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Is a good outcome possible for the jailed whales in Russia?

More orcas captured in the Okhotsk Sea, Russia—When will it stop?

Three orcas (killer whales) have been captured in the Okhotsk Sea in the Russian Far East, according to sources at the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP). The first one, captured in early July, was moved through Sakhalinsky Bay on July 15, 2015. Since then, two more have been captured, also thought to have been caught in…

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Japanese sperm whale hunt figures ‘not credible’ says new report

A new report published by the Royal Society has suggested that historical whaling data supplied by Japan may have been inaccurate, with under-reporting of the size and number of sperm whales hunted during the 1960s. During the 1990s, it was revealed that the former Soviet Union had falsified its whaling data over the previous 30 years,…

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Captive orcas held in horrific conditions

Disturbing news is coming out of Russia that two orcas, Narnia and another unnamed male, both captured from the wild in 2012 and 2013, respectively, are currently being held in cramped conditions in a makeshift rusty tank as delays to the opening of Moscow’s new VDNKh Oceanarium continue. The orcas were flown to Moscow last…

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Russian quota issued for 10 more orca captures

What now for Russian orcas? Following the news that two orcas were captured in the Okhotsk Sea, Russia, we now have the announcement of the 2014 quota allowing potential captors to apply for permits to catch 10 more orcas. Actually, usually the quota and the permit process happen before the actual captures, but this is Russia. …

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Russia seizes Japanese whaling vessel

The Japan Times leads with a report that ‘Russia has seized a Japanese research whaling ship in the Sea of Okhotsk on suspicion of intruding into Russian territorial waters, government sources said on Friday. The 712-ton Shonan Maru No. 2 left Japan on Aug. 8 to examine whales in the Sea of Okhotsk at the…

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Two orcas taken in illegal capture in Russia

Two killer whales were captured in recent weeks in Nikolaya Gulf, in the southwestern Sea of Okhotsk, the Russian Far East. The captors are reporting that the orcas were actually taken in 2013 and spent the winter in Nikolaya Gulf. This is impossible because the Gulf is completely frozen in winter. Word is that the…

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