Victory For Dolphins! Belgium To Become 7th Country To Enact Permanent Ban On Dolphinariums

In a major victory for animal welfare, Flemish Minister for Animal Welfare, Ben Weyts, announced this week that Flanders, Belgium, will implement a permanent ban on dolphinariums. This decision makes Belgium the seventh country in the world and the fourth in Europe to permanently ban dolphinariums.

“Many Flemish people have fond memories of the dolphinarium, but science is clear: dolphins are sensitive creatures that do not thrive in captivity,” said Animal Minister Ben Weyts. “As a civilized society that is increasingly aware of animal welfare, we dare to make clear choices. Flanders also dares to be a pioneer in this area.”

The Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges, Belgium, home to seven bottlenose dolphins, has long been a focal point of controversy. These intelligent and socially complex creatures, who in the wild travel across expansive ocean waters, have been confined to small, sterile concrete enclosures in the park. This confinement severely limits their natural behaviors and is a stark contrast to the freedom they experience in their natural habitats.

Under the new ruling, Boudewijn Seapark must close its dolphinarium by 2037, effectively bringing an end to the captivity of dolphins in Flanders. The park’s operators have been informed that they must take immediate measures to improve the conditions for the dolphins, including building an outdoor pool by 2027 to give the animals access to fresh air and more natural environments. A breeding and import ban has also been implemented, and regular evaluations will ensure that the welfare of the dolphins is continuously assessed.

Following the ban, only specialized shelters in Flanders will be permitted to take in injured or sick dolphins and other cetaceans—not for exhibition, but solely to care for them until they can be released back into their natural habitat.

This decision marks the end of years of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the dolphins in Bruges, providing clarity to both animal rights groups and the owners of the dolphinarium. Weyts explained that this move was necessary for Flanders to uphold its commitment to prioritizing animal welfare over economic interests.

For years, dolphinariums have faced intense scrutiny from animal rights organizations, which have repeatedly highlighted the immense psychological and physical harm caused to cetaceans kept in captivity. Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures, known to swim up to 60 miles per day in the wild, exploring vast stretches of ocean, forming intricate social bonds, and engaging in complex hunting strategies. In captivity, they are confined to small, barren pools, isolated from their families and deprived of the freedom to explore and interact as they would in the wild.

The Dolphin Project first began its fight against dolphin captivity in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1999, partnering with dolphin freedom activist Yvon Godefroid, who tragically passed away in 2020, and the Belgian animal rights organization GAIA. That same year, the dolphin theater at Antwerp Zoo closed, leaving Boudewijn Seapark as the owner of Belgium’s last remaining dolphinarium. GAIA was instrumental in shutting down the Antwerp Zoo’s dolphinarium and has since worked relentlessly to change legislation and end dolphin captivity throughout Belgium, advocating for these changes during hearings in the Flemish Parliament.

“Dolphin Project had already been working with GAIA, Yvon Godefroid, Bite Back, and several other activists on the dolphin captivity issue in Belgium five years before I wrote this note on a napkin GAIA sent me yesterday. It’s dated 2004. I am shocked to discover we’ve been campaigning in Belgium for over 25 years! And now we’re almost across the finish line. What a wonderful feeling!” said Ric O’Barry, Founder and Director of The Dolphin Project, in a statement.

As the world continues to grapple with the ethical implications of keeping highly sentient beings in captivity, Flanders’ decision serves as a shining example of how a society can evolve and choose compassion over exploitation. The seven dolphins currently housed at Boudewijn Seapark, and the countless others who have suffered in captivity around the world, deserve a life beyond the confines of a tank. They deserve the freedom to swim as far as they wish, to travel the ocean with their families, and to experience the world as nature intended.