A Bill for an Act to establish a Sperm Whale Reserve in Dominica goes to Parliament on Tuesday for the Second and Third readings.
The Act will make provision for the management of the reserve and other related matters.
The purposes of the Sperm Whale Reserve are to protect the marine ecosystem and living resources particularly sperm whales and sperm whale habitats in the maritime zones of Dominica.
The Sperm Whale Reserve will also regulate all activities related to viewing and interacting with sperm whales in the maritime zones of Dominica.
It will be prohibited for any person to conduct a swim with the whale activity or whale watching activity in the maritime zones of Dominica except within the Sperm Whale Reserve.
Under the Act, a Sperm Whale Reserve board will be established for the purposes of the governance and management of the reserve.
Government will also seek approval from Parliament for a bank guarantee to secure an increase from $7.3 million dollars to $12.3 million dollars for Discover Dominica Authority to be obtained from the National Bank of Dominica
These Bank guarantees are required to secure the existing and additional commitments made in the Air Service agreement between the Discover Dominica Authority and United Airlines for the provision of direct flights from New Jersey to Dominica.
