- Barrouallie Whalers End the Hunt of Orcas
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund (SVGEF) has been advocating for a gradual transition to whale watching over the past decade, working with the whaling community of Barrouallie to establish alternative employment.
In December 2024, the Chief Whaler of Barrouallie expressed their humility regarding the decision to cease the hunting of Orcas, also known as Killer Whales, in response to increasing concerns over the past decade.
They submitted a proposal to the SVGEF for funding two Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) to enhance tuna capture, contingent upon the termination of the killer whale hunt.
On January 16, 2025, an agreement was executed between the four whalers, Barrouallie and Louise Mitchell, representing the SVGEF, to terminate the killer whale hunt in return for investment in two FADs.
The FADs will be constructed in Barrouallie with assistance from the Blue Marine Foundation and will be situated off the leeward coast of St. Vincent. The whaling businesses have adhered to the agreement, and orcas have traversed the waters of St. Vincent and the Grenadines without impediment.
The SVGEF has engaged in numerous programs to introduce whalers and individuals from whaling villages to the profitable industry of whale watching globally.
Investments were allocated for transporting individuals from whaling towns to observe whale and dolphin watching in Boston, USA, Patagonia, Argentina, and Australia.
The SVGEF has received support from Carolina Cassani of Fundacion Cethus, an Argentine NGO, which has provided training sessions on sustainable whale watching and the necessity of conducting it in a regulated manner that does not affect whale habitats and socialization patterns.
