ling is still allowed by the
International
Whaling Commission.
Natives of
Bequia are allowed to catch up to four
humpback
whales
per year using only
traditional hunting methods of hand-thrown harpoons in small, open sailboats.
The limit is rarely met, with no catch some years.
Bequia has a long tradition of whaling
as well as the building of whaling boats.
There
is a small whaling museum on the island chronicling local whaling's history. A
feature of the Port Elizabeth waterfront is the Whale Boner Bar &
Restaurant. This bar has an entrance onto the beach consisting of an arch of
two whale ribs, as well as whale vertebrae mounted on the bar seats and a whale
rib running the length of the bar.
However, the justification for the quota has
been repeatedly questioned by the international non profit groups such as Sea Sheppard, with the standoff resulting in the yet
unresolved murder of Jane Tipson in neighboring St. Lucia in 2003.
In the 2012 meeting of International Whaling Commission, the
delegates
