UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN ... - Bizjournals

Case 1:13-cv-03241-AT Document 1 Filed 09/30/13 Page 32 of 6464. Once in the large shore side pens at the Chkalova Island site, thebelugas were monitored and cared for by husbandry and veterinary staff from theUtrish Dolphinarium. While in the shore side pens, the whales were fed locallycaughtherring and salmon. Every whale began taking food no later than thesecond day after collection. The beluga whales remained in the shore side pensunder constant supervision and with fulltime medical care for approximately twomonths before they were transported to the Utrish Marine Mammal ResearchStation (“UMMRS”) on the Russian coast of the Black Sea. UMMRS is part of theSevertsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, created by the Russian Academy ofScience approximately 27 years ago. Its staff of approximately 200 includestrainers, veterinarians, water engineers, scientists, and other support personnel.65. The Georgia Aquarium permit application clearly states no mothercalfpairs were targeted or collected. The animals were collected using a humanemethod that is accepted by scientific methodology worldwide and is consistentwith methods used by NMFS during cetacean health assessments andinterventions. This includes not collecting and retaining mother-calf pairs, animalsthat are less than one year of age, or those that are nursing calves. The collectionand handling of the beluga whales by the Russians was done in accordance with32