Although the permit request has not received as much attention as the recent request by the Georgia Aquarium to import 18 wild-captured belugas from Russia, Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand has recently requested a permit for 6 belugas from Russia for its marine park. Safari World formerly held 4 belugas imported from Russia in 2008, three of whom are now dead. The facility also holds dolphins imported from the dolphin drive hunts in Taiji, importing six bottlenose dolphins in 2010.
The import of belugas from Russia will support further captures from the wild by international facilities, and reveals that captive beluga populations are not self-sustaining, likely requiring the capture and removal of belugas from the wild in the future to keep the facilities ‘stocked’ with belugas.
The removal of live whales and dolphins from the wild for captive display is equivalent to deliberate killing, as the animals are no longer available to help maintain their natural populations. Captures are violent, and may cause distress, physical harm, and even death to not only those animals captured, but for the ones left behind. In addition, the stress of transport may result in injury or death. And finally, removal for captivity represents a different form of death for these animals—a permanent life of sensory, social and physical deprivation in concrete pools.
WDC needs your help to stop this import!
Please take the time to contact the authorities below and politely request that they deny the import permit for the import of belugas to Safari World. Tell them that it is not acceptable to capture, transport and confine wild belugas, subjecting them to risk of injury and death, for the public’s entertainment.
What can you say? We encourage you to post comments that contain the messages below:
*Brutally removing these animals from the wild and transporting them thousands of miles into the US for public display and in the name of conservation is unnecessary, inhumane and threatens wild beluga populations everywhere;
*If approved, the import will contribute to the unsustainable and cruel international trade in belugas;
*Conservation means protecting species in the wild, not capturing them for captivity. Beluga populations in Russia have been decimated by overhunting, and the same populations are targeted for capture, preventing their recovery;
*These belugas may not survive the long flight from Russia, and should not be placed in a facility where almost all of the beluga whales formerly imported from Russia only four years ago are already dead.
*Investigations from local groups have revealed poor conditions at this facility, which would threaten the lives of any additional animals sent there.
*Additional time for the public to be notified and to review the permit request is required before any action can be taken by authorities.
Send an email to the authorities below!
Director General
Department of Fisheries
[email protected]
Ms. Yoo-ee Getpech
Fisheries Officer
[email protected]
What else can you do? Sign the petition below to oppose the permit request!
http://www.change.org/nobelugaTH