Environmentalists propose a whales’ sanctuary ring along the American continent
Environment organizations meeting in Panama will demand the creation of a whales’ sanctuary in the south Atlantic and south Pacific, at the coming meeting of the International Whaling Commission.
“We are proposing that all Latin American countries continue declaring their waters as whales’ sanctuary thus creating a great whales’ corridor and sanctuary of the Americas. From Alaska to Chile and from Canada to Argentina, including the waters of the Caribbean”, said Gabriel Despaigne from the Panama Green Association.
Panama next July 2/6 will be hosting the 64th meeting of the IWC, an organization created in 1946 by the International Convention for regulating the hunting of whales. However environmentalists fear the proposal, which has the consensus of most civil organizations along the continent, might not advance at the IWC and thus the proposal to present the petition directly to the governments of the region.
“If whales’ conservation does not advance further with this poor obsolete commission, the region has the legitimacy and political power to propose our own conservation framework or agree on a regional treaty” said Jose Tudra head of the NGO Cetacean Conservation for the Brazil and Argentina chapters.
“Step by step in Latin America each country can declare its jurisdictional waters as a sanctuary”, something which has already been done by Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Chile said Marcela Vargas, from the World Society for Animal Protection, chapter Costa Rica.
According to data supplied by Tudra during the XX century over two million whales were hunted by the fishing industry, which has left the cetaceans in the list of endangered species.
During the coming IWC in Panama the environmentalists will also underline the significance of whale-sighting as a source of tourism and income for countries and an alternative to hunting.
“There’s a lot of talk about eco-tourism in woods and with birds, but watching whales and dolphins is experiencing a very rapid growth and is where the Latin American countries have a greater potential”, said Truda who estimated in 2.1 billion dollars revenue from the cetacean sight-seen industry.
Environmentalists claim the IWC is more interested in defending the interests of Japan and other countries which actively are involved in the hunting of whales.
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Falklands whales: www.falklandsconservation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=219&Itemid=165
Falkland Islands tourism: www.falklandislands.com/
My what a coincidence, that the North Atlantic and North Pacific is being exempt?
Argentina's resposne should be simple : F--- off.
The other NGO that is working towards the same ends is WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) which has funded some trmendously important research on Patagonian coastal species.
Where else in the world can you sit on the beach six month a year and enjoy the whales song, just 100 yards away ?
(And all this for free)
It's a minor point, but he seems to have not really grasped this from his previous educational exploits.
And some miles away from el Doradillo beach,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V1BNHJsmbI
you can watch this……:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWsN63PRCW8&feature=related
(Free of charge too)
East Falklands
Falkland Islands
FIQQ 1ZZ
Where else in the world can you sit on the beach six month a year and enjoy the whales song, just 100 yards away , as well as Albatross, Rockhopper, Gentoo, Magellanic Penguins, Commerson Dolphin, Giant Petrel, Fur Seals, Southern Sea Lions and many others?
(And all this for free)
Please send me a ticket and I will be there post haste. I even speak the language.
I regret never having gone there, but everytime I check the air fare from Brize Norton I think they are trying to sell me the aircraft.
I had a chance to go to S.Georgia/Falklands in 1962 for a 3 year tour of duty.
I was a Customs and Excise Officer and they needed a volunteer to represent the UK Customs in the area. At the age of 20, it seemed a great adventure but my girl friend(wife) said if you go I won't be here when you return.
So penguins and whale blubber did not seem so attractive with this ultimatum.
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