Canada passes bill banning cetaceans in captivity Posted on 11 June 2019 Tags:Canada, Free Willy Bill Canada’s House of Commons passed the ‘Free Willy’ bill, which makes it illegal to keep or breed a dolphin, porpoise or whale in captivity, on Monday 10 June. According to CNN, keeping cetaceans in captivity will be punishable by up to $150,000 (R2,216,782). The bill, which is expected to become law, was first introduced to the Senate in December 2015. The ‘Free Willy’ bill is also known as ‘The Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act’, according to The Washington Post. Exceptions to the bill will include if the animal has been rescued, if the animal is injured or in distress and needs human intervention/assistance, if the animal is in rehabilitation, if it is licensed for scientific research, or if keeping the animal in captivity is for its best interest. The bill states that ‘a person may move a live cetacean from its immediate vicinity when the cetacean is injured or in distress and is in need of assistance.’ Many animal welfare organisations are celebrating this historic decision. ‘The passage of Bill S-203 is a watershed moment in the protection of marine animals and a victory for all Canadians,’ the executive director of Humane Society International/Canada, Rebecca Aldworth, said in a statement. Image: Unsplash Related Posts Recycling Lab wins Africa Tourism Leadership Youth Innovation Award 9 April 2021 The newly established Recycling Lab has won their first award for the role they play... read more Unusual sighting of male leopard mating with two females 9 April 2021 Wildlife photographer Armand Grobler captured a very unusual sighting on film: One male leopard mating... read more Emirates extends South African passenger ban 9 April 2021 South Africans stand as the most restricted travellers in the world, especially after Emirates announced... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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