The Ngai Tahu tribe owns the Kaikoura whale watching operation on the east coast of New Zealands' South Island. The opportunities for whale watching in our country in our region are tremendous. Pombo's group backed Japan's whaling plans. They urged the International Whaling commission members not only to reject the proposal for a whale sanctuary in the South Pacific but also to consider revoking the Southern Ocean Sanctuary created in 1994. The conference also attracted the support of the Florida based International Wildlife Management Consortium.
All wildlife management involves some form of lethal research, and that includes whales.
Lee rejects the need for lethal research and the notion that indigenous people should argue for access to whales but oppose the creation of sanctuaries in Antarctica and the South Pacific to protect them. For my own people, at least, we must balance our customary use of the material from stranded whales against our other relationship with them. All Rights Reserved. Inc. All Rights Reserved.