Posted by Irene onboard the Esperanza

Last Monday four senators together with representatives from the Cetacean Conservation Center (CCC) delivered a letter to the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, asking her to issue a decree establishing the nation's sea territory and exclusive economic zone a whale sanctuary.

Elsa Cabrera, Director of the Cetacean Conservation Center:

"Chile has the responsibility to send a strong political signal to the international community regarding its commitment to the conservation and non-lethal use of these marine mammals by calling Chile's waters a whale sanctuary."

Cabrera continues:

"A rejection of this initiative would be worrisome, as it may indicate a weakening of conservation policy and of the movement for the non-lethal use of cetaceans, which our country is promoting on an international level."

Read the article: Senators and environmentalists propose Chile whale sanctuary

More than 90 conservation and tourism groups have supported the initiative, both in Chile and overseas. The petition was proposed in October by several Chilean organisations and 15 more Latin American NGOs.

Dear President Bachelet,
Your country hosts the 60th IWC-meeting in Santiago in June next year - wouldn't it be nice to show your commitment to whale conservation?