It pays to keep whales alive

OPINION: The importance of saving the whale is appreciated in this region. That's clearly demonstrated in Kaikoura where whale watching is not only a significant tourism business but promotes an understanding of the need for conservation of the whale.

For more than 20 years Whale Watch Kaikoura has been taking visitors out on boats to view the region's sea giants.

The company has over the years garnered several tourism and environmental awards for its efforts.

This week it received more recognition- this time in the form of a major international award. The whale-watching company won the supreme prize at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards after taking top honours in the "best in a marine environment" category.

Whale Watch Kaikoura chief operating officer Kauahi Ngapora says winning the award has given the business global recognition with several international media companies chasing him. He says the win further endorses Whale Watch Kaikoura's commitment to responsible and sustainable tourism and to the five Cs which underpin "our business decision-making – conservation, community, culture, customer and company".

Winning the award is a good opportunity to showcase our country to the world. It also highlights another important point. It shows that money can be made from whales without chasing them around the oceans and slaughtering them.

In Kaikoura, using living whales has created plenty of employment and other opportunities for the residents as well as attracting outsiders for jobs and bringing in tourists to experience the unique offering. Whale Watch Kaikoura makes the most of a naturally occurring off-shore canyon where whales come to feed and breed by taking people out to view them and giving the spectators a chance to learn about the unique lifestyle of whales.

The company takes more than 100,000 people a year on its whale watching trips.

New Zealand is committed to the conservation of whales for their bio-diversity and their economic value, unlike various other countries which still hunt the mammals; some under the guise of scientific research.

The International Whaling Commission outlawed commercial hunting of the world's biggest mammals in 1986, by which time seven of the 13 great whale species were on the endangered list. Norway has continually defied the ban and whaled commercially since 1993 while Japan uses a loophole permitting "scientific" catches.

It is unlikely these countries will stop their mass slaughter of whales anytime soon, but hopefully Kaikoura Whale Watch's award will bring these creatures, and the benefits of keeping them alive to the forefront.

The challenge now is to get the message across to the whaling fraternity that they too can reap better economic rewards by saving instead of slaughtering the whales.

Newest First

Oldest First