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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN ... - Bizjournals

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Case 1:13-cv-03241-AT Document 1 Filed 09/30/13 Page 33 of 64the Animal Welfare Act, other U.S. and international law, and the bylaws of thezoological associations to which Georgia Aquarium belongs.F. The Sea of Okhotsk Beluga Whale Population and the PermitApplication66. The 18 beluga whales at issue were collected from the Sea of Okhotskin Russia. Prior to deciding to seek a permit to import the whales, GeorgiaAquarium needed to be certain the collections did not adversely affect any belugawhale population. Accordingly, Georgia Aquarium sponsored a multi-yearresearch program that was conducted by the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecologyand Evolution of the Russian Academy of Science to evaluate the geneticrelationships, migratory patterns, and status of the Sea of Okhotsk beluga whalepopulations. Before Georgia Aquarium and others sponsored this research, littlewas known about the genetic relationships, migratory patterns, and status of Sea ofOkhotsk beluga whale populations. Gathering such information was consistentwith Georgia Aquarium’s core mission of research, particularly with respect tobeluga whales, which are one of the Aquarium’s species of principal focus.Georgia Aquarium and its partners provided funds to independent scientists whodeveloped and implemented the research program. Georgia Aquarium alone spent$1 million to fund the research program.33

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