BORDER CONTROL WITH RUSSIAN SPECIALISTS BEGAN A TWO-DAY EXAMINATION OF ORCAS IN SREDNYAYA BAY IN PRIMORYE
LAUNCH OF “FREE RUSSIAN WHALES” CAMPAIGN
17.01.2019PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF AN EXPERT EXAMINATION OF ORCAS AND BELUGAS HELD IN THE “ADAPTATION CENTER” AT SREDNYAYA BAY
25.01.2019BORDER CONTROL WITH RUSSIAN SPECIALISTS BEGAN A TWO-DAY EXAMINATION OF ORCAS IN SREDNYAYA BAY IN PRIMORYE
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 18th of January. INTERFAX – FAR EAST – On Friday Border Control of Primorye with the assistance of a group of experts began examination of orcas and beluga whales, who are being kept in the Srednyaya bay of Primorsky Krai. That was told to the Interfax-Far East news agency by the press service of the Border Control Department of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in Primorsky Krai on Friday.
“The inspection is carried out with the participation of the Border Control department management. The experts from Moscow has arrived the day before. They will assess the state of orcas and their age as well as determine if the marine mammals were captured legally” – said the agency’s representative.
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The inspection will be taken place for two days according to local media. It involves scientists, veterinarians and animal rights activists, including from Sakhalin.
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As it was reported,12 orcas and 90 beluga whales were captured in the Sea of Okhotsk in 2018 to be sold to the dolphinariums and oceanariums. Animals are being kept at the adaptation center in Srednyaya bay of Russian Primorsky Krai (near the Nakhodka city).
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After public intervention, active action of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee of Russia it was revealed that the animals were captured with numerous law violations. In result criminal case was initiated under Part 3 of Art. 256 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal capture of aquatic biological resources).
At the moment Srednyaya Bay is covered with ice, so animal rights defenders are fear that marine mammals may die because of difficult conditions and being huddled in the small area. They asked the environmental prosecutor’s office to involve a group of experts who would assess the animals status and decide about their rehabilitation before the summer, when animals could be released into their natural habitat.