The Animalist Party, known as Pacma, has urged the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) to disclose a negative report regarding the potential transfer of two orcas from Marineland Antibes in France to Loro Parque in Tenerife. This report was issued by the CSIC’s division responsible for enforcing the CITES agreement on endangered species in Spain.
In a statement, Pacma requested access to the conclusions and scientific criteria that informed this evaluation, as well as technical documentation assessing Loro Parque’s suitability to house the orcas, Wikie and Keijo.
Pacma also seeks clarification on whether the case file remains open, if deficiencies identified in the report will be addressed, and if a new report could be produced.
Wikie, aged 24, and her son Keijo, aged 11, have been at Marineland since the park’s closure in January 2025, with their future impacted by French legislation aimed at ending the captivity of cetaceans, approved in 2021.
Initially, France proposed creating a European marine sanctuary, but has since viewed Loro Parque as a short-term alternative, given its history of keeping orcas.
The party reiterates its opposition to the move to Tenerife, advocating instead for a solution based on marine sanctuaries. Pacma has highlighted concerns from experts at the French advisory body IGEDD, who have noted cetacean mortality at Loro Parque and raised doubts about the impact of relocation on the orcas’ welfare and social structure. The party pointed out that, in the last five years, four orcas have died at the facility.
Pacma insists that the findings from the CSIC’s report should be made public, and any decisions regarding the future of Wikie and Keijo should be guided by scientific criteria prioritising their wellbeing.
