Russian Conservationists Disentangle 28 Fur Seals

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute is one of the lead organizations globally coordinating efforts on behalf of Russian whales and dolphins. We helped to return the 97 Whale Jail whales of Russia to the ocean and are now working to permanently ban such wild captures of whales and dolphins in Russian waters.

For the first time ever, Russian conservationists have disentangled a number of fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on Russia’s Seal Island, near Sakhalin Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Seal Island is the largest pinniped rookery in the Russian Pacific, hosting tens of thousands of fur seals along with several thousand Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus).

The International Marine Mammal Project and the Baikal Project of Earth Island Institute helped facilitate the work through a series of visits to the US by the Russian conservationists, meeting and training with experts on how to disentangle whales, dolphins, and seals. Plastic nets, plastic packing straps, and ropes left floating in the ocean have left many seals and other marine mammals vulnerable to entanglement and death.

Seals in particular seem prone to getting ropes and nets stuck around their necks. As they grow, the plastic materials can cut into the neck, causing serious wounds, as well as dragging on the seals’ movements, requiring them to expend more energy.

The Russian volunteers, accompanied by marine biologists with the Russian Academy of Sciences, used the techniques they learned in the US and practiced in Russia to free 28 fur seals. No injuries were reported to the seals or the people. As far as they are aware, this is the first large-scale marine mammal disentanglement effort ever undertaken in Russia.

The Russians focused on smaller fur seals, as the large bull seals and the even larger Steller sea lions cannot be approached and captured safely. Sedatives that are routinely used in the US are not readily available in Russia at this time, so the conservationists are working with Russian government agencies to import the sedatives and dart guns from the US. This will enable more of the larger seals and sea lions to be disentangled in the future.

Our Russian friends are planning to continue these trips to disentangle seals and sea lions, and are further training to release any whales found entangled in fishing gear.

Update on Russian Captivity Issues:

The Russian government oversaw release of the 97 orcas and beluga whales kept in the notorious Whale Jail a year ago. Because of COVID and costs, there is not much information on the status of the released whales.

At least two of the ten orcas were photographed swimming with wild pods of orcas, presumably their own pods from which they were captured in the summer of 2018. Satellite tags on beluga whales suggested at least some of the beluga whales were swimming in areas that are historically inhabited by beluga whales. It’s likely that some of the beluga whales have also rejoined their families. (Only a few beluga whales were tagged.) One dead beluga whale, presumed to have been from the Whale Jail, has been reported.

A few beluga whales continue to be spotted around Vladivostok, suggesting that they were released but unable or unwilling to migrate north to their original homes. However, reports from activists indicate they are in good shape and not showing signs of disease or emaciation.

In December 2019, activists submitted a petition signed by 100,000 Russians to end all catching of whales and dolphins in Russian waters for captivity. The Russian government convened a panel of scientists (none of whom had expertise with marine mammals) objecting to a ban on such captures, largely parroting the false claims of the captivity industry. Activists have filed a lawsuit against the government to implement the ban; further action on the lawsuit is still pending.

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