Dolphins and orcas in danger: EAAM calls for a surge of responsibility

The European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM), composed of dozens of experts and scientists specialized in cetacean behavior, care, research, and conservation, is sounding the alarm: the well-being of dolphins and orcas living in European zoos is now at risk, victims of an ideological battle that forgets the most important – the animals themselves.

The Marineland Antibes case must awaken our conscience

The example of Marineland Antibes is sadly emblematic: a facility that did not sufficiently promote its scientific and educational missions, leaving open ground for activist attacks.

The associations calling for its closure, while promising for decades alternative solutions (sanctuaries, rehabilitation programs), have yet to offer nothing concrete and sustainable, despite extensive fundraising campaigns.

Today, the park is closed, part of the staff has left, yet the animals are forced to remain, as every solution proposed—by the park’s management or the government—has been rejected by those same individuals who demanded the removal of the 16 dolphins and 2 orcas and who so far have failed to propose a viable alternative. Some activists now even dare to suggest euthanasia.

Have we fallen so low that death is now considered the only solution to a fight supposedly waged in the name of animal welfare?

Targets of systematic ideological attacks. Despite major advances achieved and made possible by modern zoological institutions, these facilities are under constant harassment by radical associations whose positions are based more on dogmatic ideology than scientific facts. This harassment includes

disinformation campaigns targeting schools, poorly attended but highly publicized protests, and abusive legal actions—all of which have so far been won by the institutions.

Animals born and raised in zoological facilities, better protected than in the wild. Most cetaceans housed in European zoological facilities were born in these institutions, under the care of expert teams who support them daily. All serious scientific studies confirm it: these animals live significantly longer than their wild counterparts and grow up in better health, exhibiting rich and varied social behaviors.

The assessment made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature is clear: 25% of wild cetacean species are threatened! Nine out of eleven orca populations studied long-term are disappearing. Animals that contribute to protecting their wild counterparts Research conducted in these facilities on the cognition, behavior, and physiology of marine mammals is of great value to field researchers striving for peaceful coexistence with humans. Most of these studies are carried out in collaboration with or at the request of field teams working in natural habitats.

EAAM stands for excellence, transparency, commitment

Since its creation, EAAM has advocated for the presence of aquatic mammals in zoological institutions only if they meet the highest standards of well-being, enrichment, cognitive stimulation, veterinary care, research, and education. Its members are involved in concrete research and field actions, often overlooked by the media: scientific publications, protection of the La Plata dolphin and the Amazon river dolphin, fight against the extinction of Lahille’s dolphin, the vaquita, and the Baltic harbor porpoise, support for Gibraltar orcas, shoreline clean-up programs, and raising awareness among millions of visitors about ocean conservation.

EAAM believes that good institutions should be supported and promoted, while those falling short must evolve—or stop housing animals.

© Marineland Antibes

Time to choose the side of responsibility

EAAM calls on public authorities in Europe and France to take action. We can no longer remain passive in the face of smear campaigns against institutions that are now recognized partners—by the State and the IUCN—in biodiversity protection, and which house fragile species requiring constant professional expertise.

The decree of June 28, 2024, which sets the rules for cetacean housing in France, is a major step forward. It acknowledges the importance of research, conservation, and education within modern zoological institutions. France can and must lead by example.

While fruitless controversies multiply, 10,000 common dolphins die each year along French coasts, caught in nets. A quarter of cetacean species worldwide are now endangered. All over the globe, dolphins are forced into silence due to the noise pollution we impose on the ocean. It’s time to act together, in the field, where it truly matters, where these animals need our attention and action.

On the occasion of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025 - France), whose motto is “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”, we remind everyone that many zoo-based cetacean experts have been working for years in service of marine ecosystem protection.

✓ Yes to the evolution of zoological institutions toward excellence.

✓ Yes to the protection of wild populations, with the support of zoological experts.

✓ Yes to protection, study, and awareness centers.

× No to ideological quarrels in which animals are the first victims.

Warm regards,

Martin Böye