Media: New Zealand’s Maori king calls for whales to be recognised as individuals and given rights
New Zealand’s Voxy reported that the king of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people, Tuheitia Potatau te Wherowhero VII, has called for whales to be given the same legal rights as humans, and for mammals to be recognised as individuals in a bid to protect them as a species, RIA Novosti reports
On March 28th, the king reportedly signed a historic declaration drawn up by Polynesian community leaders. The document was called the ‘declaration for the ocean’, calling for legal personality for whales and outlining a comprehensive plan for their protection. The king said that document would act as ‘a woven cloak of protection for our taonga (treasure), our ancestor – the whales’.
The document stipulates that whales – as well as members of the indigenous Maori people – possess the attributes of personality: a spiritual essence and life force. Thus, the declaration calls for recognition of whales as ‘legal persons with inherent rights’ rather than simply as part of natural resources. These rights include freedom of movement, the ability to develop natural behaviours, express their unique culture, thrive in a healthy environment, and witness the recovery of their population.
