Lack of consent stalls plans for North America’s first whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia

By Michael MacDonald An ambitious plan in Nova Scotia to build North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales may have hit a dead end. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press reveal the non-profit Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) has yet to secure approval from all five owners of property adjacent to where the group plans to build a huge, floating net enclosure for belugas and orcas retired from marine theme parks. The documents, obtained through the province’s freedom of information law, state that the U.S.-based group won’t be granted a Crown lease for 81 hectares of land and water near Wine Harbour, N.S., unless the landowners grant unanimous consent. Executive director Charles Vinick said Tuesday the $20-million project on Nova Scotia’s eastern shore — announced five years ago and supported…

This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription – Corporate, Print Subscription Only, and Canada Print and Online members only.
Register
Already a member? Log in here

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.