MUNDO AZUL and RIPLEY initiate campaign for the conservation of dolphins in Peru

April, 12. 2003, Lima-Perú: The Peruvian NGO Mundo Azul (Blue World) and the Peruvian chain of shopping malls Ripley initiate a nationwide campaign in Peru with the objective to raise awareness about the importance of the conservation of dolphins and other small cetaceans and to motivate fishermen and market dealers to act according to the existing national laws, which prohibits the capture of small cetaceans, as well as trade and consumption of cetacean meat.

In a press conference together with representatives of the Police for Ecology and Tourism and the Peruvian Coastguards, Mundo Azul and Ripley announced yesterday a nationwide campaign in order to stop the hunting of dolphins and other small cetaceans and the consumption of their meat. According to estimates of Mundo Azul at least 3000 small cetaceans are illegally hunted in Peru for human consumption.

The hunting of dolphins and porpoises, as well as the trade and consumption of their meat are prohibited by Peruvian law since 1996, as a result of raising numbers of small cetaceans being hunted for human consumption toping in 1995 at around 15,000 to 20,000 small cetaceans per year. The law let to a strong decrease in the commercialization of cetacean meat as supermarkets in Lima and elsewhere along the coast stopped selling dolphin meat.

"Most people thought the problem was resolved", said Stefan Austermühle, Biologist and Executive Director of Mundo Azul: "The truth is, that the problem still exists and seems to get worse." Field reports, photographic material and undercover investigations undertaken by Mundo Azul show clearly that the illegal trade with dolphin meat is not a rare and isolated event, but a widespread and common practice.

With the objective to stop human consumption of cetacean meat (sold under the name chancho marino "marine pig" or muchame) Mundo Azul and Ripley will implement a program in order to raise environmental awareness in local leaders like fishermen representatives, journalists, police and coastguard officials, as well as representatives of city governments in the seven most important ports along the Peruvian coast. During the next month 100,000 flyers will be distributed along the beaches of the coast and within Peruvian fishermen associations, in all stores of Ripley banners will inform about the program and 100,000 of the stores promotional newspapers will contain a two-pages article about the problem and will be distributed within newspapers and in the stores of Ripley. The program will be financed by selling 10,000 books of the "Inca-beach-guide" written by the Peruvian nature photographer Walter Wust, member of Mundo Azuls Board of Directors. Each book will also contain several pages informing about the campaign and the work of Mundo Azul. Finally 1000 T-shirts with the logo and the slogan of the campaign will be sold in the stores of Ripley in order to collect additional funds for further activities.

Captain Javier Gaviolo Tejada, Director for Environmental Issues of the Central Direction of Harbor Officials and Coastguards from the Peruvian Marines and Mr. Carlos Herrera Gonzales, Chief of the Division for Ecological Crimes of the National Police of Peru announced the full and active support of their governmental institutions for the implementation of this campaign, the planned seminars along the coast and further activities of Mundo Azul. Representatives of Mundo Azul the Ecological Police and the Coastguards had already captured several violators of the law for the conservation of small cetacean in the ports of Salaverry and Chimbote in recent days.

"This campaign aims to be an example for the possible cooperation on governmental institutions, private companies, NGO´s and the society in general in order to conserve Peru's natural wealth and to stop environmental destruction executed by the hands of a few," says Stefan Austermühle, Executive Director of Mundo Azul.

"This is the first time that Ripley supports in such a massive way a campaign for the conservation of nature and we are doing it because we feel that is a very important topic. Nevertheless the full support of the government and the citizens in general is needed in order to fulfill our objectives," said Felipe Bayly Letts, Product manager of Ripley and concluded with the slogan of the campaign: "We protect the dolphins and respect nature. Do the same !"