belugas: Top news
The Mystic Aquarium has been given a permit to import five beluga whales from Canada, but the good news is that the US government is prohibiting any breeding or performances by these beluga whales, limiting the damage considerably.
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Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut has asked the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for permission to import five beluga whales from Canada’s Marineland park at Niagara Falls. The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute and many other organizations and members of the public strongly oppose the import. While Mystic claims the purpose of the import is to conduct scientific research on the beluga whales, the real purpose behind the import is to provide more breeding stock for captive whales to produce yet more captive cetaceans for the US captivity industry.
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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 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.
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A higher court in Moscow has exonerated the original capture companies from any wrongdoing.
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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 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.
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In his recent story, Joe Roman of the University of Vermont notes that “one of the most important global conservation events of the past year was something that didn’t happen.”
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Russian conservationists organized a massive turn-out of more than 100,000 petition signers, asking the Russian government to end captures of orcas, beluga whales and dolphins (essentially, any cetaceans) in Russian waters for captivity.
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The hidden purpose of the import proposal is to breed imported captive whales with existing captive beluga whales.
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The Russian government announced on Monday that the remaining beluga whales in the notorious Whale Jail near the port of Nakhodka have been released back into the ocean.
On November 8, 2019, nineteen beluga whales were released from the Whale Jail from a Russian research vessel, the Professor Kaganovsky. An additional thirteen beluga whales were loaded on a second scientific research vessel, the Zodiac, and then released. The final eighteen beluga whales were loaded onto the Professor Kaganovsky and released on November 10th.
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Weather conditions and angry businessmen threaten the final release of the Russian Whale Jail whales. Loading has reportedly halted due to bad weather, but should commence as soon as the weather improves.
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Campaign Top News
- International Marine Mammal Project >
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From pushing for sanctuaries for Wikie & Keijo and 30 beluga whales, to opposing attempts to gut the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts, to protecting wetlands in the Barataria basin, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a great deal in 2025 for whales and dolphins.
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What is it like being a student intern at the International Marine Mammal Project? An internship can be life-changing for a student. Our intern Jillian talks about her experience with IMMP.
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From battling the whaling industry in Japan and Iceland, to exposing the continued slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, to saving the lives of tens of thousands of dolphins annually through Dolphin Safe tuna, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a lot in 2024.
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- Save Japan Dolphins >
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The Taiji dolphin drive hunts have again ended, killing hundreds of dolphins for meat after removing "show quality" animals for a miserable life in captivity. Numbers were slightly higher this year for slaughter, although historically low compared to recent years.
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Three species of dolphins have been captured and slaughtered over the past month as the bloody Taiji dolphin drive hunts continue. Most of the dolphins you see in these photos are now dead. The hunts end on March 1st, but six months later, they will begin again.
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A former dolphin trainer explains the damage done by dolphin and small whale captures in Taiji, Japan. Learn the facts about how the aquarium industry sources wild dolphins for a lifetime of misery in small concrete tanks.
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- Dolphin + Whale Project >
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Things are bad for the declining gray whale population, but a recent symposium in Newport, Oregon, left a lot to be desired, as issues of policy and climate change were left behind in the discussions. Action is needed now!
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The Canadian government is taking positive steps to protect the North Atlantic right whale. But the Trump administration is trying to weaken protections for right whales, and the US Senate is poised to pass a bill that would delay any new regulations for right whales until 2035!
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On Tuesday, IMMP took the first step with Oasis Earth and CBD to sue the Trump administration for not taking action on a listing petition to add the gray whale to the US Endangered Species List. No response from the government, so we will see them in court.
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- Keiko Whale Rescue >
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Like most cetaceans, beluga whales do poorly in captivity. Many are now kept in aquariums around the world -- some get stranded once the aquarium or park goes broke and shuts down. Learn about the beluga whale, and why it is a bad idea to keep them in small concrete tanks.
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We are deeply saddened at the death of orca whale Tokitae. Calls for her release were denied for decades and it’s shameful that she never got a chance to go home.
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30 years ago, the movie "Free Willy" was a huge hit. The plight of its orca star, Keiko, touched the public along with the moving story. Read how the International Marine Mammal Project took that spark of concern and returned Keiko to his home waters. SeaWorld and other captive dolphin parks would never be the same!
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- Dolphin Safe Fishing >
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The US is now the biggest importer of seafood in the world, but the sustainability of many of the fisheries involved is highly questionable. The experience with the Dolphin Safe tuna label can help form better monitoring and protection for fish populations, as well as protect non-target species like marine mammals.
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Every year, we estimate that the Dolphin Safe label on tuna cans saves the lives of 90,000 dolphins annually in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, and many more in other oceans of the world. You, as a consumer, should know how the Dolphin Safe label works to protect dolphins in global tuna fisheries.
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A new Marine Mammal Protection Act has been proposed for the Philippines, with strong support from our IMMP Philippines office, with the support of Representative Co. Read about this new legislation to protect endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin and other Filipino whales and dolphins.
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- Freeing Orca Whales from Captivity >
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IMMP opposed the transfer of belugas from Canada's Marineland to US aquariums. This so-called "rescue" has resulted in 30 belugas being moved to marine parks, but one has already died at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. How many more will the captivity industry kill?
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Thirty belugas in a closed park in Canada are scheduled to be sent to five aquariums in the US and Spain. IMMP is demanding a better review of their health before moving them and a ban on breeding them in captivity. Read our letter.
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The orcas Wikie and her son Keijo are still trapped in Marineland in France. Marineland wants the orcas to go to Loro Parque Zoo, an aquarium in Spain with one of the worst records of captive orca deaths. IMMP is urging the French government to instead retire Wikie and Keijo to a seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
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- Freeing Wikie & Keijo >