New Zealand: Maori king calls for whales to have the same rights as humans. Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau te Wherowhero VII called for cetaceans to be given the right to live in a healthy environment.
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, represent 17% of New Zealand's population, or around 900,000 people.