New Zealand's King Tuheitia Pootatau te Wherowhero VII calls for whales to have the same rights as humans. Six of the 13 whale species are classified as “in danger” of extinction or vulnerable, according to the environmental NGO WWF.
The Maori, an indigenous Polynesian people, make up 17% of New Zealand's population, or around 900,000 people. “We must act urgently to protect these magnificent creatures before it is too late,” he insisted.