Odesa dolphinarium “Nemo” has repeatedly been at the center of scandals related to abuse of animals and illegal activities. Investigation UAnimals media revealed the possible connections of the dolphinarium with Russia, as well as violations of the conditions of keeping animals and illegal seizure of land.
History of creation and raider capture
Dolphinarium “Nemo” was opened in Odesa in 2005. Initially, it was managed by the private enterprise “Biological Station”, but in 2008 the dolphinarium was taken over by the “Nerum” company, which owed the “Biological Station” a significant amount of money.
Russian trace
The co-owners of “Nerum” are persons connected with Russia. In particular, Natalya Kelyushok has a temporary residence address in Russia, and Dmytro Uryvskyi is one of the founders of the “International Association of Oceanariums and Dolphinariums” in Crimea and lives in Anapa. The owners of “Nerum” are also the founders of the Russian company “Ecological Center”, which continues to work and pay taxes to the Russian budget.
The company is located in Anapa (Russia), continues to work and pay taxes to the Russian budget. For example, in 2022 – 500 thousand rubles (at the current exchange rate, this is more than 5.5 thousand dollars in the budget of the state that launched a full-scale war with Ukraine)”. – noted the journalists.
It is noted that one of the co-owners of the network of dolphinariums is Raisa Kislovsky, the mother of Andrii Kislovsky, a member of the Odesa City Council from the Communist Party of Ukraine. According to the data obtained by investigative journalists, he has a temporary address in Russia.
In addition, “Nemo” has branches in a number of Russian cities and closely cooperates with other Russian companies, such as “Chudnoe More”, the owner of which is connected to criminal circles.
Abuse of animals and violation of the law
“Nemo” was repeatedly accused of cruelty to animals. In 2018, during the performance, a female dolphin gave birth, which is a violation of the rules for keeping dolphins in captivity. The dolphinarium also offers paid swimming with dolphins, which can be dangerous for the animals’ health. In addition, there are suspicions that the conditions of keeping animals in “Nemo” do not meet the standards. In 2020, the non-governmental organization “Green Leaf” discovered that the dolphins were kept in a pool with insufficient water volume and chlorinated water, which could harm their health.
Illegal seizure of land
The Odesa Dolphinarium is located on the territory of Langheron Beach. “Nerum” company received permission to lease this plot in 2003, but in 2012, through the court, it managed to recognize all the newly built objects of the Langeron embankment as its property. Hotel “Nemo” was also built in violation of the law, as it is located closer than 100 meters from the sea.
