After 10 years plus, the whalers of Barrouallie have decided to stop the hunt of orcas, an issue Marine Connection has been addressing for some years. We are therefore delighted that these marine mammals will now be able to pass through the waters of St. Vincent and the Grenadines safely. In return for this decision, the whalers requested the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund (SVGEF) provide funding for two *Fish Aggregating Devices, which would help them facilitate catching tuna. Some of the whaling communities have also been introduced to numerous whale-watching programmes around the islands, which will help create alternative livelihoods, rather than making money from killing orcas. In 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 – fishermen in speedboats reached for harpoons, killing two orcas in front of the horrified passengers.
Louise Mitchell, one of the founders of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund and Chief Whaler of Barrouallie, Samuel Hazelwood, made this landmark decision and formal agreement in mid-January this year, meaning that orcas should now be safe in Vincentian waters. The most recent killings were in November 2024 when four orcas, including a lactating mother and two calves, were hunted down, let us hope that these will be the last in these waters.
*Man-made floating objects designed to encourage fish aggregation at the device, making them easier to catch.
