We have recently learned through the Russian media that the Expert Working Group of the Russian government is preparing to make a recommendation about the Russian Public Initiative and public petition signed by tens of thousands of Russian citizens to ban capture of cetaceans for cultural and educational purposes.
In response to these reports, Jean-Michel Cousteau of Ocean Futures Society and Charles Vinick of the Whale Sanctuary Project have sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to support a ban on the capture of cetaceans for cultural and educational purposes. Our letter, which you can read below, expresses our hope that Russia will be a world leader in protecting whales and dolphins from the cruel practice of live capture of cetaceans for entertainment.
Last year, through our Whale Aid Russia program, Cousteau and Vinick led an international team to Russia to advise and assist the Russian Government on the release of orcas and belugas held in Srednyaya Bay. We were pleased to see the release of 10 orcas and 87 belugas back into wild ocean habitat and to see an announcement by the Vice Premier that the Russian Government decided to ban capture of cetaceans for cultural-educational purposes. We were also pleased to see this announcement supported by Russian citizens, who gathered over 100,000 signatures through the “Russian Public Initiative” platform in favor of this ban.
Below is the letter.
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