Chilean president pushes whaling ban

President Michelle Bachelet pushed to permanently ban whaling along Chile's sprawling coast at the opening Monday of the weeklong International Whaling Commission meeting, writes the Associated Press.

Bachelet endorsed making Chile's coastal waters -- a stretch more than 3,100 miles long and up to 200 miles from shore -- a whale sanctuary. The proposal still must be approved by Congress.

Los Angeles Times Buenos Aires Bureau Chief Patrick J. McDonell reported from Chile in April on whales that were making a comeback to Chile's southern waters, where they were once close to extinction.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

*edited: video added

Comments

[pat weatherby]

I just want to say ,I stand behind the Chilean President and say thank you for takinga stand to protect the whales feeding and resting along the coast line of his country . He is a courageous man to stand for something that has no way of protecting itself other than to be protected by man. This is especialy true when the world only has eyes for profit and food at what ever the cost. There still might be a day when we look to the oceans and see no life there because out of greed and want we have stripped them beyond the life ability to come back .