World Animal Protection Canada is calling on the Ontario government to establish comprehensive regulations for zoos and captive wildlife facilities by the end of 2026, following the removal of the final beluga whales from Marineland.

It says the closure exposed gaps in Ontario’s oversight of captive wildlife, including limited transparency and insufficient oversight. Ontario lacks province-wide licensing regulations governing non-native wildlife, according to the organization.

“Getting these belugas out of Marineland does not solve the systemic issue facing thousands of captive wild animals in Ontario,” says Colin Saravanamuttoo, executive director of World Animal Protection Canada, in a statement. “Premier Doug Ford and his government need to be firmly in the driver’s seat. Ontario needs comprehensive zoo licensing regulations that set clear, enforceable standards for who can keep wild animals, how they are cared for and what happens when they can no longer maintain adequate care. Without those safeguards, there is nothing stopping another Marineland from happening.”

The group proposes mandatory licensing under the PAWS Act, application and renewal requirements, standards for existing facilities, restrictions on breeding and acquisition by non-compliant facilities, and additional enforcement resources.

It points to Bill 35, the Captive Wildlife Protection Act, before the Ontario legislature, as a model.