Animal rights activists have always called for a permanent closure of dolphin aquariums exposing smart marine mammals to harsh conditions to entertain visitors.
Theme park operators around the world have refused giving up such a tourist attraction luring large numbers of visitors to zoos and parks, the German News Agency reported.
However, a major dolphin aquarium outside Paris announced it is closing its doors before an expected ban in the country.
France's Asterix Park said it will stop selling tickets for shows performed by its eight dolphins and a number of sea lions.
Since its opening in 1989, the theme park was dedicated to the main characters of the famous comic book Asterix at Obelix, but its visitors increased in the few past years thanks to its dolphin shows, which drew constant condemnation from animal rights activists.
"The decision to close the dolphin aquarium comes as the park wants to focus on its traditional activities as a theme park," Asterix Park said in a statement.
"Reintroduction in a natural environment is not possible as these animals were raised in captivity and they are now too old to live in oceans," the statement added.
The closure is not good news for the eight dolphins because they would probably be transferred to other aquariums in the few coming months.
