Yesterday public hearing on the TAC (total allowable catch) was held in Vladivostok.

3401 seals and walrus, 282 belugas, 36 dolphins are proposed to be allowed to be captured in 2020 according to representatives of the fisheries science. Pavel Guscherov, Head of the Marine Mammal Laboratory of the Pacific Branch of VNIRO @vniro_life, made a presentation on commercial stocks.

Russian Fisheries decided to exclude killer whales from the justification of the TAC for 2020 in connection with the scandal with the whale jail, but the belugas were not excluded, and moreover VNIRO consider allowable the capture of almost 300 individuals. President Putin ordered to deal with the whale jail, the authorities say that they will release all animals – orcas and belugas, and then fishery science is saying that capture of another 300 belugas is allowable..Will they go capture those who will be released? Where is the logic here ?!

And the number of pinnipeds proposed for the “allowable catch” is shocking!

We must stop capture of marine mammals in Russia. Russian citizens strongly oppose this practice, but as long as demand exist – the capture companies will try to do their business! Please don’t support captivity!