<
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05022026/maori-scientist-daniel-hikuroa-legal-rights-of-whales/>
"As governments struggle to halt biodiversity loss and protect the world’s
oceans using legal systems largely built by and for nation-states, Indigenous
leaders are advancing a radically different vision—one that treats whales not
as resources to be managed, but as living ancestors with rights of their own.
On Thursday, Indigenous leaders from across Polynesia released the text of a
landmark treaty recognizing whales as legal persons and ancestral beings, a
move that supporters say could reshape global debates over ocean governance,
conservation and Indigenous sovereignty.
The treaty,
He Whakaputanga Moana, was signed in March 2024 in the Cook
Islands by Māori and Polynesian leaders, including the late Māori King Tūheitia
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, but its contents were not made public until now.
Grounded in Indigenous legal and cultural traditions, the agreement establishes
whales as rights-holders and calls for their protection through laws and
management systems inspired and led by Indigenous peoples.
“Whales, as legal persons, possess inherent rights essential for their
existence, thriving, and flourishing in healthy marine ecosystems,” the
declaration says. Among the rights it enumerates: freedom of movement and
migration; development of natural behaviors; cultural expression; a healthy
environment; and restoration and regeneration."
Via
Fix the News 327:
https://fixthenews.com/p/327-bike-angels-sea-silk-initihuasi
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
