Latin American nations advocate for whale conservation at International Whaling Commission

Colombia and nine other Latin American nations—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Uruguay—have formed a joint position to promote whale conservation. Participating in the 70th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Hobart, Australia, the group advocated for non-lethal scientific research and sustainable tourism through responsible whale watching as alternatives for coastal communities.

The coalition also reaffirmed support for the commercial whaling moratorium. A significant outcome of the meeting was the consensus adoption of the Hobart Declaration, the first collective statement in the history of the IWC regarding its legacy and future vision.

Separately, environmental concerns were raised regarding the industrial fishing of krill in Antarctic waters. During a meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the organization Sea Shepherd warned that expanding krill exploitation threatens the food supply of whales. Research conducted by Sea Shepherd near the South Orkney Islands identified significant populations of humpback and fin whales in areas where industrial krill harvesting occurs, highlighting a potential ecological imbalance.