Double SVG’s Quota to 8

When Attorney General, Louise Mitchel-Joseph read how ah say dat since she tek office whale knocking down de country, for de whole ah Holy Week, when ah was not wailing foh Adrian Deane, my first cousin who passed on, ah was whaling wid ah nicely cooked, ‘nah-nuff” piece ah Bequia Humpback Whale from Bert King, she will pass me on de street like ah X-am.

Louise oops, our AG is a prominent environmentalist and anti-whaling advocate from Bequia. She not foh dis whaling business in Bequia in particular, she is all foh whale-watching. Man ah doh mind watching, especially if is ah tempting piece ah “dove whale and sweet potato or soak farine, or “ah bowl ah Black-fish crips wid roast breadfruit.

But de AG is taking ah interesting position. SVG is Black Fish (Pilot Whale) country, but Black Fish (ah doh know if is because ah de colour) generally fall outside de IWC regulatory jurisdiction regarding hunting quotas, so our Black Fish Whalers from Bagga sitting cool, until Chunk ready fee us. Like if only hear we meking headway in de US market wid our Black Fish.

De few Humpback Whales dat come hey in de winter months doh qualify us as ah fully whaling country wid full quotas. Lie-Za say, dem whales like tourists, dey come hey in winter foh ah warm water bath. But de IWC is giving us ah basket to carry water, as Ralph would say, dey “putting ah hook in we gill!” Nevertheless we dey pon de IWC and dey have given us ah quota of four. But hear dis, we have to hunt foh these four whales “Moby Dick Style!” Harpoon and sailing boats wid no engines.

Dah’s why jack-ass say dis world is not level , too many hills. Whereas lickle SVG must hunt whales wid harpoon and bow’n’arrow, those Scan-dal-near-van Whalers like Norway, Iceland, Denmark’s (Faroe islands), not excluding Jah-pan and Rush-her using all kind ah sophisticated tools, committing serious breaches and violation of IWC rules, literally raping de worlds whaling population. In de 20 th century period, to-gather dey wiped out approximately three million whales.

So yes, dis year is forty years since forming de International Whaling Commission. Eighty-eight members of which SVG has full voting rights (one vote ah country). Doh under estimate de power of SVG’s “One Vote or One Seat” . Ask Ralph and Callous!

Ah writing dis article and de phone ring, ah friendly voice said to me: “ Good night Mr Alexander we had another big catch of Black Fish today Thursday. Mr Alexander your lady friend Lie-Za told me that you are a friend of Minister Louise Mitchell and I could thru you, thank her for the luck she has brought to Bagga Black Fish Whalers. And ask her to get the IWC to double SVG’s (Bequia )hunting quota to eight Humpback Whales.” And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.