Rosrybolovstvo Offers Assistance to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture to Save Killer Whales

Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) has extended a helping hand to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, expressing its readiness to assist in the rescue of killer whales currently trapped in ice. The proposal was communicated through an official letter to the Japanese ministry.

Earlier reports highlighted that approximately ten killer whales had become stranded in ice near the city of Rausu, situated off the coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. In response to the distressing situation, the Russian Embassy in Japan informed RIA Novosti that concrete steps had been suggested by Russia to assist the Japanese side. However, no response has been received from Japan, and it appears that the Japanese government has not yet sought any external assistance.

Rosrybolovstvo’s letter emphasizes the agency’s willingness to provide aid in rescuing these imperiled marine mammals, which are listed in the Red Book. The Federal Agency for Fisheries, along with the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, asserts its possession of appropriate in-house expertise and knowledge required to safely extricate the whales from the ice.

Further updates are expected as the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries assesses the proposal put forth by Rosrybolovstvo. The collaborative efforts of both countries could offer a glimmer of hope for the trapped killer whales.