MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2020) In this digest, we will learn how to act when you bump into a beluga whale, what words one should avoid in order to not annoy Russia's ex-chief sanitary inspector, and how the Russian government prevents driving under the influence.
ENVIORNMENTAL EXPERTS WARN AGAINST CHASING SEA MAMMALS
Environmental experts from the Free Russian Whales coalition are calling on residents and visitors of the Primorsky Territory in Russia's Far East to abstain from petting beluga whales released from the infamous "whale jail" in Srednyaya Bay.
Back in 2018, a criminal case was launched over the illegal capture of orcas and beluga whales who were trapped in deplorable conditions in a containment facility pending sales. The story grabbed public attention, and all the sea mammals were eventually released into the wild. They are equipped with trackers enabling scientists to trace their movement and collect data about their behavior.
Recently, the Primorsky Territory residents have started actively posting on social networks videos featuring their "meetings" with beluga whales and attempts to pet the animals.
"These belugas are former prisoners of the 'whale jail' who were released not into their native habitat, the Sea of Okhotsk, but into the Sea of Japan. Belugas are not afraid of people and often approach SUPs [paddle boats] and boats. We ask everyone to comply with recommendations by experts on marine mammals: do not touch beluga whales, do not swim with them and do not try to feed them," Free Russian Whales said in a statement.
The coalition emphasized the need to help the animals come to terms with the new circumstances and get out of the habit of being with people.
"Such acts as feeding, touching, chasing are fraught with sad consequences. Belugas will seek contact with people and start scrounging, as a result of which attempts may be made to catch them and keep in captivity again. Credulous belugas may start coming closer to people, which may lead to grave injuries and even deaths," the environmental experts warned.
In addition, some diseases are transmitted from humans to cetaceans and vice versa. Apart from that, beluga whales can be aggressive toward people who annoyingly try to pet or straddle them. Therefore, one should not pat, hug, feed or tease the animals, the environmental experts stressed.
RUSSIAN CARS TO BE EQUIPPED WITH 'ALCOLOCKS' TO PREVENT DRUNK DRIVING
The introduction of "alcolocks" for cars in Russia is likely to lead to the emergence of a whole market of removal services, Yaroslav Fedoseev, a representative of a working group of the National Technological Initiative program, told Sputnik, in comments on the Industry Ministry's plans.
The Kommersant newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing a protocol of a ministerial meeting, that the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to develop a concept for the mass introduction of alcolocks by October. The devices are set to block ignition upon detecting alcohol in a driver's breath. The ministry will also have to present by the end of the year offers on how to encourage car producers to install these alcolocks in the vehicles.
"There may be some positive effect. The idea is not new in fact. Many car makers are already actively introducing the technology. In particular, Volvo had plans to install alcolocks. However, Newton's third law says for every action there is an opposite reaction. So, the creation of this system will necessarily result in the emergence of a market for their removal," Fedoseev said.
According to Kommersant, prices for alcolocks range from 25,000 to 120,000 rubles ($345-$1,656).
RUSSIA'S EX-CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR HARSHLY CRITICIZES 'CORONAVIRUS WAVE' WORDING
Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's former Chief Sanitary Inspector and currently a lower house lawmaker, lashed out at those who use the word "wave" in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Due to lack of professionalism of some doctors who actively comment on the situation, some 'dirty words' have emerged: a wave, the first wave, the second wave. I have received a question: 'Will there be a second wave?' I will tell you: there was no 'wave' at all ... There are different indices: epidemic rate, pre-epidemic incidence and pandemic incidence. There are no 'waves,' and there should not be," Onishchenko said at a press conference at the Rossiya Segodnya International news Agency.
