BREAKING: Indigenous leaders from the Pacific Islands are pushing to pass the first law in the world giving whales legal personhood – so humans can go to court on their behalf. In just two weeks, they’ll launch a global call at the UN Ocean Conference in France. Let’s help them walk into that summit backed by a million voices from around the world. Add your name – and help make history for whales.

Dear friends,

Imagine: a ship slams into a whale, leaving it to bleed out. A hunter harpoons a pregnant mother. Now imagine something radical: those responsible are taken to court – because whales have legal rights.

This is no fantasy.

Indigenous leaders from the Pacific Islands are working with their governments to pass a law that would give whales legal personhood — letting people represent them in court, and forcing those who harm them to face justice.

And now, they’re asking the world to stand with them.

In just one week, they’ll launch this bold campaign at the UN Ocean Conference in France — and if we’re loud enough, we can help them convince more countries to join. Add your name now, and we’ll help Indigenous leaders carry this vision onto the global stage – and into the heart of power.

Sign now for whales' rights

This law would empower conservation, honour Indigenous knowledge, and hold destructive industries accountable. It’s backed by a treaty and a team of top legal experts, and is part of a grand plan that includes a ‘blue’ investment fund and a series of whale sanctuaries.

And it's already backed by a regional government!

But what it needs most is us — a global roar for the ocean’s most majestic beings.

Let’s be that voice. Together we can help bring a law into the world that says whales matter — not just as resources, but as living beings with a right to life. Add your name now.

Sign now for whales' rights

From fighting Icelandic whaling to protecting blue whales in the Gulf of California, our movement has always stood with the giants of the sea. Now, alongside Indigenous leaders and the Moananui Sanctuary Trust, we can help rewrite the rules — for the oceans, and for the generations to come.

With hope and fierce determination,

Miguel, Nate, Antonia, Huiting and the whole Avaaz team

More information: 

• A Descendant’s Call for Whale Legal Personhood (Atmos.Earth)
• In Move to Protect Whales, Polynesian Indigenous Groups Give Them ‘Personhood’ (The New York Times)
• Pacific Indigenous leaders have a new plan to protect whales: Treat them as people (CNN)
• Whale Personhood in Polynesia (Earth Law Center)

Image:  Ecuadorian Foundation for the Study of Marine Mammals