As a reminder, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed this bill into law on December 30 last year.
"Industrial and costal capture of cetaceans is prohibited," says the current law.
In addition, the new legislation will impose sever limitations on capture of marine mammals in the exclusive economic zone of Russia including a total ban on fishing of certain marine mammals in the exclusive economic zone in order to preserve and restore populations.
It must be noted that another bill aimed to ban capture of marine mammals for cultural and entertainment purposes was introduced to the Russian State Duma. As one of the bill’s sponsors and the State Duma deputy Svetlana Bessarab explained Russia has stopped coastal and industrial fishing of cetaceans since 1987, however, capture of dolphins and whales continues for cultural and public display purposes for dolphinariums and oceanariums.
