Cook Islands Declaration on the establishment of a whale sanctuary.

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.