The good news is that the Russian government recently placed the transient orca population of Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk on the official “Red List” of endangered species, precluding any future captures of this population for captivity. In 2018, four Russian companies captured eleven wild transient orcas (one of which “disappeared” and is presumed dead) and 87 wild beluga whales for sale to aquariums in China. They were concentrated in the notorious “Whale Jail,” where they were held in preparation for a sad life in captivity.
After international backlash and pressure from local conservationists, a Russian court ruled the captures illegal due to an inadequate environmental assessment. Throughout early 2019, the Russian government went back and forth on what to do with the captive whales languishing in the Whale Jail, while Russian activists and the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute helped rally international scientists, celebrities and other environmental and animal welfare organizations to urge the Russian government to release the whales back to their original home waters. Ironically, the Russian government paid the original capture companies to release the whales in the summer and fall of 2019. The government placed this population of orcas off-limits for future captures for captivity or other purposes.
The bad news is that a higher court in Moscow (the equivalent of the US Supreme Court) completely exonerated the four capture companies on appeal from any wrongdoing, have declared the 2018 capture permits legal, and have removed the fines imposed by the lower court. The capture companies will likely use this unfortunate legal decision to continue to press for future captures and exports of wild cetaceans.
The Russian “Fisheries Agency” (VNIRO) meanwhile is proposing satellite tagging four orcas from fish-eating populations and ten beluga whales. Strongly opposed by Russian conservationists, the proposal will likely help establish new capture quotas and will require temporarily capturing the cetaceans to affix the tags.
There is still no news from the Russian government on the petition, asking the government to end captures of all cetaceans for captivity and related purposes, which was signed by 100,000 Russian citizens in December 2019 and spearheaded by our Russian friends.
IMMP continues to seek ways to address these issues in cooperation with our Russian colleagues and international organizations. Whales and dolphins should not be exploited for entertainment or any other purpose. They deserve our help to prevent human interference in their lives.