WELLINGTON — The South Pacific territory of Tokelau Wednesday declared a whale sanctuary in its waters, bringing to 11 the number of national and territorial sanctuaries in the region.
The political head or ulu of the New Zealand territory, Foua Toloa, announced the new sanctuary in Auckland at a meeting of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium.
The sanctuary will cover 290,000 square kilometres (112,000 square miles) of ocean around the three atolls of Tokelau, which lie roughly midway between New Zealand and Hawaii.
"Tokelau's decision to declare its exclusive economic zone a sanctuary for whales is based on our firm belief that we share a common responsibility in the Pacific for the protection of these species," Toloa said.
"Whales don't recognize national boundaries and Tokelau would be remiss if we failed to support our Pacific island neighbours in the quest to help recovery of the whales in our region."
Although a global moratorium on commercial whaling was introduced in 1986, more than 30,000 have since been killed by Japan, Norway and Iceland, which have exploited loopholes in the rules set by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The establishment of the Tokelau sanctuary will have no immediate impact on whaling, but conservationists say it strengthens the anti-whaling cause.
Whale sanctuaries, including the one set up in the Southern Ocean in 1994 which covers 50 million square kilometres of ocean surrounding Antarctica, may become more important due to growing strains on the moratorium.
Members of the IWC are discussing a proposal to end a stand-off between anti-whaling countries and the three hunt nations by allowing restricted commercial whaling.
Karen Sack, director of international ocean conservation for the US-based Pew Environment Group, welcomed the new Tokelau sanctuary.
"There is a stark contrast between the growing number of countries declaring their commitment to whale conservation by establishing sanctuaries, and the negotiations on the future of the IWC," Sack said.
"This international organisation should reinforce its own whale safe havens on the high seas, particularly in the Southern Ocean, to complement and enhance country protections."
The South Pacific Whale Research Consortium meets annually and was formed by independent scientists to investigate the status of humpback and other whale species in the South Pacific region.
Tokelau declares whale sanctuary in South Pacific
BBC 15 Apr 10;
The tiny New Zealand territory of Tokelau has declared a whaling sanctuary in its waters.
The new 290,000 sq km (112,000 sq mile) sanctuary brings the number in the South Pacific region to 11.
Tokelau's leader, Foua Toloa, said South Pacific countries had a "common responsibility" to protect its whales.
The sanctuary will have no immediate impact on whaling, but conservationists say it will strengthen the 1986 worldwide moratorium on whale hunting.
"Tokelau's decision to declare its exclusive economic zone a sanctuary for whales is based on our firm belief that we share a common responsibility in the Pacific for the protection of these species," Mr Toloa told a meeting of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium in New Zealand.
"Whales don't recognise national boundaries and Tokelau would be remiss if we failed to support our Pacific island neighbours in the quest to help recovery of the whales in our region."
Scott Baker, a US member of the consortium, said the establishment of the sanctuary sent "a very strong messages to the global community and particularly to the whaling nations that they are in a minority".
Commercial whaling has been frozen by an international moratorium since 1986, but some 3,000 whales are killed every year by Norway, Japan and Iceland under loopholes in the legislation.
Japan kills several hundred whales each year for what is termed scientific research. Most of its hunting takes place in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary in the Antarctic.
Tokelau's territory is just 12 sq km (4.7 sq miles) and lies halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.
It has a population of 1,500 and has been administered from Wellington since 1926.