Mammals: Statements

Further resources, if available, can be found in our full bibliography.

Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Whales and Dolphins

Cetacean Rights
2010

In 2010, the Declaration for the Rights for Cetaceans, campaigned by a group of scientists and ethicists working through the NGO Cetacean Rights, was presented at a conference in Helsinki, Finland. The declaration gives cetaceans, specifically dolphins and whales, the right to life and legal personhood. The declaration is a push for cetaceans to be protected under international law. If done so, the declaration would give dolphins and whales legal protections from hunters, marine parks, aquariums, etc. No such declaration has been incorporated into international law.

Photo Credit: Brown bear; Janko Ferlic/Pexels