Russian law prohibits wild captures of bottlenose dolphins due to their endangered status in Russian waters. The only legal way to obtain them is to purchase them from Taiji, Japan. Most Russian citizens are unaware that Moskvarium owner God Nisanov told Forbes Magazine on 2/27/13 that "they have an agreement with the experts from Japan who have already trained 17 dolphins for them." So dolphinariums and aquatic parks use the publics lack of knowledge to gain support by claiming dolphins were rescued from taiji fishermen. Russia currently has 43 stationary dolphinariums holding approximately 160 bottlenose dolphins and 60 beluga whales. And 12 traveling dolphinariums holding approximately 23 bottlenose dolphins and 12 beluga whales. Due to the stress of constant transport and being held in small coffin-like wooden crates for up to 8 solid days in a row, cetaceans are especially vulnerable to critical illness and death in these travelling dolphinariums and aquatic circuses. Dolphins and whales are simply replaced in stationary and traveling dolphinariums when they die and the new ones are given the same names to keep unknowing guests from realizing they aren't the same animal. In 2013 two wild beluga whales, one male, one female both approximately four years of age were transported from Vladivostok to Taiji Whale Museum on February 17, 2013. In exchange for 4 bottlenose dolphins. The last confirmed sighting of these two beluga whales they were being held in a Taiji Whale Museum seapen in 2013. On August 5, 2015 The Moskvarium had its grand opening and boasts of having 8 bottlenose dolphins. All from Taiji. On January 27, 2016 15 dolphins and 2 pilot whales were transported from Taiji, Japan to Russia. 14 bottlenose dolphins and 2 pilot whales arrived alive. One bottlenose dolphin did not survive the stress of the journey. Confirmed Russian dolphinariums receiving dolphins from Taiji, Japan are The Moskvarium, TINRO, Sochi Dolphinarium Riviera, Primary Oceanarium, 4 sights of a Ukrainian based chain called Nemo Dolphinariums. Plus the other 38 unconfirmed stationary and 12 travelling dolphinariums that seem to have an endless supply of dolphins at their disposal. There are no other confirmed rumors or reports of dolphins being transported into Russia from anywhere other than Japan. Cetacean captivity is a multi-billion dollar industry surrounded by government and government agency politics, lies, cover-up, greed and horrific cruelty to these animals. Sometimes just for the sake of being cruel or because there are no laws or rules to stop it, police it or punish it. And Taiji, Japan is at the head of it. Please sign and share this petition to ask the Russian Federation to ban all wild captures of cetaceans and international imports of cetaceans for research, sale and public display immediately. Please do not support the dolphin drive hunts in Taiji, Japan, where hunters knowingly and willingly display needless torture and conscious inhumane treatment towards dolphins and small whales in the killing cove. Please do not buy a ticket to any aquatic park, dolphinarium or swim with experience Credits : Russian Anti-Captivity Team - SaveDolphins.net