Success: Captive Whales Freed

Target: Elena Gagarina, Director of the Kremlin of Russia

Goal: Thank the Moscow Kremlin for freeing illegally captured whales intended for trade.

After nearly a year in captivity by the Russian government, nearly 100 whales will be set free. Eleven orcas and 87 belugas had been illegally captured by a company to be sold to aquariums and Chinese buyers, kept for months in what was termed a “whale jail” before the Kremlin demanded the creatures be set free.

Whales in captivity are seldom treated well, and these particular whales were no different. They are kept in cramped spaces, limiting their freedom to move, it is unknown if they are fed well, and they suffer even more from the forced travel. Whales kept in aquariums do not fare much better, and the ones sold to China would have been killed and sold as meat. Petitions such as this one have circulated, demanding the release of these poor creatures as soon as possible.

The companies who illegally captured the whales were brought up on charges, and the captive creatures will soon be free. Sign this petition to thank the Kremlin for intervening and ensuring the safety of these whales.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Director Gagarina,

Thank you for stepping in to rescue nearly 100 whales from captivity, as well as potentially gruesome fates. The poor creatures were to be sold to aquariums and Chinese buyers; those sent to aquariums would suffer a lower quality of life and increasing health issues, while those sold to China were likely destined for the whale meat market.

The Kremlin’s demand for the freedom of these innocent creatures was a step in the right direction for the more ethical treatment of whales overall. Within the last several decades, many species of whales have been hunted to near-extinction, captured, or worse. Thank you for your part in the decision to free these whales.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Janice Waite