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Guatemala May Sway Whale Vote
Although Guatemala is not a whaling country, its
vote may be decisive for the future of these
mammals, explained representatives of national
and international ecologic organizations.
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) will
meet in Anchorage Alaska from May 28 to 31 to
decide whether to approve or not the hunting of
these cetaceans, informed Estuardo Mendoza of
the Colectivo Madre Selva (Mother Jungle
Collective Association).
The IWC is split equally in two blocs; one is
headed by Japan and promotes hunting whales,
while the other that calls for maintaining
restrictions imposed for 20 years, Mendoza
pointed out.
Guatemala is the only Latin American country
that has still not made its decision known and
will publicly announce it before the Anchorage
meeting, said Milko Schvartzman of Greenpeace.
Viviana Monge of the World Society for the
Protection of Animals explained that while only
three countries hunt whales for their commerce
about 90 take advantage of these mammals for
sighting tourism.
"It is much more pleasurable to watch a whale
for 70 years than to kill it in only one day,"
Monge added.
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