ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. There are plans to release the orcas and beluga whales that are staying in Srednyaya Bay in July or August, Russian Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment Dmitry Kobylkin told TASS on Wednesday on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"It will be the summer period for sure. We would like it to happen as soon as possible. I think it will be July or August; August is the deadline," he said, answering the question on the possible release time for the marine mammals.

Kobylkin added that, according to experts, the animals will manage to adapt to life in the wild. "I talked to the person with the most profound knowledge of the issue - Jean-Michel Cousteau. The [animal] skills cannot be lost in one year," the minister affirmed.

The release place has not been determined yet, he said. "The roadmap that we drew should first tell us the release place, as we still have two positions on it. The Russian Academy of Sciences says that in fact they could be released in Srednyaya Bay. The Russian Scientific Research Institute of Fishery and Oceanography says that they should be released where they were captured: off the Shantar Islands. Transportation to this place is difficult, so all options are being considered now," Kobylkin said.

The SPIEF will be held on June 6-8. The forum’s events are united by the slogan "Forming the agenda of stable development." The Roscongress foundation is the forum’s organizer. TASS is the forum’s information partner, official photo hosting agency and operator of the SPIEF presentation zone with support from the EY consulting company and the Foreign Investment Advisory Council.