Tonga, a Pacific Island nation with deep connections to the ocean and its non-human inhabitants, could become the first country in the world to recognize that whales have inherent rights.

Speaking in Nice, France, where the United Nations Ocean Conference is taking place, Tongan Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho called for the recognition of whales as legal persons.

“The time has come to recognize whales not merely as resources but as sentient beings with inherent rights,” Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho said.

The announcement indicated that Tonga, a constitutional monarchy, could move forward with recognizing whales as legal persons and appointing human guardians to represent them in court.

“This would effectively give whales agency within the legal system, allowing them to assert and defend their own rights,” said Grant Wilson, executive director of the U.S.-based advocacy group Earth Law Center, which is not involved in the initiative.

Legal personhood is a mainstream legal concept most often used for corporations, allowing them to enter into contracts, sue and limit the liability of shareholders. Legal systems also allow for the representation of individuals who cannot act on their own behalf—such as children or incapacitated adults—through mechanisms like guardianship.