New Zealand Calculates Profit From Whale-Watching

New Zealand has argued that there is more value in a live whale than a dead whale and has used this pressed this line while campaigning to stop commercial whaling.

New Zealand Minister of Environment Chris Cater has highlighted facts that show living whales show more profit for the economy of New Zealand than the hunting of the peaceful sea mammals, reports ABC Radio Australia http://www.abc.net.

Whale and dolphin watching has proved popular in New Zealand with more than 425,000 people having participated in excursions in 2004, double the number of people who participated in this sector of eco-tourism in New Zealand in 1998.

Carter says whale watching has injected $84million into the New Zealand economy and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark presented this report to her Japanese colleague Junichuro Koizumi during a recent visit.

Last week Japan hit news headlines because Japanese fast-food outlets had offered whale-meat-burgers for sale. Nature activists had blamed the Japanese Government for continuing to hunt whales for lucullic (Lucullus , [lat.]) Roman warlord) reasons. Japan denied this and cited scientific reasons for continuing to hunt whales.

The New Zealand Board of Tourism http://www.tourisminfo.govt.nz has been promoting an intact and a clear-green environment for years.

The US-Travel Magazine Conde Nast Traveller has announced New Zealand as one of the top-ten-destinations.

Whale-watching is one of the excursions mostly attended by tourists. One of the best spots to watch whales is on the Kaikoura coast on New Zealand's South Island. The waters off the Kaikoura coast is rich in high-nutritional seafood. The deep water attracts various whale species from the enormous sperm whale, which can reach a size of 20 metres, to Orcas, to hunchback whales. Endangered little Hectors dolphins also frequent the seas off Kaikoura http://www.whalewatch.co.nz.

The easiest way to reach New Zealand from Europe is with Star-Alliance Partner Air New Zealand http://www.airnewzealand.com.

The Carrier flies daily from London via Los Angeles to Auckland. A stop-over in the United States is also included in the airfare. Air New Zealand also offers onboard high quality New Zealand wine.

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