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Cook Islands Declaration on the establishment of a whale sanctuary.

Country/Territory
Cook Islands
Document type
Miscellaneous
Date
2001
Source
FAO, FAOLEX
Original source
Official publication, pp. 323-327.
Subject
Wild species & ecosystems
Keyword
Marine mammals Endangered species Protected area Protection of species
Geographical area
Asia and the Pacific, Oceania, Polynesia, Small Island Developing States, South Pacific
Abstract

The Exclusive Economic Zone of the Cook Islands is declared a sanctuary for all whales. Wales are protected by prohibiting the deliberate catching. Furthermore, any accidental capture of or injury to a whale during fishing operations and the utilization of stranded whale carcasses in the exclusive economic zone will require to be reported to the Ministry of Marine Resources. The creation of a whale sanctuary in the Cook Islands however allows for: i) Non-lethal scientific research; ii) Collaboration for information exchange, education and awareness initiatives; iii) Monitoring of whales; iv) Identification of future threats to whales and appropriate action to counter those threats; and v) Development of mechanisms for the regular evaluation of management programmes in terms of appropriate objectives.

Full text
English