The House of Commons in Canada passed a bill Monday to make it illegal to hold a whale, dolphin or porpoise captive, according to several media reports.
CNN reported anyone who holds the animals in captivity could be punished by fines of up to $150,000 in U.S. dollars.
"Nothing fantastic ever happens in a hurry. But today we celebrate that we have ended the captivity and breeding of whales and dolphins. This is news to splash a fin at," animal rights group Humane Canada said in a tweet.
The legislation has exceptions if the animals are rescues or in rehabilitation. There are also exceptions for licensed scientific research, or if it’s in the animal's best interests.
The Washington Post reported the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act was first introduced in 2015.
The Green Party of Canada released the following statement Monday: "These intelligent, social mammals will now get to live where they belong -- in the ocean," the party said.
Dozens of supporters of the bill used the hashtag #emptythetanks to celebrate on social media.
Concerns of animal captivity come after the 2013 release of the documentary “Blackfish.” The documentary follows the like of a male orca named Tilikum in the 1980s.
Tilikum was linked to three human deaths. The orca killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010 in front of a live audience at SeaWorld in Orlando.
What other people are reading right now:
- More reports of sickness and death at resorts in the Dominican Republic
- Helicopter crashes into Manhattan building, officials say
- Tampa will have a 2.5-mile waterfront fireworks display for Independence Day
- Jupiter will be so close in June you can use binoculars to see its moons
- Mother Nature gave this mom-to-be the most dramatic photo backdrop
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
