Greenpeace will observe the process of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) releasing the next group of orcas from the so-called whale jail in Russia's Far East starting August 1, VNIRO said on Wednesday
KHABAROVSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2019) Greenpeace will observe the process of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) releasing the next group of orcas from the so-called whale jail in Russia's Far East starting August 1, VNIRO said on Wednesday."Transporting and releasing the third group of orcas will start next week, on August 1. Greenpeace will act as an independent observer and will be able to monitor the process. The parties have agreed to be constructive and transparent in covering the operation," VNIRO said in a statement.
The statement added that the orcas would be transported via the same route as the two previous groups � from the Srednyaya Bay to the Sea of Okhotsk.
Greenpeace has not monitored the previous two stages of the release.
In October 2018, the so-called whale jail in Russia's Srednyaya Bay made headlines after Greenpeace claimed that a batch of endangered whale species, held there in captivity, were being prepared to be smuggled to China. A probe was opened into illegal fishing of aquatic animals and animal abuse. The investigation found a group of more than 100 orcas and white whales trapped in a sea enclosure in deplorable conditions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered relevant agencies to oversee the case. A local court ruled that the sea mammals had been caught illegally. The companies responsible for the violation were reportedly fined a total of 150 million rubles ($2.4 million).
The release of the trapped animals started in June. The released mammals have been equipped with trackers that enable scientists to trace their movement and collect data on their behavior.
