India Proclaims the Emancipation of its Cetaceans
Dolphin jumping for joy upon hearing news of India’s Cetacean Emancipation
Cetaceans Granted Unprecedented ‘Non-Human Persons’ Rights in India
The nation of India has become the first country to officially recognize dolphins and whales as “non-human persons,” whose rights to life and liberty “must be respected.” Dolphin sea parks that were being built across the country will instead be shut down.
India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests has advised state governments to ban ‘dolphinariums’ and other commercial entertainment that involves the capture and confinement of cetacean species such as orcas and bottlenose dolphins. In a statement, the government said research had clearly established cetaceans are highly intelligent and sensitive, and that dolphins “should be seen as ‘non-human persons’ and as such should have their own specific rights.”
