MOSCOW, February 18 (RAPSI) – Russia’s Public Chamber has called to return orca whales and white whales, which had been illegally captured in the Primorsk Territory of Russia’s Far East, to their habitat as early as possible, a statement published on the consultative advisory body’s website reads.

According to Deputy Chief of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Natural Resource Use Amirkhan Amirkhanov, examination of the mammals is expected to begin in the near future and following that decisions on their release will be taken.  The Ministry of Nature Protection has all needed information on the situation, relevant papers have been forwarded to law enforcement bodies and border services, he has said.

However, Amirkhanov has added that it is necessary to strictly abide by procedural rules and ensure the rights of all parties.

In February, investigation was opened into alleged cruelty to orca whales and white whales, which had been illegally captured in the Primorsk Territory of Russia’s Far East

During the probe into a mammal poaching case launched in November 2018 investigators established that 90 white whales and 11 orca whales were mistreated in a local oceanic mammal adaptation center.