From Banning Plastics and Cetacean Captivity, Canada Moves Forward on the Environment

Canada is taking bold steps to preserve the environment in recent days from banning non-biodegradable materials in order to reduce land pollution to ending the captivity of cetacean marine mammals to preserve the species. Under the Liberal Party majority government of Justin Trudeau, who is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the Northern American country is striving for a greener world.

On Monday, June 10, the Canadian government announced a ban on single-use plastics by 2021 in order to reduce human-made waste. The ban could possibly target non-biodegradable plastic bags, drinking straws, eating utensils, plates and stir sticks. The ban would be similar to the European Union’s phase-out of single-use plastics.

On Tuesday, June 11, the day after the single-use plastic ban was announced, the Canadian Parliament in the capital city of Ottawa officially passed legislation banning marine cetacean mammals such as whales, dolphins, or porpoises from being bred and or held in captivity. Violations of the ban are punishable by legal fines of up to about $150,000.

The ban permits certain exceptions including marine mammals already held being allowed to remain in captivity for the rest of their own lives and animals being kept during rehabilitation from an injury and or for the legitimate purposes of licensed scientific research. Many animal rights activists give credit to the 2013 documentary “Blackfish” for highlighting the controversial aspects of marine mammal captivity.