CASTRIES, St. Lucia (20 Apr 2007) -- In 2006, tourism declined by more than 7 percent in St. Lucia, a tiny Caribbean island nation that has been targeted by an international tourism boycott. The boycott aims to persuade government officials to reverse the country's eco-unfriendly pro-whaling policy, which results in the endorsement of Japan's illegal "scientific" whaling in the Antarctic marine sanctuary, votes to block marine sanctuaries with 11 other small Caribbean and Pacific island nations that receive "aid" from Japan and supports the resumption of commercial whaling. Japan's small but politically powerful fishing industry kills about 1,000 whales and more than 20,000 dolphins annually. Conservation groups have found evidence that whales and dolphins are also being killed in the Caribbean. Ironically, the government spends millions on advertising designed to sell St. Lucia as an eco-friendly holiday destination where tourists can relax in a care-free 'paradise' and enjoy whale watching, dolphin encounters and scuba diving and snorkeling on fully protected pristine coral reefs. Conservationist murdered On September 17, 2003, 53-year-old conservationist Jane Tipson was gunned down in a contract style killing in front of her house near Castries. Tipson was a renowned and respected animal rights activist who campaigned against whaling and the commercial exploitation of dolphins and other marine wildlife for tourist amusement parks. Tipson's murderer has never been found and police are no longer actively investigating the case. Conservationist Jane Tipson was brutally gunned down in a contract style killing in front of her St. Lucia home. | | Japan's small but politically powerful fishing industry kills about 1,000 whales and more than 20,000 dolphins annually. Prime Minister John Compton denies that the government's support for whale and dolphin killing is the cause of the sharp decline in tourist arrivals. Instead, Compton blames the decline on inadequate marketing and rising crime on the island, and has proposed spending $18.7 million to promote local attractions and establish duty-free shopping in Castries. Cyber Diver Society (CDS) President Evan T. Allard, the architect of the international boycott, said that support of commercial whaling has turned it into a box-office bomb among North American and European travelers. "The bottom line is that most tourists comparing holiday destinations in the Caribbean do not eat whale meat, reject 'sustainable whaling' mumbo jumbo and wisely avoid countries involved in the dirty and bloody business of killing whales and dolphins," Allard said. "St. Lucia can spend millions on slick ads but until it reverses it's pro-whaling policy, it will remain the defiant tourist-unfriendly outcast, the brutal and barbaric contract killer gunning down internationally respected conservationists and firing exploding harpoons into the backs of young whale mothers and their baby calves." © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKCDNN ACT NOWBOYCOTT ST. LUCIA - Act now and make a differenceSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
