Pacific Leaders Advocate for Whale Legal Personhood

The He Whakaputanga Moana declaration, ratified by Indigenous leaders, aims to protect whales by granting them rights similar to humans.

Pacific Indigenous leaders, including New Zealand's Maori King, have ratified the He Whakaputanga Moana, a declaration advocating for the legal personhood of whales.
The declaration aims to protect whale populations by granting them rights such as a healthy environment and freedom of movement.
New Zealand has a precedent of granting legal personhood to natural entities, such as rivers and mountains, important to the Maori people.
The initiative seeks to combine Indigenous knowledge with science for a holistic approach to whale conservation, including establishing protected marine areas.
Six of the 13 great whale species are currently classified as endangered or vulnerable, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.