Dolphin Project Calls on The Russian Government To Ban Orca Captures & Performances

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project appeals to the Russian Government including Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Federal Agency for Fisheries, Ilya Shestakov and President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, to please ban the wild capture & display of killer whales. Continue reading →

Nov 21, 2014 /prREACH/ -- To Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Federal Agency for Fisheries, Ilya Shestakov and President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project is calling for a ban the wild capture of killer whales. It is our understanding that 11 orca have been captured since 2003 for the purpose of public display in Russia - eight remain alive while three have died since capture. With the release of the documentary films "The Cove", "Blackfish" and "A Fall From Freedom", the public has hit a turning point regarding the acceptability of capturing and keeping dolphins in captivity. Please consider banning this cruel act and joining countless other countries around the world who have vowed to take a stand against cetacean captivity.

Not only are capture methods for killer whales considered inhumane, once a cetacean is chosen by an aquarium, the animal must endure a stressful transportation process to their destination. This can sometimes take days. During transportation, these orcas are forced to lay immobile for hours in small containers and arrive at the aquarium in shock.

Studies show the potential for numerous health issues in transported animals, particularly when it is a multi-stage transport. Having survived capture and transportation, the cetacean is confined to a desolate tank without stimulation. Many marine mammals experts and scientists agree that keeping these intelligent, self-aware animals in captivity is wrong, and they support a ban for public display.

Nord and Narnia are two orcas currently residing in Moscow. They have been living in an indoor holding tank with no access to natural light or fresh air for 11 months while construction takes place for the new oceanarium at Moscow's All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh). Please ban the capture of wild killer whales in Russia. The Dolphin Project is asking that the Russian Government rehabilitate and release all eight captured killer whales back into the ocean. These animals do not belong in captivity - please act as a world leader, not a follower!

Further details about the campaign for Nord, Narnia and other killer whales captured in Russia, are available at Dolphin Project.net