Panama to defend whales

Photo: AP

Humpback whales annually migrate from Alaska to tropical waters of Panama

The country will promote whale watching tours for tourists

STAFF

PANAMA. Panama will ratify its position in defense of the preservation of whales at the 61st meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to be held in Madeira, Portugal from June 19 – 27, according to a government official.

Panama voted in 2005 in favor of the moratorium on whaling, after several years of aligning with Japan in refusing it.

"The delegation will present a report which will support the decisions taken by the IWC, about the protection and conservation of whales and the non-lethal use of cetaceans," said Panama’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, James Aparicio.

Similarly, Panama will promote the establishment of new sanctuaries in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the continued recognition of existing sanctuaries, he added.

The official said that the Panamanian delegation will present a map on whale watching in Panama which highlights the areas in the country frequented by these marine mammals.

The Panama government cares deeply about whale watching activities “as it is an activity that, carried out in a sustainable and responsible fashion, can provide opportunities for socio-economic development in coastal communities," said Aparicio.

Humpback whales annually migrate between their feeding and breeding homes from as far away as the ice-capped shores of Alaska to the tropical waters of Panama and South America.

They are known to breed in the warm, clear waters near Coiba Island Marine Park, about 12 miles off the Pacific shores of Panama's west coast.

These enormous humpback whales can reach a mature size of about 50 to 55 feet for females and 45 to 50 feet for males.

At full size they can be 10 to 12 feet wide and they normally weigh 40 to 50 tons each, sometimes more.

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