MOSCOW, Russia — Dozens of orcas and beluga whales captured last summer for use in oceanariums have brought Russia's murky trade to the spotlight.
Russia is the only country where killer whales and beluga whales can be caught in the ocean for "education" purposes.
The legal loophole has been used to export the animals abroad, especially to satisfy a demand in China's growing network of ocean theme parks.
Greenpeace has proposed to the Russian authorities to let the NGO provide "technical assistance" to the animals so they can survive until their release.