Whales in Dominica, Photo by Steve McCabeOur Prime Minister today announced that Dominica will not be voting with the Japanese at the upcoming International Whaling Commission annual vote on the resumption of commercial whaling.

Dominica will abstain at the vote, and this is a great step in supporting our eco-tourism image in general and a huge boost to the whale-watching industry here!

Indeed, the PM’s statement is worth repeating, since it’s a firm commitment to eco-tourism in general:

“In common with most of our Caribbean neighbors, Dominica remains strongly in favor of the sustainable use of marine resources,” said Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica. “Our stringent environmental practices and philosophies have earned us the label, ‘The Nature Island’ and, upon careful review and deliberation of the issue, it has been determined that voting for an overturn of the existing worldwide ban on commercial whaling would be inconsistent with the standards and principles of sustainability that we so fervently advocate.”