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