Indigenous leaders grant legal rights to whales in groundbreaking declaration challenging ocean governance

Indigenous leaders across Polynesia are revolutionizing how we think about ocean conservation by recognizing whales as legal persons with inherent rights, rather than mere resources to be managed by governments. This groundbreaking declaration, released Thursday, represents a fundamental shift away from Western legal frameworks that have struggled to halt biodiversity loss and protect marine ecosystems.

The Indigenous-led initiative treats whales as living ancestors deserving of legal protection and recognition—a concept that challenges the very foundations of current ocean governance systems built primarily by and for nation-states. Māori scientist Daniel Hikuroa has been reflecting on the profound implications of this declaration, which could reshape how the international community approaches marine conservation.

This radical reimagining of whale protection comes at a critical time when traditional government approaches to ocean conservation have proven insufficient to address the mounting biodiversity crisis. By granting whales legal personhood, Indigenous communities are drawing on ancestral knowledge and spiritual connections to these marine mammals that span thousands of years.

The declaration signals a growing movement toward Indigenous-led conservation efforts that prioritize relationships with nature over resource extraction and management. This approach could influence future ocean governance policies and inspire similar rights-of-nature initiatives worldwide, potentially offering new pathways for protecting marine biodiversity where conventional legal systems have fallen short.