IN port for a four-day conservation convention is the British registered yacht Song of the Whale, which caused quite a stir on its arrival yesterday heralding the start of a Save the Whale meeting in Palma.
The convention is being attended by scientific and non-governmental organisations to discuss an international agreement for the Conservation of whales in the Black Sea, Mediterranean and Adjacent Atlantic Area (Accobams). A spokesman said that the meetings are held every three years, and it is the most important convention for the conservation of whales, of which there are 21 species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
It will discuss questions such as the improvement of countries' capacity to research the situation of dolphins and whales, their inter-action with the fishing industry and the effects on them of underwater noises. The experts will also evaluate the results of the first three years of the agreement and the creation of new protected areas. The headquarters of Accobams, which is a UN agency, is in Monaco, although it was actually set up in Palma in 1991.
Song of the Whale, which is moored along Palma's Paseo Maritimo is crewed by a number of whale experts from all over the world.