During March last year (2007) the international community that struggles to safeguard the place of cetaceans on this planet was alarmed by the possibility of Sao Tome and Principe join Japan in their loop-hole inside the International Whaling Commission (IWC). News of this kept coming and so Global Ocean (an UK based Charity) decided to send me there last November and do a first on-site recognition of the problem.
After planning the political and social strategie it was decided that the work would have 3 focused areas of action:
1) Government
2) The Tourism Sector
3) Press
The first aim was to show the government that there are more reasons not to support whaling than the opposite, the other was to alert the damages and impact the involvement of Sao Tome and Principe on the whaling issue could have on the touristic sector (on expansion in the islands). Ultimately warn the public through the press the image their government is giving to the world and how bad that is for the country.
The foremost Goal? Prevent Sao Tome and Principe of joining the IWC.
Read my interview to the main newspaper of Sao Tome (Portuguese)