South Pacific States Commit To Whale, Dolphin Conservation Agreement
Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer Wellington, New Zealand (AHN) - South Pacific nations have concurred to sign a memorandum to protect whale and dolphin species. The agreement, penned by the international Convention on Migratory Species, will be finalized at the ministerial meeting of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program. A group of 11 South Pacific nations will adopt the regional agreement. South Pacific states likely to be included are Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. Minister spokesman Nick Maling, declined to announce the states expected to sign. The agreement calls for a series of campaigns to protect and conserve whales and dolphins that includes threat reduction measures and habitat protection. "It doesn't stop Japanese whaling, but ... it enhances the protection particularly of dolphin species, which aren't so migratory," New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter told National Radio. "Until now the primary international forum for discussing whale conservation has been the International Whaling Commission, which is widely regarded in the Pacific as outdated, deadlocked and expensive for poorer countries to join and attend," he said in a statement. The Convention on Migratory Species memorandum, "provides a new, more attractive and affordable alternative to the IWC for Pacific countries interested (in) pursuing whale con |
