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Foto: Monika Laubach ML/Copyright
Letter to all Governments and Institutions:
Dear Ladies, Dear Sirs,
Esteemed Government,
We should like to acquaint you with details of Project IMPACABA, initiated by Andreas Morlok, General Manager of the German Dolphin and Whale Protection Organisation ProWal (http://www.walschutzaktionen.de ) and should be grateful if you would answer the two questions given at the end of this letter.
IMPACABA is an abbreviation and stands for:
- International Marine Protected Area for Cetaceans and Biodiversity Atlantic
This project is a contribution to one of the last possible chances to protect from extinction most of the still existing species of dolphins and whales, and to preserve
the diversity of species of the marine ecosystem of the Atlantic.
If the project should fail or cannot be realised in time, and we are unable to protect
dolphins and whales adequately, it must be feared that the diversity of species cannot be maintained and the impending collapse of the Atlantic ecosystem cannot be prevented. Billions of Euros cannot make good the damage! A ruined Atlantic ecosystem would also threaten the basis of existence for millions of people, among them that of your own countrymen! As you undoubtedly know, matters have come to a paralysing stop at many levels and at international conventions. Hardly any progress is made!
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) does not seem to be able to establish a whale protection area. For years there have been endeavours to establish local protection zones in the Atlantic, but the Commission could not obtain majority votes in favour of such a project. In addition such urgently needed protection areas, for instance in the South Atlantic, are blocked, among others, by Denmark.
Local protection zones, aimed at a certain danger potential, are very good contributions but are nowhere near sufficient. The whole Atlantic ocean, including the Caribbean and the North Sea, will have to become a protection area for these marine mammals and biodiversity on the whole. Up to now there is not one protection zone on the high seas! Less than 1% of the ocean expanse is protected at the moment! Preservation of the diversity of species must be given a higher priority than economic interests.
During the discussions Andreas Morlok (General Manager of ProWal) had with CITES in Geneva and UNEP in New York in January 2007 his requests for such a protection zone were frequently met with only a helpless shrug. He encountered paralysing powerlessness not only there but also in many other international institutions.
Dear Representatives of your country,
Nobody should accept that man is unable to protect dolphins and whales from complete extinction, and that it is still tolerated that 150 species of animals and plants die out daily! That is our reason for initiating this project. We shall do everything to
make this project a reality, even if only in parts.
Let us assume that Project IMPACABA never will and never can become an international legally binding arrangement. That is not our aim. You can file an objection against laws, but nobody can sanction or keep a watch on them because in many places there is a lack of willingness to supply the necessary funds for such a purpose. In any case the mills of bureaucracy would grind far too slowly, since the lobbyists (Fishing industry, Whaling, Scientists, the Armed Forces. etc.) have their own spheres of interest. Far too much time would be lost. Time which is no longer at our disposal!
We rely on the enlightenment, commitment and self control of the countries with Atlantic coastlines, small and large state alliances, to support existing regulations
and on the willingness of large parts of the population to support this project at many levels. Already existing MPAs (Marine Protected Areas) have to be included and
extended, if possible.
We hope that this project will be an example for other oceans and will be taken up,
for instance, in the Pacific.
In order to draw the media’s attention to this project worldwide, Andreas Morlok will row across the Atlantic in the winter of 2011/2012.
We shall contact all governments of countries with coastlines on the Atlantic
and all relevant institutions (among them UNO, UNEP, CITES, IWC, FAO, IUCN, NAMMCO) and will ask them to support Project IMPACABA.
The following are our most important demands for this project:
- Establishing an international whale and dolphin protection area in the Atlantic
- Ending commercial and scientific whaling in Iceland and Norway.
- Ending the shooting and killing of dolphins and pilot whales
in the Faroe Islands which belong to the Kingdom of Denmark.
- Introduction of a moratorium and protection for all marine mammals
(including dolphins and small whales)
- A trading ban - without exception - on wild-caught cetaceans, among others for the dolphinarium industry. Strict ban on importing Cetaceans into the EU.
- Establishing a trading ban without exception on all whale products – national and international, e.g. whale meat in Iceland , Norway, Denmark (Faroe Islands/Greenland) or jewellery made of whale bones and teeth in the Azores.
- Abolition of the breeding programme of endangered species EEP
for dolphins (every 2nd dolphin in European dolphinariums is wild-caught!)
- Removal/Banning/Withdrawal of Operating Licences of all dolphinariums
- Banning all national and international trading of whales and dolphins
- Establishing and Supervising national protection areas for marine mammals
- Installing more purification plants e.g. on rivers which flow into the sea
- Banning - and taking drastic measures to stop - the dumping of refuse and the
discharge of environmentally damaging materials such as oil, fuels, propellants, heavy metals and fertilisers into rivers and oceans.
Establishing legally binding and environmentally friendly regulations
(such as the use of antibiotics) in aqua-cultures (fish farming)
Banning environmentally damaging ship lacquers and varnishes
Banning the use of dangerous shipping transport (such as oil tankers, and
tankers carrying chemicals) in ecologically sensitive waters.
Installing refuse containers in every port, so that the enormous and dangerous plastic waste and old fishing nets can be disposed of on land.
Avoidance of noise pollution in the oceans. Banning sonar guns (mainly used
in the petroleum industry) introducing international cetacean-friendly regulations for the use of sonar systems in the oceans (mostly used by the armed forces)
Introduction of whale marker buoys in shipping lanes with heavy traffic in order to avoid collisions. There are, for instance, only 400 North Atlantic Right whales left, and collisions with shipping are the most frequent causes of death.
Introduction of controls concerning the increase in shipping traffic
Alternative regulations concerning controlled explosions (e.g. disposal of munitions)
Climate change has already had a catastrophic effect on marine mammals (among others the destruction and displacement of food sources, skin cancer in whale species with low pigmentation as a result of the hole in the ozone layer) For this reason too the burning of fossil fuels has to be drastically reduced everywhere.
Banning artificial fertilising of the ocean in order to bind the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in water.
More long-term programmes are needed and the immediate introduction of measures so that over-fishing of the oceans will not turn into a complete disaster. Four species of fish become extinct every week! 75% of commercially used species of fish are already considered over-fished. Promotion of alternative and selective fishing techniques. Banning the use of nets (such as driftnets, gillnets, purse seine netting and long lines) which destroy reefs, ocean beds and all life. Banning also deep sea net fishing. One catch destroys whole eco systems, thus reducing food sources for marine mammals.
Abolition of EU fishing subsidies
Lost nets (ghost nets) have to be recovered as their material does not decompose in the next 100 years! Marking with electronic navigation equipment should become standard. Two thirds of humpback whales in the Atlantic have already been affected by this danger. Whales and many other species get tangled up in snares and parts of nets. Death through
suffocation and starvation is the result. Every country should therefore have a rescue team with specialists in readiness, so that they can free marine mammals from these deadly nets. A few beginnings have already been made.
More efficient regulations, controls and sanctions, so that at last the immensely high by-catch can be reduced or eliminated altogether.
Thousands of whales and dolphins suffocate in the nets every year!
Even if our demands can be met only in parts and only in some areas,
they still give us further opportunities to save the endangered dolphin and
whale species from total extinction, and form a basis for the preservation of biodiversity. Great efforts are now needed.
Should Andreas Morlok be lucky enough to successfully complete the almost 4727 km long Atlantic crossing in a rowing boat, he will have meetings with representatives of several Caribbean states (such as Cuba and Mexico) in order to protest against the hunting and selling of dolphins for dolphinariums in Europe and Germany. If the 200 delphinariums which exist worldwide do not get any more wild dolphins, all present day installations will be forced to close down.
Andreas Morlok will also intervene with the governments of the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent – Grenada against still continued and completely unnecessary whaling.
Dear Representatives of your country;
We rely on the support of all States with Atlantic coastlines for our project.
You now have the opportunity – and perhaps also the moral duty – to take
part in this worldwide unique project.
1) Would you and your country be in a position and prepared to
participate in this international IMPACABA project?
2) Are there in existence in your country laws, concrete measures or attempts that already go towards meeting some or part of our demands?
We should be most grateful if you could give this letter and Project IMPACABA your consideration and priority and will also accept the responsibility for future generations.
We should be particularly pleased if you could pass this letter on to the relevant authorities in your country and ask them to co-operate with us in order to help with our appeal and how to put it into practice.
Let us all work together towards achieving our goals.
Finally we would like to point out that Project IMPACABA is planned to be in operation over many years and will be covered by constant worldwide reporting in the media. The image of each country and its responsible dealings with natural resources and their necessary protection does not concern just the government of your country, but also in particular the future of your country’s population and of the population of all States with Atlantic coastlines.
Yours sincerely
Andreas Morlok
General Manager ProWal
................................................................................................
Projekt Walschutzaktionen (ProWal)
Gemeinnützige Meeressäuger-Umweltschutzgesellschaft
gUG (haftungsbeschränkt) –
St-Nr.: 18158/02431
Amtsgericht Freiburg HR B 704171
Gesellschafter-Geschäftsführer: Andreas Morlok
Haydnstrasse 1
D-78315 Radolfzell
Tel: 0049 (0)7732 14324
Mobil: 0173 43585 96
E-Mail: ProWal-Deutschland@t-online.de
Internet: www.walschutzaktionen.de
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