SHIMONOSEKI — Palau has gone against Pacific regional wishes and its own environment protection schemes by not voting for the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan, Greenpeace said in a media release.
The South Pacific Whale Sanctuary was voted down by 24 to 16 votes against, with the Solomon Islands and four others abstaining.
“Palau is a regional leader in terms of other measures of marine protection and claims to be the number one underwater diving attraction in the world. To vote against the sanctuary is clear hypocrisy,” says Greenpeace campaigner Pio Manoa.
“Palau’s vote contradicts its good work saving dugongs and its commitment to the Pacific Islands Forum. Palau is flying in the face of the Forum’s agreement to progress the objectives of the sanctuary through national, regional and international action,” Manoa said.
Palau President Tommy Remengesau represented Palau at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru last year. Palau IWC Commissioner Kuniwo Nakamura told the meeting that Palau did not support the sanctuary proposal at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting last year, even though all Forum resolutions are passed by consensus.
“While Palau is not even in the area covered by the sanctuary it has trampled over the wishes of its Pacific island neighbors,” Manoa said.
Other Pacific island countries, frustrated at the politics and vote buying in the International Whaling Commission, have moved to create national sanctuaries, Greenpeace said. Most recently, Niue announced it was establishing a sanctuary within its water. Environment Minister Toke Talagi said “Niue has a desire to have a whale sanctuary because it can also see benefits to its tourism industry.”
