Fed. Government Denies the Import of Beluga Whales

Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration denied an application from Georgia Aquarium to import 18 wild beluga whales. The aquatic mammals, which were captured in Russia’s Okhotsk Sea, were going to be transferred to Sea World theme parks in Texas, Florida, and California. “Our nation has maintained a policy of ‘no-wild capture’ of whales for two decades, and there’s no good reason to turn away from that sound policy,” noted Humane Society of the United States president and CEO, Wayne Pacelle. To protest the US import of the whales, the HSUS circulated a petition that received more than 69,000 signatures, while 45 non-governmental organizations representing millions of constituents also issued written statements of disapproval.