A bill that would ban whale and dolphin captivity in Canada is set to become law. The House of Commons on Monday agreed to pass Bill S-203 at third reading, paving the way for the legislation to receive Royal Assent. It was passed without amendment by the House fisheries committee in April after nearly three years in the Senate. Known as the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, Bill S-203 was first introduced by former senator Wilfred Moore in December 2015. It had languished for years in the Upper Chamber as a result of what proponents called stall tactics by Conservative senators before it was passed and sent to the House last fall. Sen. Murray Sinclair took over sponsorship of the bill when Moore retired in early 2017. The bill includes a grandfather clause for those animals already in facilities in Canada, and permits legitimate research and the rescue of animals in distress. The legislation is heralded by many as a death knell for Marineland, the popular Niagara Falls aquatic attraction.
