Flanders Approves Closure of Bruges Dolphinarium by 2037

The Flemish government has formally approved a plan to close the Boudewijn Seapark dolphinarium in Bruges by 2037, marking a definitive end to dolphin captivity in Flanders. The decision, announced on July 20, 2026, and championed by Flemish Minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts (N-VA), will be codified in a new decree to be submitted to the Flemish Parliament.

According to RTBF, the phasing-out scenario gives operators until 2037 to relocate the seven remaining dolphins and reorient their economic activities. Until then, a strict ban on breeding and importing dolphins remains in effect, preventing any new dolphins from arriving at the facility.

A Decisive Step for Animal Welfare

Minister Weyts framed the decision as a clear choice for animal welfare over commercial interests. “After all these years, we are making the decision and definitively opting for animal welfare over the private economic interests of a company,” Weyts said, as reported by RTBF.

Speaking to VRT NWS, Weyts elaborated on the ethical reasoning behind the move: “Dolphins are highly intelligent animals that in the wild have a habitat of hundreds of square kilometers. I no longer find it justifiable to lock these animals up in limited basins, solely to perform tricks.”

The decision follows years of debate over the ethics of keeping dolphins in captivity at Boudewijn Seapark, Belgium’s only dolphinarium. Animal welfare organizations GAIA and Bite Back have campaigned for the facility’s closure for decades.

The Transition Plan

The 11-year transition period is designed to allow Boudewijn Seapark to amortize a mandatory new outdoor pool that must be operational by 2027. By 2037, the pool will have been fully depreciated financially. Operators may also choose to cease dolphin activities earlier than the deadline.

According to the approved scenario, the seven dolphins currently residing at the facility — approximately half born in captivity and the others captured from the wild — must be relocated to alternative facilities such as sanctuaries in Italy or elsewhere. The breeding and import ban ensures the population will not increase during the transition period.

The ban on keeping dolphins in captivity does not apply to specialized rescue centers, which may temporarily care for injured, sick, or stranded cetaceans for rehabilitation and release, but may not conduct commercial shows.

Boudewijn Seapark Fights Back

Boudewijn Seapark has responded critically to the decision. In an open letter to the Flemish government, Director Lars van den Ham demanded scientific justification for the policy reversal, arguing that the government is deviating from its own commissioned research.

“Which new scientific insights justify that the Flemish Government today chooses a policy direction that deviates from the scientific recommendations from the independent advisory and research trajectories that it itself commissioned?” van den Ham asked, as reported by Looopings.

The park’s management notes that three independent scientific studies on dolphin welfare conducted in Flanders reportedly recommended an outdoor pool as the least risky next step, rather than closure or release. Boudewijn Seapark invested over €1 million in facilities and water treatment based on the earlier regulatory framework established by the 2023 Flemish Animal Welfare Codex, which had stipulated a re-evaluation in 2037 rather than a pre-emptive closure.

Van den Ham also raised concerns about the welfare implications of relocation. “Practice shows that a decision to phase out does not end the welfare question. Return to the wild is not a realistic end scenario. Thus the welfare question does not disappear; it merely moves to another location,” he said.

A Broader European Trend

Belgium’s move aligns with a growing European trend toward phasing out dolphinaria. Several European countries have banned or restricted dolphin captivity, including the United Kingdom (effectively since the 1990s), Croatia, Cyprus, and parts of Switzerland. Sanctuaries in Greece, Italy, and elsewhere have been developed as alternatives for retired captive dolphins.

De Morgen reported that Weyts framed the decision within a broader animal welfare agenda, noting similar actions on issues such as the ban on unstunned slaughter, fur farming, and force-feeding for foie gras.

What’s Next

The closure plan must still pass the Flemish Parliament, where it may face debate and potential amendments. Boudewijn Seapark has indicated it may pursue legal action to challenge the decision, which could delay or alter the implementation timeline.

For the seven dolphins at Boudewijn Seapark, the coming years will determine whether relocation to sanctuaries genuinely improves their welfare — a question that remains at the heart of the debate between the government and the park’s management. The decision also sets a precedent for animal welfare policy in Flanders that could influence the treatment of other captive species in the region.