The Southern Ocean Research Partnership (SORP)of  non-lethal scientific research of cetaceans  in the Southern Hemisphere is launched

Between 23rd and 26th March, 2009, the Australian government organized the first workshop on non-lethal research of cetaceans in the Southern seas, at the National Maritime Museum of Australia. The aim was to coordinate research activities on cetaceans in this region. Participants from 13 countries worked together to identify priorities for research through non-lethal techniques. Latin American representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uruguay attended the workshop. The discussion was focused on big cetaceans. For the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Right whale (Eubalaena australis) and Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) were the especies centre of the conversations.  The intention is to develop cooperative proposals between researchers from different countries. Miguel Iñiguez, Fundación Cethus’ president, attended as Alternate Commissioner of Argentina to the IWC and he was invited by the Australians to give a few words at the start of the event.

In his opening speech the Australia’s Minister of Environment, Mr. Peter Garrett (former vocalist of the legendary Australian band Midnight Oil), who chaired the opening ceremony of the event, stressed “the need to maintain the moratorium until the recovery of whale populations" and emphasized the importance of taking forward cooperatives proposals. Later, Miguel Iñíguez in his brief presentation, stressed the importance of the Australian proposal, and also mentioned the main objectives of the Latin American Cooperation Strategy for the Conservation of Cetaceans created in 2007.

In Fundación Cethus, we believe that cetaceans will benefit greatly from the joint scientific projects (regional or hemispheric) that will arise from this workshop, which will most likely complement the non-lethal studies currently carried out throughout the Southern Hemisphere.