COOK ISLANDS WHALE
SANCTUARY
The Cook Islands Government today announced that it has established a
whale sanctuary throughout its Exclusive Economic Zone. The sanctuary
covers some two million square kilometres of the central South Pacific
Ocean, and is believed to be the largest whale sanctuary yet declared
by an individual government in waters under its jurisdiction. Deputy Prime
Minister of the Cook Islands, Robert Woonton, said that the declaration
of the sanctuary was a reflection of the high esteem in which whales are
held by many Polynesian peoples. "We have lived peacefully alongside
whales for many centuries," Mr Woonton said. "But the devastation
wrought by the commercial whaling fleets of the last century has left
us with only a few animals now returning to their traditional South Pacific
breeding grounds each winter. For the past two years, Pacific Island nations
have appealed to the International Whaling Commission to establish a whale
sanctuary for our region, to secure the future for these leviathans,
but we have been thwarted by the opposition of the whaling countries and
their supporters. If the nations of the South Pacific wish to protect
the breeding grounds which are so critical to the recovery of our depleted
whale populations, then clearly we shall have to take matters into our
own hands. We owe it to the Earth to support their survival." "In
establishing the Cook Islands Whale Sanctuary, we hope to encourage our
friends and neighbours in the South Pacific to take similar actions. Together
we can
send a message to the whalers that their exploitation of our whales is
now a thing of the past, and that the future lies in conservation. The
Cook Islands may be a small country, but on this issue we believe that
we are sowing a seed that many others will appreciate. We look forward
to welcoming visitors from around the world who share our great conviction
in assisting in the recovery of one of the wonders of the natural world."
* Nan Hauser *
* Cook Islands Whale Research *
* P.O. Box 3069 *
* Takuvaine *
* Avarua, Rarotonga *
* Cook Islands, South Pacific *
* *
* Home #011-682-26-242 *
* Cell phone #011-682-55-666 *
* nan@whaleresearch.org *
*****
Thanks to Nina Morris for forwarding this message.
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