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Rechazan la creación de santuario de ballenas del Atlántico Sur | Locales-Ultima Hora | 

They reject the creation of whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic

TAMARA DEL MORAL

[email protected]

On the first day of the plenary meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), held in Panama, was not successful the initiative proposed by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and South Africa to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic, to promote their protection, conservation, scientific research and non-lethal use in sustainable activities.

After hearing the comments of the delegates from Japan, India, St. Kitts and Nevis, Colombia, Antigua and Barbuda, Norway, Ecuador, Australia, Chile, Iceland, Mexico, Cyprus and Switzerland failed to reach consensus and the proposal was submitted vote

Simon Brockington, executive secretary of the IWC, explained the voting procedure and it would take a majority of 45 votes from 89 delegates to approve or reject the creation of the sanctuary, which was strongly promoted by Latin American countries.

Thirty-eight countries, including the proponents, as well as Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, United States, several European countries, India and Israel, voted for the South Atlantic sanctuary.

But 21 countries, including Japan, Russia, Norway, Laos, Mongolia, Cambodia, China, Korea, Iceland, Ghana, and the Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, voted against. Meanwhile, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Morocco abstained. ARGUMENTS

Depending on the countries that oppose the creation of this sanctuary, "there is no scientific justification" for its establishment; "is not necessary because in this area has no commercial whaling" and his creation "would create a precedent" with implications for transport, fisheries and harnessing the resources of coastal nations.

In contrast, those who defend it claim that it has been shown how commercial whaling has decimated whale populations and that "a whale is worth more alive than dead."

Vanesa Tossenberger, representative of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society for Latin America, previously had said they were optimistic and that the shrines and would enhance the whales, help to carry out research to support all kinds of sustainable management, without this resource will be decimated.

Following the outcome of the vote, the delegate of Brazil said that "is not the end but the beginning of a new process" and thanked the countries that supported the proposal of the sanctuary.