From the Dolphins Point of View, Naomi Rose: Bad news, everyone. Despite overwhelming public opposition, the Russian government appears to have approved a quota for 13 orcas to be captured in 2018. There have been no legal captures for orcas for at least the past two seasons.The authorities have also apparently approved a quota for belugas (whose capture was also suspended), but I don't have numbers yet for them. I will post them when I do. The Russian government does not recognize ecotypes nor does it have a decent population estimate (they claim there are 3000 orcas, all one population, in the Sea of Okhotsk). The orcas that are targeted in the Russian capture operation are mammal-eaters and may in fact number as few as 200-230 or so animals (based on the work of independent Russia researchers). That makes a quota of 13 about 5-6% of the population, which is clearly unsustainable (let alone traumatic and inhumane). #captivitykills #orcas #russianorcas #russia #seaofokhotsk #captured #emptythetanks #marinemammals #entertainmentindustry #pods #protectwhatyoulove #freetheorcas #savethewhales #beluga #respectanimals #animalwelfare #wildlifephotography Credit 📷 © Tatiana Ivkovich Russianorcas.org Via @wildconceptconservation

In the fall of 2013, a young male orca was captured in the Oktosh Sea off the coast of Russia along with his mother and sister. The method of capture involves dragging the whale out of the water by his tail, loading him onto a truck, and shipping him a long distance. Reports indicate that upon arrival to the Seaside Dolphinarium, the orcas refused to eat the dead fish being offered to them despite the best efforts of the trainers. This all changed when another orca, who had been in the pen for over a year, brought them fish and somehow convinced them to eat. According to the Russian Orcas site, this orca has since been moved to a holding pen in Moscow. In addition to ethical concerns over this capture, there are major ecological concerns since it is unclear how these captures will affect the future generations of the wild population.  

In Russia, the capturing of killer whales in the wild is still permitted. In late 2013, three killer whales were captured- a mother and two younger whales. Initially it was thought that these whales would be trained in a holding pen in Russia for a performance at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.  However, it is currently understood that the juveniles were sold to China on an export permit. China has recently constructed a $5 billion “Ocean Kingdom” modeled after SeaWorld.