Belgium joined, on Monday, Southern Ocean Research Partnership of the International Whaling Commission, thus strengthening its opposition to whale hunting. The announcement was made by the Public Health SPF, Food Chain and Environmental Security. With 11 other countries, Belgium will undertake research on whales without killing them, thus countering the position of Japan, a country that continues to kill whales with the pretext of scientific research, stated the federal administration.
Belgium’s support for this partnership will be in the form of scientific research dedicated to the conservation and protection of these mammals. “In this way, Belgium wishes to give a strong signal in favour of the protection of cetaceans and ocean ecosystems,” stated the federal public service.
Several programmes related to whales are already underway in Belgium. They are led by the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium and by university researchers.
The International Whaling Commission, which deals in the protection of cetaceans and in managing whale hunting, is celebrating this year its 70th anniversary, and the 30th anniversary of the moratorium on commercial whale hunting. Belgium has been a member of this organization since 2004.
(Source: Belga)
