Dolphins and whales in Canada will soon be guaranteed freedom from captivity when a federal “Free Willy” bill becomes law at the end of the month. The law, which bans holding the animals in captivity or for breeding, was passed this week by Canada’s parliament and has been hailed by animal rights activists.
Under the new law, violations will be punishable with fines up to 200,000 Canadian dollars (about $150,000 or £118,000). “Today is a really good day for animals in Canada,” Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader in the country, said after the bill’s passage.
“Canadians have been clear, they want the cruel practice of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity to end,” she said in a separate statement. Former senator Wilfred Moore, who first introduced the legislation in 2015, said in a statement that phasing out the captivity was a “moral obligation”.