Indigenous leaders in New Zealand and Cook Islands sign treaty recognizing whales as legal persons.
Indigenous leaders in New Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a treaty, He Whakaputanga Moana, recognizing whales as legal persons. This declaration, based on customary law rather than Crown law, seeks to protect whales' rights to migrate freely and establish a dedicated fund for conservation. The core concept of legal personhood allows whales to sue to protect their rights. This follows previous legal personhood grants to New Zealand's Te Awa Tupua Whanganui River, Te Urewera, and Taranaki maunga.
April 14, 2024
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