In June 2018, N Magazine –the magazine for Nantucket in Massachusetts, USA, published an article called Steward of the Sea focusing on Scott Leonard from WCA Partner Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket. The article mainly discussed their work rescuing seals and other marine mammals, including whales that have become entangled in fishing gear.
The article goes on to mention Scott and his team’s efforts to establish Nantucket as a Whale Heritage Site, with the aim that such classification would encourage eco tourism surrounding whales which would garner more public support for their protection. As Scott says in that article ‘Whale Heritage Sites are trying to use that admiration to enhance ocean protections to create areas that have reasons to protect natural environments’.
Fast-forward nearly a year, and on 1st April 2019, Whale Heritage Sites came up at the Town Meeting. The Finance Committee moved forward a motion that ‘based on the criteria of the World Cetacean Alliance to promote responsible human cetacean interaction, education and policy and the celebration of Nantucket’s history with whales, along with the newly established MA Whale Trail – the undersigned- believe Nantucket fits the criteria of World Whale Heritage Site status’.
The result? The full house at Town Meeting accepted unanimously Article 74 ‘Sense of Meeting Request to Seek the Designation as a Whale Heritage Site through the World Cetacean Alliance’.
Another step completed towards the goal of designating Nantucket as a Whale Heritage Site.
WCA would like to congratulate Scott and all the team at Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket for their hard work, dedication and continued efforts to protecting whales and other marine mammals in the Nantucket area.
Find out more about Whale Heritage Sites at our website.
