Russian 'Whale Jail' Cleared Of Aviaries, Completely Shut Down

The "whale jail" in Russia's Srednyaya Bay, previously used to keep belugas and whales, has been completely cleared of aviaries so marine animal can no longer be held captive in the premises, the Amur Basin Environmental Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday

VLADIVOSTOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2021) The "whale jail" in Russia's Srednyaya Bay, previously used to keep belugas and whales, has been completely cleared of aviaries so marine animal can no longer be held captive in the premises, the Amur Basin Environmental Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday.

"Currently, the water area of Srednyaya Bay is completely freed from aviaries," the office said in a statement, adding that they were dismantled and moved to the Livadia ship-repair plant.

The aviaries will undergo processing and be used for the repair of ships, according to the statement.

The bay was supposed to be cleared from aviaries in late 2020 when the relevant contracts were terminated, but the structures remained there.

In 2018, the whale jail drew public attention after it was revealed that a group of 11 orcas and 90 belugas were trapped in there while being prepared for smuggling to China. A probe was later launched into illegal fishing of aquatic animals and animal abuse. Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed relevant authorities to join the investigation.

From June-November 2019, all trapped marine mammals were released from the 'jail.'