Whale jails are the infamous prisons of whales which are owned by famous companies all over the world. For many decades, many figures including celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Pamela Anderson have been trying their best to act against this inhuman practice. As a result of these movements, Russia has recently ordered the release of up to one hundred whales who are being kept in whale jails.
However, this order was not easily taken. Many environmental organizations along with celebrities like Leonardo spent months campaigning for this release and they could release the whales who were kept in cramped pools near the Pacific port city of Nakhodka, in the far east of Russia.
Captive orcas and belugas in Srednyaya Bay – Yuriy Smityuk
Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB have announced charges against the companies who operate whale jails and they also present reports of incidents where these companies have been fined for the illegal capture of the whales. They report that ‘animals were kept in unsatisfactory conditions and must be released into their natural habitat’.
According to a petition by Change.org in one jail, there were 11 orcas, five baby walrus, and 90 beluga whales and intended to be sold to a ‘aquariums and Chinese buyers’.
Dmitry Kobylkin, Russia’s ecology minister told the TASS news agency:
“We are doing everything we can. No one objects to releasing the orcas, but the most important thing is to release them properly”
Whales were imprisoned in an area which was about 10-meter squares and the inhumanity of this deed is clearly visible with the fact that orcas used to travel around 100 miles a day. It was revealed that four companies have collectively maintained the jail and authorities are now working to release these animals with the help of many animal’s rights organizations and high-profile people.
