run by One Voice, which already includes more than sixty facilities across France, located in schools, nursing homes and hospitals. These structures offer stray cats a safe haven while also serving as an educational tool and a means of raising awareness about animal protection.

📍 Practical information

Address: Impasse de la Fontaine du Berger, 19160 Neuvic

Date: Thursday 13 November 2025

Time: 9am

The inauguration will be followed by a light refreshment

Two new Chatipis for stray cats in Hérault – Inaugurations in Montpellier and Azillanet on 19 and 20 November

Two new Chatipis for stray cats in Hérault – Inaugurations in Montpellier and Azillanet on 19 and 20 November
03.11.2025
Hérault
Two new Chatipis for stray cats in Hérault – Inaugurations in Montpellier and Azillanet on 19 and 20 November
Animaux familiers

On Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November, One Voice will inaugurate two new Chatipis in the Hérault region: in Montpellier, in partnership with the Crous and the association Les Chats libres du Crous, and then in Azillanet, in partnership with the town council and the association Les Minous Libres Azillanetois. These solidarity-based and ethical projects, the third and fourth in the region after those in Villeneuve-lès-Béziers, are part of a concrete approach to protect stray cats and raise awareness of their plight.

Montpellier: a unique partnership with the Crous for the welfare of free-roaming cats

On Tuesday 19 November at 9.30am, One Voice, the association Les Chats libres du Crous and the Crous de Montpellier will inaugurate a new Chatipi in Boutonnet Park (2, rue Monteil).

This solidarity-based and ethical project marks the first collaboration between One Voice and the Crous (regional centre for university and school works), as part of ongoing efforts to protect homeless cats on the campus.

The inauguration will take place in the presence of Delphine Simon, treasurer of the association and deputy head of human resources at the Crous, Julie Vernadat, president of the association, and Mathilde Perrot for One Voice.

Several sterilisation campaigns have been carried out on campus by the town council of Montpellier and other local associations. The Chatipi now perpetuates these efforts by offering cats a safe place to feed, shelter and live with dignity, while raising awareness among students and staff about sterilisation and care.

The project received the support of three complementary partners: the Crous laid the concrete foundation, assembled the hut and the information board, and participates in the daily feeding of the cats and maintenance of the site. The association Les Chats libres du Crous is responsible for trapping and health monitoring and contributes to the purchase of food. One Voice financed the hut, cat flaps and educational board, thirty kilos of dry food, and fifteen sterilizations, taggings, and health tests. In the long term, veterinary and maintenance costs will be shared between the association and the Crous in a joint and cooperative management arrangement.

Azillanet: an exemplary local mobilization for the cats of the village

On Wednesday 20 November at 11am, a Chatipi will be inaugurated on Rue de la Mairie (at the intersection with Rue de la Rampe) in the presence of Mayor Alexandre Dye, Suzanne Hails, president of the Les Minous Libres Azillanetois association, and Mathilde Perrot for One Voice.

In Azillanet, the concrete foundation and a retaining wall were built by the town council, which also helped to assemble the hut with volunteers from the association. Les Minous Libres Azillanetois was in charge of painting, interior fittings (flooring, shelves, linoleum) and financing of these elements, and will provide food, health monitoring and long-term veterinary costs, while One Voice paid for the hut, cat flaps, boards, dry food, sterilisation, tagging and health tests.

Azillanet’s application was approved in view of the urgent situation: the cats were being fed at the side of the road, in a dangerous environment and in the presence of a hostile neighbour. The Chatipi project has made it possible to keep these cats safe, to provide them with a suitable place to live, and to establish a harmonious cohabitation between the felines and the population. There are now nearly fifty stray cats in the town, around thirty of which have already been neutered.

A practical and educational response to feline straying

One Voice, which has been fighting against feline straying in France for years, is developing three-way partnerships between local authorities, local associations and citizens.

The aim is to tag, neuter and treat homeless cats before releasing them back into their original location, which has been equipped with a wooden hut where they can find food, shelter and water.

Beyond the practical protection of stray cats, the Chatipi project has a strong educational dimension. It invites people to reflect on the fate of so-called ‘free’ cats, often mistakenly perceived as happy street animals, when in fact their daily lives are marked by hunger, disease and constant danger.

By creating visible places that are integrated into the life of the local community, Chatipi is changing attitudes and raising awareness among residents and institutions around the need for respectful and responsible coexistence with animals. It embodies a link between animal protection and civic engagement, at the very heart of the regions.

📍 Practical information

Montpellier: Tuesday 19 November, 9.30am – Boutonnet Park (2, rue Monteil).
Azillanet: Wednesday 20 November, 11am – rue de la Mairie (at the intersection with rue de la Rampe).

Court of Appeal hearing: the poachers in the Cher will not get off lightly

Court of Appeal hearing: the poachers in the Cher will not get off lightly
03.11.2025
Cher
Court of Appeal hearing: the poachers in the Cher will not get off lightly
Animaux sauvages

Between 2022 and 2024, six hunters tracked deer and wild boar in their 4x4s in the forests of the Cher region. These acts of unprecedented violence are believed to have cost the lives of dozens of animals… killed or crushed by their tormentors’ vehicles. One Voice has brought a civil action in this case which was documented by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), where the poachers were acquitted at the end of April 2025 due to a procedural error. We have appealed and will be present at the Court of Appeal in Bourges on 13 November at 9am to demand a verdict commensurate with the cruelty inflicted.

The six hunters, some of whom are members of the local hunting club, have all admitted to the facts. For nearly two years, they engaged in completely illegal and unusually brutal hunting. At the wheel of their 4x4s, they pursued animals in the middle of the night to kill them with gunshots… or by running them over. In August 2022, a wild boar hit by one of the cars was finished off with a dagger. And this is just one of dozens of victims who were terrorised before being killed, sometimes while being filmed by their executioners.

Possession of unregistered high-calibre weapons, night-time driving on private agricultural land, drunk driving… the list of offences compounding this outburst of cruelty is long.

Justice must be served for the persecuted animals

For their intolerable acts, these bloodthirsty individuals face four years’ imprisonment and a fine of €60,000. However, on 30 April 2025, the Court in Châteauroux acquitted them. The reason? The invalidity of one of the investigative acts, as the OFB identified the six perpetrators using cameras installed without the consent of a magistrate…

We have appealed this decision, refusing to allow a procedural flaw to erase the seriousness of the acts attributed to these trigger-happy individuals. On 13 November at 9am, we hope that the Court of Appeal in Bourges will hand down exemplary sentences, and we also request the withdrawal of their hunting licences, the confiscation of their weapons and a ban on owning new ones.

Join your voice to ours in defending all victims of hunting by signing our petition for a radical reform of this deadly practice.

Rousset Primatology Station: entire lines of primates suffering in laboratories

Rousset Primatology Station: entire lines of primates suffering in laboratories
04.11.2025
Rousset, Bouches-du-Rhône Rousset Primatology Station: entire lines of primates suffering in laboratories
Expérimentation animale

After taking legal action to obtain transparency around the fate of primates being used in France, One Voice finally received several — incomplete — documents from the CNRS and the University of Aix-Marseille.

Although they are only partial, these documents already paint a damning picture. They make it possible to reconstruct the journey of several marmosets born, transferred or held at the CNRS breeding facility in Rousset, and to glimpse the real conditions of the ‘life’ of primates being used for experiments in France.

Entire families of primates victims of experiments over several generations

At the CNRS site in Rousset, suffering is not the lot of a single individual: it is passed on from generation to generation. Entire lines of primates are being exploited there.

For example, Fenouil, a marmoset who spent several years in Rousset, died in 2022 after undergoing numerous experiments. But he was also used for breeding. Eight babies were born to him, including Nuphar, Narcisse and Navet, who were born in 2017.
Nuphar died the same year as his father. A few days before their deaths, both had undergone injections into the brain as part of the same experimental project. His brothers, Narcisse and Navet, met a similar end: they were killed after being subjected to the same experimental protocol.
The case of Kaki, another marmoset, illustrates this infernal mechanism. He died in 2023 from an unknown cause, leaving behind descendants who also died in unclear circumstances: Orange, born in 2018, and Pépin, born in 2019 in Rousset, both died without any cause being given.
Salakis, born in 2021 in Rousset, was exploited for breeding. She gave birth to five babies—their fate remains unknown.
Her brother Sauvage, born the same year, suffered serious injuries to the throat and arms. Last May, one of his claws was torn off following ‘a mistake by the handler’, who allegedly pulled on him while he was clinging to the cage.

In the wild, marmosets are the little chatterboxes of the jungle

These South American primates live in groups and are very talkative. They even give each other names, using specific vocalisations. Cooperation is a ubiquitous practice in marmoset groups, particularly when it comes to raising the young, regardless of gender.

In laboratories, marmosets experience constant distress

And yet, the fate of many of these small mammals will be captivity, solitude and suffering. France remains the leading European country with respect to the use of animals, including primates, in its laboratories, in contradiction with European objectives to reduce their numbers. This is also a far cry from the ambitions of countries such as the United States, where the National Institute of Health (NIH) intends to reverse its practices within five years, making non-animal methods the norm, with those using living beings becoming the minority alternative.

With this expansion of the CNRS site in Rousset, our country and the research community are perpetuating cruel and obsolete practices, financed by millions of euros of public money. Join us in demanding that this type of project be abandoned!

To learn more about the suffering of these primates:

Rousset Primatology Station: the same fate for all the different primates exploited
Take part in the consultation, and express your opposition to the project
Sign the petition

Traditional hunting: all the ‘experiments’ in 2023 were illegal

Traditional hunting: all the ‘experiments’ in 2023 were illegal
07.11.2025
France
Traditional hunting: all the ‘experiments’ in 2023 were illegal
Animaux sauvages

A few weeks ago, One Voice, together with LPO, obtained an emergency suspension of new authorisations to kill nearly 100,000 skylarks in the regions of Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. These authorisations were based on the results of ‘scientific’ pseudo-experiments conducted… by the hunters themselves in 2023, which we had immediately challenged in court. Today, the Administrative Court in Bordeaux has ruled in our favour, following the courts in Châlons-en-Champagne and Pau, confirming the complete illegality of these desperate attempts to revive archaic practices in the name of ‘science’. But this victory heralds a new battle, as the Ministry now wishes to amend the European texts on the protection of birds. Join us in writing to the Ministry to say no to this unacceptable project!

For years, thousands of skylarks, lapwings and golden plovers were captured each autumn using devices each one more cruel than the other, before being collected and killed by hand by thrill-seeking hunters. We have fought tirelessly, from the administrative courts to the State Council and the Court of Justice of the European Union, and we have won every time.

Ardennes, Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne and Pyrénées-Atlantiques: these shameful experiments were illegal everywhere

Despite our victories, successive governments have shamelessly provided unwavering support to hunters to allow them to continue slaughtering these birds who have a poor conservation status. In 2023, they even attempted to reauthorise net capture in five regions under the guise of scientific pseudo-experiments entrusted to the hunters themselves. The aim? To once again circumvent court decisions.

The ruling handed down on 6 November by the Administrative Court in Bordeaux echoes those of judges in Pau and Châlons-en-Champagne: all these experiments were illegal. Hunters wanting to pass themselves off as impartial scientists? The court put them in their place, stating that ‘there is no evidence to suggest that such a programme would be entrusted to a research organisation’. They loudly proclaimed that we didn’t understand anything. Today, the courts have ruled: these captures should never have taken place.

Stop the persecution: hunters, ministers, respect the law and leave the birds in peace!

What will the State do now? Try once again to authorise illegal ‘experiments’? Introduce new ‘quotas’, like the ones for which we managed to obtain an emergency suspension before the State Council in September 2025? If they try, they will always find us standing in their way.

But a new option seems to be emerging: the minister has already indicated that he wants to go even further and is considering requesting an amendment to the European legislation on the protection of birds. This would be a historic step backwards and could pave the way for the return of glue hunting, which we thought had been buried for good, and it would be opposed by 83% of the French population.

The lives of birds are worth more than these tricks and this constant contempt for animals. Today, we are writing to the minister to express our opposition to any amendment to the European legislation, and we invite you to do the same. The hunters must finally accept that they have lost, and leave the birds in peace!

One Voice condemns the planned dolphinarium at Beauval Zoo: an unacceptable step backwards

One Voice condemns the planned dolphinarium at Beauval Zoo: an unacceptable step backwards
05.11.2025
France
One Voice condemns the planned dolphinarium at Beauval Zoo: an unacceptable step backwards
Exploitation for shows

While France made a commitment in 2021 to gradually phase out the captivity of cetaceans, the project at Beauval Zoo aims to create a « study and research centre » for dolphins. This facade of fancy words conceals a new dolphinarium, synonymous with prolonged suffering for dolphins, with the added prospect of the animals being bred and eventually transferred to other dolphinariums, even as far away as China.

In sanctuaries, all breeding is prohibited

According to publicly available information, Beauval is planning to build pools containing more than 30,000 m³ of artificial seawater in order to accommodate a large number of bottlenose dolphins. While the figures may seem impressive, they are far from sufficient to meet the physiological and behavioural needs of dolphins who travel freely up to 90 km per day in the ocean. Dr Pierre Gallego, a veterinarian and marine biologist specialising in cetaceans, attests that this project « is nothing more than a dolphinarium in disguise », denouncing the exploitation of animal welfare to legitimise reproduction and captivity.

A move contrary to the spirit of the law and science

One Voice points out that the law passed in 2021 was supposed to mark the end of cetacean captivity in France. However, this project at Beauval pursues the logic of traditional dolphinariums, namely by planning for the birth of new individuals and exchanges between dolphinariums.

For Muriel Arnal, president of One Voice, « Beauval is trying to sell us the notion of a « land-based sanctuary »: pools of concrete disguised as a refuge. Tomorrow, will we have to accept permanent circuses, where tigers spend their lives in lorries? »

The association also denounces the pressure exerted by Marineland, which is threatening to transfer its dolphins to Spain. This strategy presents the French authorities with a false dilemma: choosing between captivity in Beauval and exile abroad, when a third option exists –that of genuine marine sanctuaries.

Marine sanctuaries, the only alternative for the welfare of dolphins

Since 2020, One Voice has been working with its partners on solutions involving sanctuaries that offer captive dolphins a semi-natural environment where they can relearn how to live without constraints and in complete safety. This model, which is supported by the European coalition Dolphinaria-Free Europe, is recognised as the only credible option for ensuring the welfare of dolphins without replicating the patterns of the captivity industry.

« Any relocation must be to a true sanctuary – one that prohibits breeding, public shows, close interactions, and trade in cetaceans. Anything less is just an upgraded dolphinarium » —Statement by the Dolphinaria-Free Europe coalition, of which One Voice is the French representative.

David Perpinan, a specialist veterinarian who has worked at the Loro Parque dolphinarium in Spain, states: « In Spain, three dolphinariums have recently closed, and this is the case throughout Europe. The Beauval Zoo, however, has decided to continue making dolphins suffer by breeding them and keeping them captive in concrete pools ».

A societal issue and a matter of political consistency

One Voice is calling on the Ministry for Ecological Transition to formally reject the Beauval Zoo project which contradicts the State’s commitment to protecting cetaceans. The association points out that it has already taken action and has succeeded in blocking the transfer of orcas from Marineland to Japan, and that it will continue to fight against any attempt to perpetuate captivity under misleading names.

« The public has not forgotten the fight for the cetaceans at Marineland. We will never be party to a new dolphinarium, even if it is « prettier ». » —Muriel Arnal, President of One Voice

One Voice demands:

that Beauval Zoo:

honour its initial commitment to take in dolphins without any breeding or transfer except to marine sanctuaries when these are ready.

And that the authorities:

refuse any authorisation to create a new dolphinarium, whatever its name;
actively support projects for marine sanctuary;
commit to a genuine rehabilitation policy for existing captive dolphins.

We are available for any further information or interviews.

Press Office

06 43 26 78 80

one-voice.fr

No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval No to a new dolphinarium in Beauval