Cook Islands Declaration on the establishment of a whale sanctuary. Pays/Territoire Îles Cook Type du document Miscellaneous Date 2001 Source FAO, FAOLEX Source d'origine Official publication, pp. 323-327. Sujet Espèces sauvages et écosystèmes Mot clé Mammifères marins Espèces menacées Aire protégée Protection des espèces Aire géographique Asie et Pacifique, Océanie, Polinesie, Petits états insulaires en développement, Pacifique Sud Résumé 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. Texte intégral Anglais