On behalf of the Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project team, Jean-Michel Cousteau has submitted the following to President Putin for consideration of a public response during President Putin’s annual hotline Q&A with the Russian people:
June 17, 2019
Respected Vladimir Vladimirovich,
I was honored to visit your amazing country and the Primorsky Region in April to work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Primorsky Administration and scientists from VNIRO to assess the health and condition of the orcas and belugas currently held in Srednyaya Bay.
I would like to ask you to please make a final decision ordering the release of all orcas and belugas in the areas where they were captured, as has been recommended as the optimal variant by Russian Consilium scientists and our international team.
If you make such a decision, I would be honored to come to personally meet with you and your team to ensure that this release is executed well and is completed successfully.
With deep personal respect,
Jean-Michel Cousteau.