- Orca Caught in Barrouallie, SVG
An Orca, or ‘killer whale,’ was caught in the Central Leeward town of Barrouallie, St. Vincent, on Saturday. Barrouallie, a western town on the island, is known for its whaling and fishing activities.
In the Southern Caribbean Islands, the hunting and killing of orcas has become a controversial topic.
On April 3, 2017, tourists aboard a Thomson cruise ship while whale watching off the coast of St. Vincent and the Grenadines spotted a small pod of orcas. And while people scrambled for their cameras, fishermen in speedboats reached for harpoons, killing two of the large dolphins in front of the horrified guests.
Despite the incomprehensible targeting of orcas for slaughter, whaling remains legal in St. Vincent, with an annual quota of four whales during the four-month season from February to May. However, an international ban enacted in 2015, which the country agreed to sign, states that killing bottlenose dolphins and orcas is prohibited. As such, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says legislation will be passed outlawing the killing of orcas. To date, no law has been passed.
The Dolphin Project has long advocated replacing whale hunting with whale watching.
