Transfer of Wikie and Keijo: Press Release
By approving the transfer of the orcas Wikie and Keijo and the last dolphins from Marineland to Loro Parque, the French government is taking a decision that is as appalling as it is catastrophic. For One Voice, this political choice, which is dictated by the financial interests of the Parques Reunidos group, constitutes a betrayal of the French law of 2021 and an unacceptable moral capitulation.
Our Ministry for Ecological Transition is an empty shell whose policy is guided solely by financial interests, steeped in profound hypocrisy. The campaign waged by One Voice for many years to close Marineland and then find a sanctuary for the two orcas and the last 12 dolphins there has reached a particularly appalling conclusion.
After a semblance of democratic debate consisting of three meetings with the organisations closely following the Marineland case, Minister Mathieu Lefèvre has chosen the worst possible future for the orcas and dolphins still present at the Antibes park: Loro Parque (Canary Islands), a dolphinarium recognised as one of the most abusive in the Western world. And a life in a dolphinarium too for the dolphins, with eight of them going to Beauval where breeding, palm trees and “lagoons” aim to cover up the harmful captivity and the creation of a third dolphinarium in France. This despite the fact that the sanctuary opening this summer in Italy could easily be replicated, and that dolphinariums are closing across Europe.
The arguments put forward to justify this decision are false
No, the orca tanks in Antibes are not on the verge of collapsing. They have undergone reinforcement work in recent months, and experts dived there with scuba gear a year ago before writing that everything was fine.
No, a ‘magical sanctuary’ does not exist – what a shameful piece of rhetoric, when none of the options put forward by our organisation and by Tilikum Spirit have been given serious consideration since the park’s closure. The most promising option, the sanctuary in Nova Scotia (Canada), on which work had begun and which supposedly had our minister’s backing just a few months ago, was ultimately dismissed out of hand under pressure from the owners of Marineland, the Parques Reunidos group.
Finally, our Minister, Mathieu Lefèvre, has no qualms about circumventing a law in force in our country—the 2021 law prohibiting the keeping and breeding of cetaceans in captivity in France—by shifting the problem to another country. Shows, breeding, separation of the animals… In doing so, he is ensuring that these animals will spend the remainder of their lives in utter suffering.
The last line of defence against this tragedy lies in Spain. One Voice urges the Spanish government not to be complicit in this charade and to have the political courage to refuse to perpetuate the absurdity of keeping wild animals in captivity on its soil. Together with Spanish organisations, One Voice is campaigning for the Spanish government to refuse to grant the transfer, aligning itself with the unanimous opinion of Spanish CITES scientists against the transfer of animals from Marineland to Loro Parque.
Muriel Arnal, President of One Voice: “Words fail me when I think of what awaits Wikie and Keijo at Loro Parque. We were there last Saturday; the suffering of the orcas already held captive there is heart-wrenching. We prevented the sale of our orcas to China in 2019, and then to Japan in 2024. Today, the Ministry’s cynical manoeuvres leave us with only one hope: the courage of the Spanish government. May Spain continue to listen to the scientists. And whatever happens, we will continue to campaign and document what happens to Wikie and Keijo, and the world will see the true face of a Minister who pretends to care about animals only to better deliver them to torment.”
Transfer of Wikie and Keijo: Press Release
The French State signs the death warrant for the orcas Wikie and Keijo against a backdrop of political hypocrisy and financial interests
La dernière muraille avant ce drame est en Espagne. One Voice enjoint le gouvernement espagnol à ne pas être complice de cette mascarade et à avoir le courage politique de refuser de perpétuer le non-sens de la captivité d’animaux sauvages sur ses propres terres. Avec les associations espagnoles, One Voice milite pour que l’Etat Espagnol refuse d’accorder le transfert, en se rangeant du côté de l’avis unanime des scientifiques de la CITES Espagnole contre le transfert des animaux de Marineland à Loro Parque.
Muriel Arnal, présidente de One Voice : “Les mots manquent face à ce qui attend Wikie et Keijo à Loro Parque. Nous y étions samedi dernier, la souffrance des orques déjà captives là-bas est bouleversante. Nous avons empêché la vente de nos orques en Chine en 2019, puis au Japon en 2024. Aujourd’hui les cyniques manœuvres du ministère nous laissent un seul espoir : le courage du gouvernement espagnol. Que l’Espag ne continue d’écouter les scientifiques. Et quoi qu’il arrive, nous continuerons à nous mobiliser et à documenter ce qui arrive à Wikie et Keijo, et le monde verra le vrai visage du ministre qui feint de se préoccuper des animaux pour mieux les livrer au supplice.”