Maori king wants whales to have the same rights as humans. Six of the 13 species of whales are in danger of extinction.
“The song of our ancestors has weakened and their habitat is threatened, which is why we must act now,” King Tuheitia said in a statement. The Maori, an indigenous Polynesian people, represent 17% of New Zealand's population, or around 900,000 people. The rare intervention was signed by the tribal chief of the Cook Islands, Travel Tou Ariki.