Ecobreves – NORTH AMERICA: Protection for Three Marine Species

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Mar 27 2004 (IPS) - Canada, Mexico and the United States will seek a common strategy to protect the humpbacked whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), the pink-footed shearwater (Puffinus creatopus) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) as part of an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of migratory species. Representatives from government and from environmental groups gathered last week in the U.S. city of San Francisco and chose these three endangered species as the first beneficiaries of the North American Conservation Action Plan, organized by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, a watchdog agency of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).

The humpbacked whale, which can grow 15 meters long and weigh 40 tons, the leatherback turtle, averaging two meters long and 500 kilos, and the pink-footed shearwater are threatened by a variety of human activities, such as unsustainable fishing practices that harm these species' marine environment and exhaust their food supplies