Government, Parliament and non-governmental organizations in Chile rejected Japan's announcement of renewed hunting of more than 1,000 whales, for supposedly scientific purposes, in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, near the costs of Australia and New Zealand. In addition, Environment Minister Ana Lya Uriarte announced that the degree of conservation of the six whale and dolphin species of the Chilean coastal waters shall be determined, and an action plan will be drafted next year to protect the cetaceans.

“All of the signs have been positive, with sights on the next meeting of the International Whaling Commission to be held in June 2008 in Chile,” Elsa Cabrera, of the non-governmental Center for Cetacean Conservation, told Tierramérica.

But Chile must take other steps, such as creating a sanctuary in its own jurisdictional waters before the ICB meeting, she said.