The removal of the orca Morgan to an amusement park on Tenerife was not unlawful, judges in Amsterdam said on Thursday.

An organisation of marine wildlife experts known as the orca coalition had gone to court in an effort to have the decision reversed. They argue Morgan, who was found in the Wadden Sea in a severely weakened state in 2010, should have been released into the wild instead.
The export licence for Morgan was granted on the grounds the orca would be used for educational purposes. The judge in Amsterdam said this was the case, news agency Novum reported. Nor is there any reason to think Morgan’s health is in danger in the amusement part, the judge said.
Morgan’s supporters argue she is constantly attacked by other orcas at the Loro Parque centre and that she is being taught to perform tricks, which breaks the terms of the export licence.