A campaign to create a safe zone for whales in the South Atlantic has been unsuccessful after being struck down by the International Whaling Commission.

Sometimes it feels as if not a day goes by where we don't hear or read a heartbreaking news story about an animal species being endangered or going extinct, nine times out of ten due to the actions of humans. One animal that is not often discussed in that conversation is the whale, but it really should be part of the discussion.

The only time the future of whales really hits the news is when the very controversial subject of whaling becomes an issue. Some countries hunt whales for food and believe that they can do it sustainably. Brazil is not one of those countries, and a campaign started by the South American nation recently aimed to create a safe zone in the South Atlantic, as reported by Humane Society International.

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That proposal was recently voted on by the International Whaling Commission and sadly, it was unsuccessful; 39 countries voted in favor of the safe zone while 25 voted against it, however, 75% of those voting needed to be on board with the idea in order for it to become a reality. Pro-whaling nations such as Japan, Russia, and Norway who believe in the sustainability of their hunting practices, as mentioned above, made sure the proposal was not passed.

The continuation of whaling by the aforementioned nations and others is not the only reason Brazil wanted to create a safe zone for the ocean-dwelling mammals. Grettel Delgadillo of HSI/Latin America detailed some other issues that are affecting the whale population such as "death from entanglement in fishing gear, marine pollution, and injury from ship strikes."

Delgadillo went on to say that the whale community has not recovered from the sheer amount of commercial whaling that went on during the 20th century. A safe zone in the South Atlantic would have provided a place safe from that, as well as the other reasons listed above. A safe zone would be beneficial for them to create habitats, breed, and raise their calves. Unfortunately, that will not happen in the foreseeable future.

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