The Nova Scotia government has given the go-ahead to lease more than 80 hectares of land and water on the province's east coast to a group that wants to create North America's first whale sanctuary.
US non-profit organization Whale Sanctuary Project said the approval, which had been awaited for more than three years, clears the way for construction to begin and the remaining capital needed to complete the project to be raised.
“We are grateful to the government of Nova Scotia and the Minister of Natural Resources,” the group said in a statement late Tuesday.
“This is a great day for the Whale Sanctuary and for whales. We look forward to moving forward with all our might to create the Whale Sanctuary.”
Previously, such leases seemed impossible, as some property owners in Port Hilford, North Carolina, who might be affected, refused to enter into an agreement.nt, which the province said was mandatory.
This requirement now appears to have been abandoned.
“Complete consensus among any group of people on any issue is quite difficult,” Prime Minister Tim Houston told reporters on Wednesday.
“We need to come to a realistic outcome, and this project has incredible community support… We thought that was enough to move forward.”
The council order giving approval to the department to lease the land to the Crown was based on the advice of then Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton, who was flew out of the office on Tuesday.
In a statement issued Wednesday evening, a department spokesman said some details still needed to be finalized before the lease could be granted. including price and exact property boundaries.
News of the council order drew praise from supporters, including Canadian advocacy group Animal Justice, which said the sanctuary offers a “true path to freedom” for captive whales.
The St. Mary's River Association, which manages the watershed near the proposed sanctuary site, said the approval is a victory for the whales and “all of us who believe in a more compassionate and sustainable relationship with nature.”
“There's a lot of work ahead”
The Whale Sanctuary Project announced its plan to create a sanctuary in Guysborough County, North Carolina, five years ago. The group wants to care for eight to 10 marine mammals removed from parks and aquariums.s even though he doesn't have any animals yet.
Charles Vinik, CEO of the Whale Sanctuary Project, said the move to have the lease approved by the province is an important step, but “there's still a lot of work ahead.”
He said the group now plans to complete the purchase of 12 hectares of private land adjacent to the Crown land. Other next steps include reconstructing the pier, making nets and constructing buildings.
Vinik said the group has enough money to buy the land, but completing the project will require additional funds. He said another $15 million would be needed to complete the project, which would be privately funded by donors.
“We have quite a few deposits in the seven figures from a number of sources… We can try to confirm them now that we have a lease.”
Vinik said the project's timeline depends on funding.
The solution to Marineland's beluga whale problem?
Marineland, a closed Ontario theme park that wants to bring home the remaining 30 beluga whales, said the site not suitable for its whales due to contamination from historical gold mining.
The Whale Sanctuary Project has disputed that claim, and Vinik said he still hopes some of these whales could end up in Nova Scotia.
“This decision will be taken by the province. [of Ontario] …and perhaps the federal government, as well as zoos and aquariums, animal welfare and community welfare organizations, to come together.
“But this is an opportunity.”
Vinik said he was also still targeting two whales in Marineland Antibes. He expects there will be no shortage of whales to relocate in the coming years.
“Other facilities around the world are facing situations similar to what we're seeing at Marineland Canada, which is laws are being passed that really require a change in their business model, and the public is demanding those changes,” he said.
In addition to raising money and finding whales, the Whale Sanctuary project must also receive approval from the federal fisheries and transportation departments.
Some local residents said they do not want their access to water limited by the nets the group intends to install to create a pen for the whales. Some also say they are concerned about increased traffic if the site becomes a tourist destination.
Vinik said his team “listened very carefully” to the complaints. He said they moved plans for an interpretive center to the east side of the bay to avoid a public road and agreed to limit public access.
“This is not a tourist attraction,” he said.
He said there is a plan to mark a route for people who want to get out to the ocean for paddling.
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