MOSCOW, Russia, February 24: The brutal business in Russian
beluga whales (the white whale), seized in the wild for trade to aquaria as
well as nomadic displays, has been censured by the International Fund for
Animal Welfare (IFAW) as appalling fresh footage divulges the real gravity of
the animals' undergoing torment for human amusement.
The robust documentary, Born to be Free, trails 18 beluga
whales seized from the wild in Russia in 2013 for exhibition at the Georgia
Aquarium in the US, who are trapped in small holding tanks for years while
their eventual destiny is determined. Public anger resulted in an import prohibition,
which commenced extended judicial activities and left the belugas in indeterminate
state. Nonetheless one of the whales featured died and the remaining whales
were ultimately sold and moved to aquariums in China.
The film, highlighting the foremost study of its type in
Russia, sheds a light on the secret and frequently shadowy worldwide business in
marine mammals. Probing all features of the supply chain, it provides an enlightening
and worrying vision into the actuality of a life in detention for the animal
victims.
Masha Vorontsova, IFAW Russia Director, stated,"Beluga
whales are highly intelligent animals with a very complex and social family
structure. IFAW believes that belugas and all whale species are not suited to a
life in captivity and belong in the wild."
"Sadly little thought is given to welfare in this trade
driven by profit. A captured beluga, once it has been trained to eat dead fish
instead of hunting live prey in the wild, can fetch up to US $1million. When I
heard that three daring young Russian women wanted to document this issue I was
very pleased that IFAW could help them tell the story and bring it to public
attention. Anyone who doubts the suffering of these animals need only watch
this film. IFAW urges the Russian government to ban all future wild capture of
belugas and other cetaceans. We also ask members of the public not to support
shows involving belugas or whales, which fuel this lucrative and unacceptably
cruel trade."
IFAW has functioned for over 20 years to safeguard Russia's
beluga whales from business misuse for the whale meat business, aquaria and destructive
travel actions. Since 1995, IFAW as well as investigators from the Shirshov
Institute of Oceanology have functioned a non-invasive investigation station observing
belugas off the shoreline of the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea and evaluating
dangers to the species. In 1999, IFAW effectively canvassed for a prohibition
on the commercial hunting of Russian belugas to deliver whale meat to Japan.
For additional facts log on to www.ifaw.org.
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