France bans captive breeding of dolphins and killer whalesFrance bans captive breeding of dolphins and killer whales

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  • 7 May 2017
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  • From the sectionEurope
A 13-year-old bottlenose dolphin at SeaWorld San Diego, swims with her newborn calfImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionPools for animals such as bottlenose dolphins must also be made significantly bigger under the rules
France has banned the breeding in captivity of dolphins and killer whales, in a move hailed by campaigners as a major victory.
The government also banned the keeping of all whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity, except for orcas and bottlenose dolphins already held.
The association of French zoos complained they had not been consulted on the ban.
But animal rights activists said it was a "historic French advance".
The ban on captive breeding would eventually lead to the end of "marine circuses" in the country, a joint statement from five conservation groups including Sea Shepherd said.
Jon Kershaw, who heads the Marineland Antibes park in the French Riviera, told local media that government's decision was a "bombshell".
People look at a dolphin jumping in the pool at the Marineland theme park in Antibes, south-eastern FranceImage copyrightAFP
Image captionCampaigners hailed the move as the beginning of the end of "marine circuses"
The new rules also ban direct contact between animals and the public, including swimming with dolphins, and require pools holding the animals to be made significantly larger.
Establishments have six months to comply with some of the rules, and must expand their pools within three years.

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