14 DAY TRIAL // Some time ago, the Georgia Aquarium asked for permission to import 18 beluga whales all the way from Russia.
The marine mammals were intended for public display not just at said facility, but also at SeaWorld in Florida, SeaWorld in Texas, SeaWorld in California and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
On August 6, NOAA Fisheries announced that it was denying the Aquarium’s permit application.
The organization argued that, first off, it could not grant the Georgia Aquarium permission to import these animals because its doing so might have had a negative impact on the wild beluga whales population.
What's more, it appears that some of the marine mammals proposed for import were too young. Therefore, taking them from their families would not have been the right thing to do.
Needless to say, conservationists and animal rights activists were quick to salute NOAA's decision.