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    December 7, 2007

    Latin American block dicussing the IWC - will there be a South Atlantic whale sanctuary?

    Posted by Leandra onboard the Esperanza

    Buenos Aires
    Commissioners received a petition
    from the whales er... "hands".
    ©Greenpeace
    On Tuesday and Wednesday a Latin American meeting on a whales conservation strategy took place. Called by the Argentinean government and led by Brazil and Argentina, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) commissioners of the Latin American countries sat together for an IWC strategy meeting.

    Highest on their list of priorities was the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary that will be proposed (again) at the next IWC and hopefully will get the required 3/4 majority. Brazil, together with Argentina and South Africa, has put this proposal on the table every year since 1999. Except for 2006 - when the Japanese whalers got the majority and the St Kitts and Nevis Declarations were approved. The document declared a commitment to "normalize" the functions of the IWC.

    We have so far not been able to reach our goal since the whaling puppets vote together with Japan.

    Attending the meeting were the Commissioners of Argentina, Brazil, Chile (Alternate), Panama, Peru, and Mexico; representatives of IWC member governments Costa Rica, Equador, Nicaragua (the Ambassador in Buenos Aires) and Uruguay; and non-member government reps for Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador (the Ambassador in Buenos Aires), Honduras and Venezuela.

    The Commissioner for Guatemala had confirmed her participation but at the last minute sent a note saying she was sick. Maybe a Japanese fever? A little bird told me this might be the case!

    Greenpeace did a simple demonstration in front of Argentina Foreign Affairs Ministry. Commissioners from Brazil, Panama and Costa Rica came down to receive a petition from the whales "hands".

    We demand a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, a rejection of the Japanese government's whaling using IWC and CITES, we want to encourage the proactive work done by the Latin American block (which includes all countries in the IWC but Surinam), and demand a modernization of the IWC.

    I am here on the Espy, but I wish my friends in Latin America good luck with our whaling free continent, and keep our pro-active leadership going - all the best to you!

    - Leandra

    (In the picture you see the Brazilian, Panamanian and Costa Rican commissioners from the IWC.)

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