Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko confirmed earlier today that the government has prepared amendments to a draft Federal law to permanently ban the capture of wild cetaceans (dolphins and whales).
The authorities are planning stricter regulations with regards to cetacean captures in Russia’s exclusive economic zone 200 nautical miles from its shores – establishing a permanent ban on the export of wild cetaceans at Eurasian Economic Union level (states located in Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Central Asia). Ms Abramchenko has stated that the protection of cetaceans and other marine species is a priority of Russia’s environmental commitment to the country, and the updated draft has been approved by a government commission on the legislation amendments which are to be presented at the cabinet’s meeting within two weeks.
This is a huge step forward, and news Marine Connection very much welcomes, having been calling and campaigning for a permanent ban on wild captures of dolphins, beluga whales, killer whales and other cetacean species for some time. As part of our campaigns are related to the keeping of these marine mammals in captivity in China, where the number of facilities being established to display dolphins and whales is expanding rapidly, a permanent ban on captures in Russian waters will mean no more dolphin/whale families being ripped apart and one more closed door for wild-caught cetacean exports into China from Russia.
