Spanish Oddities
A sanctuary for whales and dolphins in the Canary Islands
By m.p - Mar 21, 2007 - 10:14 PM
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The government of the Canary Islands has announced a proposal for the Macaronesia – the region of volcanic islands which includes the Canaries, the Azores, Madeira, las Salvajes and Cape Verde – be declared a sanctuary for cetaceans. They’re the order of mammals to which dolphins and whales both belong.
The proposal will be presented at the International Conference for the Protection of Dolphins which takes place in Tenerife this November. It’s being held to mark celebrations for the International Year of Dolphins, with representatives attending from Spain, Portugal and African countries.
Juan Carlos Moreno, environment chief for the Canaries government, says the project would be based on environmental education and research.