Palau Declares South Pacific Sanctuary for Whales & Dolphins

The South Pacific island nation of Palau has declared all the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone to be a marine mammal sanctuary for the protection of whales, dolphins and dugongs.

Palau's minister of the environment, natural resources and tourism announced the new 600,000 square kilometer sanctuary at a news conference Saturday during Oceans Day at the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Nagoya, Japan.

"Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture," he said. "Our traditional identity, values, legends and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words."

A close group of islands, Palau has at least 11 species of cetaceans in its waters, including a breeding population of sperm whales and as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins. Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world, said Fritz.

Much of Palau's economy comes from tourism and the country hosts Dolphins Pacific, the world's largest dolphin research facility and the Palau International Coral Reef Center, a modern aquarium and research facility specializing in tropical coral reefs. The region's spectacular underwater biodiversity includes over 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of coral and anemone.

Establishment of the sanctuary is intended to prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals.