Some Good News from Russia for Orcas & Belugas

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute is one of the lead organizations coordinating global efforts on behalf of Russian whales and dolphins. We helped return the 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.

The Russian fisheries agency recently indicated it would not issue any live capture permits for orcas or beluga whales for captivity in 2021 or 2022. This is a step in the right direction but is far from a permanent ban on live captures.

There is already some confusion over what the agency intends, so watch this space for updates.

On the brighter side, a member of the Russian Duma (Parliament) has introduced legislation that addresses the live captures, possibly including a permanent ban on such live captures of orcas, beluga whales, and other cetaceans. Still to be debated, the proposed legislation could be a vehicle for implementing a permanent ban if the Putin government does not take action.

Conservationists spotted a pod of three young beluga whales near Vladivostok - seemingly the remaining individuals released from the notorious Whale Jail. Beluga whales do not range this far south normally, so we hope they travel north this summer to rejoin the rest of the beluga population in the Sea of Okhotsk. The fact that these three belugas made it through the toughest winter months in the wild suggests the likely survival of the other orcas and beluga whales that were released from the Whale Jail in 2019.

The Russian conservation community is working hard to obtain protection for their marine mammal heritage in Russian waters. IMMP will continue to help in any way we can in these important protection efforts.

Can you donate to support our work today? Your donations are important to help safeguard orcas and beluga whales in Russia and cetaceans around the world. Thank you!

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