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  About orca capturing in Russia

Our familiar killer whales

Soviet antarctic whaling





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News arkhive

19.02.2011 We congratulate our visitors with the Whale Day! This holiday was launched in 1986, when the International Whaling Comission established the moratorium for the commercial whaling. Due to the moratorium, the numbers of some species started to recover. For example, the numbers of humpback whales (photo at the right) has increased in the waters of Kamchatka during the last years. But other species (for example, blue whale) are still very rare.
05.01.2011 During our work with killer whales at Commander Islands we met several white (albino) killer whales. The video showing two of them (large male and "other") is now available on the page Video

Orcas in Russia

22.12.08 We wish happy holidays to everybody! Read more
11.07.08 Several days ago we finished the first stage of our field season which took place on Bering Island from mid-May till early July. We identified four orca groups that had travelled from Avacha Gulf. The other groups we met were new. In one of the groups we photographed a white (indeed, pale-yellow) orca calf. Besides the usual fish-eating orcas, we have seen mammal-eaters four times, and once they were eating something underwater (we noticed seabirds eating big pieces of meat as well). There were also many other whales around Bering Island. We observed humpback and sperm whales, Baird's beaked whales, minke whales, Dall's porpoises and other species.
27.03.08 On March 9-12 we have participated in 22nd Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, which took place in Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands. We have presented posters about the results of our work: Tatyana Ivkovich "Association patterns between social units of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Avacha Gulf", Eugenya Lazareva "Killer whale (Orcinus orca) hunting behavior in Kamchatka peninsula", Mikhail Nagaylik "Differences in area usage between resident and transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) and between resident clans in Avacha Gulf, Southeast Kamchatka, Russian Far East", Ivan Fedutin "Visual and acoustic monitoring of cetaceans on Beringa Island, Russia Far East: comparizon of approaches", Olga Filatova "Functions of multipod aggregations in killer whales". Poster of Tatyana Ivkovich have won an award in the student poster competition. We are grateful to the Organizing Committee of the Conference for the financial support which allowed us to attend the Conference.
01.03.08 Total allowable catches of marine mammals in 2008 were approved by Russian government
19.02.08 We congratulate you on International Whale Day! This holiday is celebrated because of the moratorium which banned commercial whaling in 1986.
14.02.08 New orcas were added to the page our orcas
01.01.08 Happy New Year to all our visitors! We wish you good expeditions, interesting findings and fruitful work!
23.11.07 A killer whale symposium was held at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, in Tokyo. A total of 16 oral and poster presentations reviewed progress and results of current studies on killer whale breeding in captivity (including Taiji Five) and overall killer whale status around Japan. The executive committee of the symposium recognized and admitted that it is lacking studies about killer whale eco-types and populations in Japan which is fundamental to killer whale management. >>>
03.11.07 On the page "Our publications" the book "The Killer Whales of Eastern Kamchatka" is now available. The book contains catalog of killer whale dorsal fins from eastern Kamchatka, Russia, with color portfolio of images, acoustic catalog and introductions to Russian orca status, research history and other findings.
22.10.07 Two participants of our project - Tatyana Ivkovich and Olga Filatova - have recently received "Grants-in-Aid of Research" from the Society of Marine Mammalogy
14.10.07 To the page team were added the participants of 2007 field season
26.06.07 We have just returned from Beringa Island (Commander Islands), where we conducted a project funded by the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation. Now all project members are in Petropavlovsk preparing for the next stages of killer whale research.
05.03.07 WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society today welcomes new proposals for large areas of protection in the Mediterranean and Black seas for some of the world’s most threatened whale and dolphin populations. Within the proposals, important areas for feeding, breeding and rearing young used by fin, sperm, Cuvier’s beaked and killer whales as well as bottlenose and common dolphins and harbour porpoises are highlighted for protection from encroaching industry and pollution. The proposals are being formally recommended to the 20-country parties to ACCOBAMS by the ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee at the Meeting of the Parties later this year. WDCS calls on these countries to start the process to protect these areas. Read more
19.02.07 Today is an International Whale Day, a day to celebrate and protect the world's largest creatures. In 1986 members of the International Whaling Commission entered into a moratorium on all commercial whaling beginning in the 1985-86 season. However, pro-whaling countries still try to revoke the moratorium. A meeting of mainly pro-whaling nations has ended several days ago in Tokyo. The focus of the meeting was clearly to push the International Whaling Commission towards a resumption of commercial whaling and trade.
01.01.07 Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all our visitors! We wish you good expeditions, interesting findings and fruitful work!
30.11.06 Total allowable catches of marine mammals in 2007 are approved by Russian government
22.11.06 To the page team were added the participants of 2006 field season
04.11.06 On the page Photo and video are now available new video fragments from this field season, including underwater video of orca with Dall's porpoise
07.10.06 Recently the last members of our project have returned to Moscow. Soon on this site will be published the report of this field season. Forum is now opened only for the messages of the registered users because of spam.
07.05.06 WDCS, working with the Far East Russia Orca Project, has published a new guide to setting up and promoting marine ecotourism, including whale watching, in Russia. The 86-page Whale Watching and Marine Ecotourism in Russia, written by FEROP co-director and WDCS Senior Research Fellow Erich Hoyt, demonstrates that commercial whale watching and marine ecotourism provide an economic alternative to the exploitation of marine wildlife for hunting or captivity in marine zoos. Whale watching trips can also offer valuable ship time for research and other scientific support, and are important for education read more >>>
20.04.06 The information in "Research" section was renewed
13.04.06 Several days ago some members of our project returned from the 20th Conference of the European Cetacean Society, which took place in Gdynia, Poland. We presented several posters and one talk (abstracts you can read here ) and learned many new interesting things about cetacean research all over the world.
20.01.06 To the page our orcas were added new orcas
17.01.06 To the page our orcas were added orcas Jeka and Vasya
11.01.06 From the page photo and video you can now download the film about orca capturing in 2003
11.01.06 Total allowable cathches of orcas in Russia in 2006 will be 6 animals, two animals per each of Northern Ohkotsk sea sub-zone, Kamchatka-Kuril zone and Eastern Sakhalin sub-zone
02.01.06 Merry Christmas and happy New Year to everybody! As a Christmas gift we changed the design, navigation and partly the contents of the site. Please send your comments to forum or e-mail
01.12.05 Now you can look at the new waterproof guide prepared by the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP) in conjunction with Pieter Folkens, and sponsored by WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, and get it for free >>>
30.11.05 The report on Rufford Small Grant is now published on the site
27.11.05 To the page "People" were added the participants of 2005 field season
10.11.05 Some underwater videos with orcas from this field season video1 video2 video3 (you should have DivX codec on your computer to play these files)
30.09.05 “Putyatin” failed to catch orca and returned to the city
10.09.05 Yesterday the vessel “Putyatin” returned to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky because of the typhoon "Nabi" which came to Kamchatka. When the weather will become better the vessel will continue attempts to catch orcas
8.09.05 According to our data, the vessel “Putyatin” after leaving from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky went to Okhotsk sea, where tried to catch orcas not far from the western Kamshatka coast. Now the vessel is moving to the city.
5.09.05 Last week the vessel “Putyatin” left from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city to make a new attempt to catch orcas.
10.06.05 The summer came, and our crew leaves for Kamchatka for the expedition. This year we will work from two boats - for photoidentification and acoustics, and there will be no land observations with theodolyte. Great thanks for the firm "Moreman" (Russian representative of "Zodiak International") for the discount for buying new boats.
 

04.03.05 All six killer whales trapped beneath ice near Iturup Island have died. The residents of the nearby village of Reidovo couldn't save the whales.
02.03.05 Russian villagers on the Far East Kuril Islands are desperately trying to rescue four killer whales trapped beneath ice near the shore. The whales are unable to swim up for air or swim away into the open sea >>>
19.02.05 Today we celebrate The Day of the Whales. In honour of this date the page "photos" was updated
31.01.05 The page "People" was updated - we added the participants of 2004 field season
07.01.05 Now you can download the video fragment of orca capturing in 2003 Otlov.wmv (4Mb)
31.12.04 We congratulate all the guests of our site, friends, colleagues and opponents with New Year! Good luck for all of you in your work and life!
28.12.04 News from overseas - federal government listed Puget Sound orcas as threatened More
22.12.04 Here you can download some interesting videos from the 2004 field season
boat1.avi(3.5Mb) boat1.wmv(1.6Mb)
boat3.avi(2.6Mb) boat3.wmv(0.7Mb)
jump.avi(0.1Mb)

14.12.04 Sam DuFresne - boat driver from New Zealand, who worked this year in our team - sent us his impressions about this field season Read
06.12.04 Russian government granted 6 permissions for orca capturing in 2005
15.11.04 This month, WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, and Earthscan (London) announce the publication of 'Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises', researched and written by WDCS Senior Research Fellow Erich Hoyt. More...
31.10.04 Some time ago we communicated with one of the participants of the last-year orca capturing. He shortly described us what have happened. More...
27.10.04 On October 11-17 in Crimea took place the Third International Conference "Marine Mammals of the Holarctic". Members of our project presented the results of their work in oral and poster presentations. We also showed the film made from the field video shootings of this field season. Organization of the conference was favorable, except unexpectedly cold weather and some muddle in the order of presentations. As a whole attending the conference was very interesting and useful for us. Great thanks to the organizing committee!
30.04.04 On the April 22th the regular meeting of Ichtyological Commission took place More...
12.04.04 News from overseas - government of state Washington added southern resident orcas to the list of endangered species More
2.04.04 New data about the history of Soviet Antarctic Whaling, and how these data were falsified, you can read here
11.03.04 Japanese version of FEROP web-site is avaliable now. Welcome!
11.03.04 Official response of ministry of natural resources of Russian Federation to the letters from Russian and Foreign citizens with questions about capture of orca
05.01.04 We congratulate all the guests of our site, colleagues, friends and enemies with New Year! In honour of this holiday we have renew our site at last. We have changed design and content of the main page, layed out report on survey 2003, renewed results in "project" section. Welcome!
22.12.03 More detailes about orca capturing
11.12.03 Russian Marine Mammal Council tendered L.M.Mukhametov thanks for the first orca capturing in Russia More..
4.12.03 Russian government granted 6 permissions for orca capturing in 2004
13.11.03 Letter from WDCS to russian authorities concerning orca capturing in Russia
6.11.03 Publication from Orcalab site about the died orca
29.10.03 Captured orca have died in Utrish delphinarium five days ago.
21.10.03 To whom it may concern. Official reply of Dr.Mukhametov to the Paul Spong's request about the captured orca.
7.10.03 Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society issued news release concerning orca capturing in russian waters. You can read it here.
2.10.03 The first kamchatkan orca is caught. By unofficial information, another animal entangled in the net and died during the capture.


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