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Press Conference in Moscow – Full Video

Posted April 4, 2019 in News by Michael Mountain


Here are two videos from today’s news conference with the Whale Sanctuary Project at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Moscow. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dmitri Kobylkin hosted the event and introduced our Executive Director Charles Vinick and our Special Advisor Jean-Michel Cousteau, founder of Ocean Futures Society.

First, in excerpts captured by Ruptly TV, Minister Kobylkin explains that the whales have not yet been released back into the wild because of winter:

“If we had released the animals at this period, they all would have died,” he says. “Summer is coming, and now we can, and we have to, conduct this work.” He added that this case is unique, as there has never been such a large number of whales captured in one place.

Cousteau says that readapting the whales into their natural environment might take years, and he pledges that the Whale Sanctuary Project team will do everything possible to succeed in it.

Vinick, who directed the successful return of the orca Keiko (of Free Willy fame) to his home waters off the coast of Iceland, confirms that most and hopefully all of the 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales can be returned to the ocean.

“Keiko was successful in joining other whales even after 20 years of captivity,” he said. “He learned that wild fish was food. He didn’t know that when we started.”

The next video is a complete, 45-minute record of the proceedings, including translation in French, English and Russian for the benefit of international reporters.

After Minister Dmitry Kobylkin says that the release of orcas and beluga whales is planned for this summer, he confirms that “No matter how good a golden cage is, it is clear that there is nothing better than letting animals go into the natural environment.”

Some key moments from the video:

At 09:30, Cousteau says “We not here to criticize; we are here to work together and find solutions.” He calls this the most exciting time of his life because” we are now in a position to make sure we can look in the eyes of our children and grandchildren and say you will have the same privilege that we had when we were your age.

At 12:10, he explains that every one of the whales is an individual, and that “we are going to be in a position to readapt every one of them to be released naturally in the environment.”

At 13:13, Charles Vinick (off camera at this point) explains our overall mission and the schedule for the next 10 days as we visit with the whales and offer our help and advice to the Russian government.

At 17:21, Minister Kobylkin says “We’re being led by our science and by the vision that we have to run this work as openly as we can. We especially value the international experience” in what is a unique situation.

At 22:03, Vinick talks about the experience of the team in captures and releases, entanglements and disentanglements, and how every case is different.
“Each of the animals is an individual and has to be treated as an individual.”“Each of the animals is an individual and has to be treated as an individual. In Srednyaya Bay, the challenge for rehabilitation and release is complex. And therefore we need to work together to identify a strategy for rehabilitation and for reintroduction or release of as many of those animals, one by one, as is possible.” He adds that the advantage we have is that these animals have been in captivity a relatively short time.

At 27:00, the Minister has to leave to go to a Cabinet Meeting. But first, he presents Cousteau with a remarkable fossil of an ammonite. (Check it out; it’s quite amazing.)

Vinick and Cousteau then talk about how long it took from the rescue of Keiko to the day he left his caregivers and took off with a pod of orcas who were passing by.

At 34:48, Vinick explains that because the orcas and belugas are so young, they had not yet learned to catch their own food when they were caught. So, it won’t simply be a matter of opening the gates and letting them go. And for each one of them, he emphasizes, it’s a different situation.

At 40:35, Cousteau tells the deeply touching story of a dolphin who had been captured and was living in a concrete tank “the size of this room.”

“She was a young female, and every day I was going to look at her and I felt something was wrong but the scientists would say they would take her temperature and blood samples, and they kept saying that she was fine. And one day, about six months later, I walked in and she was dead and she had swum from one side of the pool to the other and blew her brain on the concrete wall. That’s what I experienced as a young person. She committed suicide [because she was] in jail.

“And that’s what we want to avoid.”

1 Comment

  • Sybelle Foxcroft says:
    April 13, 2019 at 11:58 PM

    This is fantastic news. Thankyou to all involved and I look forward to seeing this amazing journey to freedom for the whales.

    Reply

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Whale Aid Russia

How the Whale Sanctuary Project worked with the Russian government and Russian animal protection groups to return to the ocean 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who had been captured illegally for sale to marine entertainment parks in China.

Whale Aid Russia – the whole story
The story to date, told in words, photos and video, updated regularly.

Individual posts starting with most recent:

The Whale Jail Is No More
The last group of beluga whales have been returned to the ocean. The notorious sea pens that housed 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales are now closed.

All 10 Orcas from the Whale Jail Have Now Been Returned to the Ocean
This is exceptional progress, and while the releases have not all gone perfectly, the process overall has been successful.

Third Group of Orcas Released from Whale Jail
Transport of the third group of orcas from the “whale jail” back to the ocean has now begun.

Release of First Orcas and Belugas from Whale Jail Raises Concerns
Serious questions are being raised about the care of the orcas and beluga whales who are being returned to the ocean from the “whale jail” in Russia.

Jean-Michel Cousteau and Whale Sanctuary Project Team on Returning Whales to Ocean
A release of this scale – 10 orcas and 87 belugas – has never been done before. Words of encouragement … and caution.

Russia Begins Transport of Whales for Return to the Ocean
The government also announced a ban on capturing whales for use as entertainment.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Asks Putin to Make Final Decision
Requests that the President order the release of all orcas and belugas in the areas where they were captured.

Russian Ministry Presses for Summer Release of Captive Whales
Plans are now moving ahead to return the captive orcas and beluga whales to the ocean.

Whale Aid Russia Begins Stage Two
We have now moved to the next stage: How the rehabilitation and release of the whales will be implemented.

Plan to Immediately Release Orcas in Srednyaya Bay Should Not Be Adopted
Press release: We do not support a plan calling for release, within a month, of the 10 orcas into the ocean adjacent to their sea pens.

Recommendations for Release of Orcas and Belugas from Srednyaya Bay
Press release highlighting observations and recommendations from our Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project team.

Russian Consilium Mirrors Assessment of Whale Sanctuary Team
“The general recommendation of the scientists now is that the whales should be released around the same location where they were captured.”

Our Report to the Russian Government
Executive summary of our assessment and recommendations.

From the Sea of Okhotsk
The story of two belugas who were captured in Russian waters and shipped to Marineland Canada.

Governor Signs Agreement to Free Captive Whales
Working together toward rehab and return to the ocean, rather than letting them be sold to entertainment facilities in China.

Russia Invites Whale Sanctuary Project to Visit Whale Jail
An overview of the orcas and beluga whales suffering in sea pens at the “whale jail.”

Video of Press Conference in Moscow:
Charles Vinick and Jean-Michel Cousteau describe some of what will be involved in rehab and return of the whales.

Russia Issues Formal Invitation to Visit Whale Jail
Our team of experts, led by Jean-Michel Cousteau, will be traveling to the notorious “whale jail” on April 3rd.

Expert Team Prepares to Visit Whale Jail
Whale Sanctuary Project assembles team to assess the orcas and belugas, and to advise the Russian government.

The Whale Jail in Srednyaya Bay
Background and history of the capture, and the condition of the whales today.

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Letter to President Putin
These experts spearheaded the return of the orca Keiko to his home waters in the 1990s.

Letter from 34 Marine Mammal Biologists
A request for an international team of experts to evaluate and treat the whales.

Global Citizens Urge Return of the Whales
Letter from Queen Noor of Jordan, Jane Goodall, Pamela Anderson, and business leaders, actors and musicians.

 

 

Also on the Blog

  • Canada Bans Captivity of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
  • Orca Brains and Intelligence
  • A Deep Dive into Environmental Analysis
  • TEDx Talk “Whales Without Walls” by Charles Vinick
  • Whale Aid Russia

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Latest discoveries about beluga whale societies
The psychology of captivity.
Free Willy and the legacy of Keiko.
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