CAMPAIGN FOR CETACEANS
AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS
AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS
William Roache, OBE, Supporting The Perfect Pair Dolphin Trilogy Campaign for Cetaceans as Non-human Persons.
Foreword for the
Campaign for Cetaceans as Non-human Persons
by William Roache, OBE,
aka Ken Barlow, Much-loved Star of ITV’s Coronation Street.
Despite enduring troubled times, we find ourselves living in an era where the new sciences are challenging the old, an awakening that now demands answers to what has gone before – this includes sentience and what defines it. This capacity is no doubt shared by many different animal species inhabiting this wondrous planet - none more so than our precious dolphins and whales, beings who have roamed our oceans unshackled for millions of years.
So, I pose two questions:
Is it right in this ‘age of enlightenment’ to allow countries to slaughter cetaceans unchallenged?
Is it ethical to condemn these beautiful sea dwellers to spend their lives trapped within the confines of a concrete prison simply to feed our lust for what many view as an outdated form of entertainment?
Poignant questions that society must address, particularly in view of the continuing claims by dolphinaria workers and others of ceta-telepathy - a phenomenon that, although not yet scientifically proven, may be verified by future research.
So, if these questions are relevant to you, can I ask you all to get on board with this campaign to reclassify dolphins and whales as non-human persons.
Let’s give them a voice to bring about the change they so desperately need and deserve.
William Roache, OBE
Campaign for Cetaceans as Non-human Persons
by William Roache, OBE,
aka Ken Barlow, Much-loved Star of ITV’s Coronation Street.
Despite enduring troubled times, we find ourselves living in an era where the new sciences are challenging the old, an awakening that now demands answers to what has gone before – this includes sentience and what defines it. This capacity is no doubt shared by many different animal species inhabiting this wondrous planet - none more so than our precious dolphins and whales, beings who have roamed our oceans unshackled for millions of years.
So, I pose two questions:
Is it right in this ‘age of enlightenment’ to allow countries to slaughter cetaceans unchallenged?
Is it ethical to condemn these beautiful sea dwellers to spend their lives trapped within the confines of a concrete prison simply to feed our lust for what many view as an outdated form of entertainment?
Poignant questions that society must address, particularly in view of the continuing claims by dolphinaria workers and others of ceta-telepathy - a phenomenon that, although not yet scientifically proven, may be verified by future research.
So, if these questions are relevant to you, can I ask you all to get on board with this campaign to reclassify dolphins and whales as non-human persons.
Let’s give them a voice to bring about the change they so desperately need and deserve.
William Roache, OBE
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO SIGN THE PETITION. UK CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS ONLY.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE TO GO TO THE OFFICIAL UK PETITION TO HAVE
WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES CLASSIFIED AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS.
This petition can be signed by UK citizens and residents only.
A further petition follows for international signatures.
WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES CLASSIFIED AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS.
This petition can be signed by UK citizens and residents only.
A further petition follows for international signatures.
UK CAMPAIGN TEAM
wILLIAM ROACHE, OBE
dAVID C hOLROYD AKA DAVID CAPELLO
TRACEY OZDEMIR - THE DOLPHIN LADY
TRACY J HOLROYD, Cert ed, ba(hons)
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO SIGN THIS MOANANUI SANCTUARY PETITION. THIS IS A GLOBAL PETITION AND CAN BE SIGNED BY PEOPLE FROM ALL NATIONS.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE TO GO TO THE MOANANUI SANCTUARY PETITION
TO HAVE
WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES CLASSIFIED AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS.
This petition is global and can be signed by people from all nations.
TO HAVE
WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES CLASSIFIED AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS.
This petition is global and can be signed by people from all nations.
THE CETACEAN COVENANT MANIFESTO
The Cetacean Covenant
A Declaration of Kinship, Responsibility and Protection
We, citizens of the land and guardians of the ocean, affirm that whales and dolphins are nations of the sea — intelligent, social, cultural beings whose lives possess intrinsic value and whose futures must no longer depend on human exploitation.
For centuries, humanity has treated cetaceans as resources: hunted, captured, displayed, disrupted and displaced. Yet science has revealed what cultures across the world have long intuited — that cetaceans are non-human persons, capable of complex communication, long term memory, social bonds, grief, play, cooperation and cultural transmission across generations.
We recognise that their intelligence is not an imitation of our own but a parallel expression of consciousness, evolved in a world of sound, depth and vastness. Their societies are not commodities.
Their freedom is not negotiable.
The Cetacean Covenant
A Declaration of Kinship, Responsibility and Protection
We, citizens of the land and guardians of the ocean, affirm that whales and dolphins are nations of the sea — intelligent, social, cultural beings whose lives possess intrinsic value and whose futures must no longer depend on human exploitation.
For centuries, humanity has treated cetaceans as resources: hunted, captured, displayed, disrupted and displaced. Yet science has revealed what cultures across the world have long intuited — that cetaceans are non-human persons, capable of complex communication, long term memory, social bonds, grief, play, cooperation and cultural transmission across generations.
We recognise that their intelligence is not an imitation of our own but a parallel expression of consciousness, evolved in a world of sound, depth and vastness. Their societies are not commodities.
Their freedom is not negotiable.
It is not generally known that whales and dolphins communicate telepathically, not only with one another, but also with humans. But even though this ability is not yet scientifically proven, we need to act now to protect these magnificent sea dwellers. Waiting is not an option!
William Roache, OBE
William Roache, OBE
OUR COVENANT
We declare a covenant between humanity and the cetacean nations — a solemn commitment to protect their right to exist, to flourish and to live free from harm.
This covenant rests on five principles:
1. Personhood: Cetaceans are non-human persons with inherent rights to life, liberty and protection.
2. Freedom: No whale or dolphin shall be held in captivity for entertainment, commerce or display.
3. Sanctuary: Oceans must contain vast, interconnected protected zones where cetacean cultures can thrive.
4. Respect: Human activity — shipping, fishing, industry and military operations — must be reshaped to minimise harm, noise and disruption.
5. Kinship: Humanity must recognise its relationship with cetaceans as one of stewardship, not dominion.
We declare a covenant between humanity and the cetacean nations — a solemn commitment to protect their right to exist, to flourish and to live free from harm.
This covenant rests on five principles:
1. Personhood: Cetaceans are non-human persons with inherent rights to life, liberty and protection.
2. Freedom: No whale or dolphin shall be held in captivity for entertainment, commerce or display.
3. Sanctuary: Oceans must contain vast, interconnected protected zones where cetacean cultures can thrive.
4. Respect: Human activity — shipping, fishing, industry and military operations — must be reshaped to minimise harm, noise and disruption.
5. Kinship: Humanity must recognise its relationship with cetaceans as one of stewardship, not dominion.
David C Holroyd, aka David Capello, Former Head Ceta Trainer famed for The Perfect Pair Dolphins.
My overriding belief that dolphins and whales should be classified as non-human persons does not come from reading books or scientific research … it comes from experience and the heart.
During my time as a UK head cetacean trainer, I formulated a training method based on the Atlantean Telepathic Connection . This is a two-way mind bond made up of pictures, emotions and non-verbal speech – a wholly natural way for my super-intelligent charges to converse with other species.
Although this ‘magical’ connection proved to be mentally draining, it opened my mind to the full spectrum of the ‘dolphin radio’, allowing me to communicate not as gaoler to prisoner, but as beloved and trusted friend.
Despite the many doubters of the phenomenon, the passage of time has never dimmed my belief in this telepathic concept – a gift that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. Just one of the many reasons I fight so hard for Atlantean rights.
So, can I ask all who love the world’s precious cetaceans to support this campaign to grant these people of the sea their non-human-persons status and give them the rights and protection that should be legally theirs.
David C Holroyd, aka David Capello,
Former Head Ceta Trainer
During my time as a UK head cetacean trainer, I formulated a training method based on the Atlantean Telepathic Connection . This is a two-way mind bond made up of pictures, emotions and non-verbal speech – a wholly natural way for my super-intelligent charges to converse with other species.
Although this ‘magical’ connection proved to be mentally draining, it opened my mind to the full spectrum of the ‘dolphin radio’, allowing me to communicate not as gaoler to prisoner, but as beloved and trusted friend.
Despite the many doubters of the phenomenon, the passage of time has never dimmed my belief in this telepathic concept – a gift that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. Just one of the many reasons I fight so hard for Atlantean rights.
So, can I ask all who love the world’s precious cetaceans to support this campaign to grant these people of the sea their non-human-persons status and give them the rights and protection that should be legally theirs.
David C Holroyd, aka David Capello,
Former Head Ceta Trainer
OUR DEMANDS
To honour this covenant, we call for:
• International legal recognition of cetacean personhood
• A global ban on cetacean captivity
• Expansion of marine protected areas across migratory routes
• Reduction of ocean noise pollution
• Elimination of harmful fishing practices
• Binding international treaties that protect cetacean cultures and societies
OUR PROMISE
We commit to building a global movement that unites science, ethics, culture and public action. We will amplify the voices of researchers, conservationists, Indigenous communities and citizens who recognise the urgency of protecting these oceanic nations.
We pledge to act with intelligence, compassion and resolve — until every whale and dolphin swims free, until their cultures endure without threat and until humanity fulfils its responsibility to the living world.
THIS IS OUR COVENANT.
THIS IS OUR DUTY.
THIS IS OUR PROMISE TO THE DEEP.
To honour this covenant, we call for:
• International legal recognition of cetacean personhood
• A global ban on cetacean captivity
• Expansion of marine protected areas across migratory routes
• Reduction of ocean noise pollution
• Elimination of harmful fishing practices
• Binding international treaties that protect cetacean cultures and societies
OUR PROMISE
We commit to building a global movement that unites science, ethics, culture and public action. We will amplify the voices of researchers, conservationists, Indigenous communities and citizens who recognise the urgency of protecting these oceanic nations.
We pledge to act with intelligence, compassion and resolve — until every whale and dolphin swims free, until their cultures endure without threat and until humanity fulfils its responsibility to the living world.
THIS IS OUR COVENANT.
THIS IS OUR DUTY.
THIS IS OUR PROMISE TO THE DEEP.
Tracey Ozdemir - The Dolphin Lady
Dolphins should not be treated as property; they should be recognised as "non-human persons" and granted their inherent right to freedom.
They feel.
They think.
They remember.
They are not ours to own.
They are theirs to be free.
Tracey Ozdemir
The Dolphin Lady
They feel.
They think.
They remember.
They are not ours to own.
They are theirs to be free.
Tracey Ozdemir
The Dolphin Lady
MANIFESTO COMPLETE
The demands of this UK non-human persons campaign
are clear and precise:
Abuse of the cetacean race is not acceptable to those of us who have a voice. So, we urge you to support it by lending your voice in defence of those who have none.
The demands of this UK non-human persons campaign
are clear and precise:
Abuse of the cetacean race is not acceptable to those of us who have a voice. So, we urge you to support it by lending your voice in defence of those who have none.
Tracy J Holroyd, Cert Ed, BA(Hons), Member of the Society of Authors
I felt hugely privileged when William Roache, OBE, suggested that we create a campaign to have our dolphins and whales classified as
non-human persons.
I still vividly remember the very first time I saw a real live dolphin. She was swimming around aimlessly, trapped within a pen in a disused Yorkshire swimming pool.
The location? The UK training pens of South Elmsall.
This experience had a profound effect on me, one that years later galvanized me into co-authoring
an award-winning anti-captivity book series.
In those early days of the UK dolphinarium boom, the lifespan of a show dolphin was disturbingly short. In fact, the six dolphins I met on that fateful day were all dead within three years - one of them within three weeks. Six broken souls ripped from their homes and families to entertain the British paying public. A sickening practice that continues across the globe to this very day.
So, how do we put an end to this horrific abuse?
We grant non-human-persons status to ALL cetaceans – that’s how!
Tracy J Holroyd, Cert Ed, BA(Hons)
Member of the Society of Authors
non-human persons.
I still vividly remember the very first time I saw a real live dolphin. She was swimming around aimlessly, trapped within a pen in a disused Yorkshire swimming pool.
The location? The UK training pens of South Elmsall.
This experience had a profound effect on me, one that years later galvanized me into co-authoring
an award-winning anti-captivity book series.
In those early days of the UK dolphinarium boom, the lifespan of a show dolphin was disturbingly short. In fact, the six dolphins I met on that fateful day were all dead within three years - one of them within three weeks. Six broken souls ripped from their homes and families to entertain the British paying public. A sickening practice that continues across the globe to this very day.
So, how do we put an end to this horrific abuse?
We grant non-human-persons status to ALL cetaceans – that’s how!
Tracy J Holroyd, Cert Ed, BA(Hons)
Member of the Society of Authors
ENDORSEMENTS BY HIGH-PROFILE SUPPORTERS AND CELEBRITIES
FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF
CETACEANS AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS
FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF
CETACEANS AS NON-HUMAN PERSONS
Carlos M. Duarte,
Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor of
Marine Science,
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
We are not alone. We share our beautiful planet with a plethora of species that have, as we do, rights to life, to free pass and to meet their needs. Yet, human domination has led to depletion of species. Prominent among these are cetaceans, which science shows to be intelligent creatures, able to complex communication, learning and maintaining cohesive social structures. They do, as we do, require their rights to be protected, and hence, I find that granting them personhood rights is the best way to realize this within our legal system. If legal persons can be business and companies, not simply individuals, the concept must surely be extended to species such as cetaceans.
Carlos M. Duarte
Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor of
Marine Science,
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Carlos M. Duarte
Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor of
Marine Science,
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Toni Frohoff, PhD,
Director, Terramar Research
www.TerraMarResearch.org
Acknowledging the rights and personhood of cetaceans globally is paramount to the survival of dolphins and whales and, indirectly, to our own continued existence as well. Personhood is an increasingly important and useful conceptual and legal tool for gaining increased awareness, respect, and protection for cetaceans and other animals. Personhood is significant because an entity must first be considered a legal “person” before any rights and moral standing can be legally recognized and protected. We need to see through the illusion of human exceptionalism to expand our capacity to heal this planet and expanding our definition of personhood is an important step in a much-needed direction.
Toni Frohoff, PhD
Director, Terramar Research
www.TerraMarResearch.org
Toni Frohoff, PhD
Director, Terramar Research
www.TerraMarResearch.org
Vincent Meehan, CMIOSH, GIFE
Former Dolphin Trainer/Presenter
According to Wikipedia, and, I believe, generally accepted as a concept, “a person is a being who has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of property, or legal responsibility”. And whilst the concepts of property ownership and legal responsibility can in no way be applied to dolphins and whales, per se, nobody can deny that these creatures do possess all those other traits in abundance.
Considering kinship, whales and dolphins do not gather as a group through instinct, like fish in a shoal or birds in a flock might, seeking protection and anonymity through numbers. Whales and dolphins swim together through conscious choice, in large groups called pods, consisting of several family groups and exhibiting close social relationships.
Whales and dolphins maintain intricate communication networks with each other. Theirs is a sophisticated language of clicks and whistles. "Pods of dolphins coordinate their movements to herd prey and then take turns swimming into the middle of the assembled fish to eat." (Dolphin Research Centre.) This coordination can only be achieved using language.
In studies of cognition in dolphins, these show that they possess a mathematical ability; they are able to compare quantities, distinguishing larger from smaller thereby exhibiting a high degree of intelligence.
The behaviour of these mammals around a birthing female demonstrates a strong sense of morality, reasoning and deep kinship, with strong familial bonds between developed calves and other female members of the pod who 'adopt' the calf in order to allow the mother 'time off' from parental duties.
With all the available evidence, it would be nigh on impossible to deny that these amazing creatures are thoroughly deserving of the title 'non-human persons'. They get my vote.
Vincent Meehan, CMIOSH, GIFE
Former Dolphin Trainer/Presenter
Considering kinship, whales and dolphins do not gather as a group through instinct, like fish in a shoal or birds in a flock might, seeking protection and anonymity through numbers. Whales and dolphins swim together through conscious choice, in large groups called pods, consisting of several family groups and exhibiting close social relationships.
Whales and dolphins maintain intricate communication networks with each other. Theirs is a sophisticated language of clicks and whistles. "Pods of dolphins coordinate their movements to herd prey and then take turns swimming into the middle of the assembled fish to eat." (Dolphin Research Centre.) This coordination can only be achieved using language.
In studies of cognition in dolphins, these show that they possess a mathematical ability; they are able to compare quantities, distinguishing larger from smaller thereby exhibiting a high degree of intelligence.
The behaviour of these mammals around a birthing female demonstrates a strong sense of morality, reasoning and deep kinship, with strong familial bonds between developed calves and other female members of the pod who 'adopt' the calf in order to allow the mother 'time off' from parental duties.
With all the available evidence, it would be nigh on impossible to deny that these amazing creatures are thoroughly deserving of the title 'non-human persons'. They get my vote.
Vincent Meehan, CMIOSH, GIFE
Former Dolphin Trainer/Presenter
Marcia Henton Davis, Executive Director of Toki's Spirit
Marcia spent nearly 3 decades in the zoological field, working with a large array of different species. She was the orca Tokitae’s caregiver from 1988 through 1995 and then again on the Friends of Toki team in 2023 - united to bring Tokitae home to a sanctuary in the Salish Sea.
When Tokitae passed away in August of that year from kidney failure, Marcia made a promise to her that she would do everything she could to help her struggling family. This is the reason TokiSpirit exists today.
Marcia Henton Davis
Executive Director www.tokispirit.org
When Tokitae passed away in August of that year from kidney failure, Marcia made a promise to her that she would do everything she could to help her struggling family. This is the reason TokiSpirit exists today.
Marcia Henton Davis
Executive Director www.tokispirit.org
June Killington, Founder of SeaWorld SHUT DOWN.
Keeping cetaceans in captivity is just pure evil.
I live in Australia, and for many years I have run a campaign against SeaWorld here. I have had a lot of media attention, which has been wonderful, but, sadly, the most powerful Australian animal welfare organisations all refused to support me.
I have been absolutely gutted that none of them had the courage to speak out, and it is only in recent months that some of them have at last started to expose SeaWorld’s cruelty, prompting the question: “Why didn’t they do it years ago when I was begging them for support?”
I guess I’ll never know the answer, but I believe they were afraid of SeaWorld’s power. Of course, that never mattered to me. I just went for it, opening a lot of hearts, changing a lot of minds and spreading a lot of vital information on the way.
It is imperative that we educate the public about the true nature of the world’s magnificent cetaceans, prove to all that they are indeed worthy of non-human persons status. This classification is the best way to end cetacean abuse and slaughter.
Our porpoises, dolphins and whales cannot speak for themselves, so we must be their voice. It has been my privilege to speak on their behalf for decades – and I will continue to do so until the day I die.
June Killington,
Founder of SeaWorld SHUT DOWN
I live in Australia, and for many years I have run a campaign against SeaWorld here. I have had a lot of media attention, which has been wonderful, but, sadly, the most powerful Australian animal welfare organisations all refused to support me.
I have been absolutely gutted that none of them had the courage to speak out, and it is only in recent months that some of them have at last started to expose SeaWorld’s cruelty, prompting the question: “Why didn’t they do it years ago when I was begging them for support?”
I guess I’ll never know the answer, but I believe they were afraid of SeaWorld’s power. Of course, that never mattered to me. I just went for it, opening a lot of hearts, changing a lot of minds and spreading a lot of vital information on the way.
It is imperative that we educate the public about the true nature of the world’s magnificent cetaceans, prove to all that they are indeed worthy of non-human persons status. This classification is the best way to end cetacean abuse and slaughter.
Our porpoises, dolphins and whales cannot speak for themselves, so we must be their voice. It has been my privilege to speak on their behalf for decades – and I will continue to do so until the day I die.
June Killington,
Founder of SeaWorld SHUT DOWN
Shelley Guinn, Founder of Swim for Freedom – Marine Mammal Advocates
This campaign is about changing how society sees dolphins, porpoises, and whales: not as performers, attractions or commodities, but as beings whose intelligence, social bonds, and capacity for suffering demand recognition and protection.
Even as a young girl, I always knew that keeping cetaceans in captivity was wrong in so many ways — a belief that inspired a lifelong passion for educating people about this outdated form of entertainment. That’s why I created Swim for Freedom – Marine Mammal Advocates.
However, my task has been made infinitely more difficult by the glitzy propaganda put out by the companies that profit from cetacean suffering. Even today, I find it incredibly frustrating that many people still refuse to accept that a land circus and an aqua-circus are one and the same: both exploit animal performers to make money.
Sadly, this message is getting through far too slowly, meaning we must take another route to change hearts and minds: the path of cetacean personhood.
By recognising dolphins, porpoises, and whales as non-human persons with fundamental interests, not property to be displayed or slaughtered, we can move the public conversation towards justice. This is how we build the case for recognition, protection, and freedom from exploitation.
Shelley Guinn
Founder of Swim for Freedom
Marine Mammal Advocates
Even as a young girl, I always knew that keeping cetaceans in captivity was wrong in so many ways — a belief that inspired a lifelong passion for educating people about this outdated form of entertainment. That’s why I created Swim for Freedom – Marine Mammal Advocates.
However, my task has been made infinitely more difficult by the glitzy propaganda put out by the companies that profit from cetacean suffering. Even today, I find it incredibly frustrating that many people still refuse to accept that a land circus and an aqua-circus are one and the same: both exploit animal performers to make money.
Sadly, this message is getting through far too slowly, meaning we must take another route to change hearts and minds: the path of cetacean personhood.
By recognising dolphins, porpoises, and whales as non-human persons with fundamental interests, not property to be displayed or slaughtered, we can move the public conversation towards justice. This is how we build the case for recognition, protection, and freedom from exploitation.
Shelley Guinn
Founder of Swim for Freedom
Marine Mammal Advocates
William Roache, OBE, aka Ken Barlow of ITV's Coronation Street.
Although dolphins and whales should never find themselves confined to small aquariums, the fact that they can be trained to perform complicated show routines demonstrates a natural intelligence – an intelligence that demands these beautiful sea dwellers should never be trapped within the bare walls of a concrete prison.
The message is clear and powerful. Humanity has reached a stage where it is intolerant of the abuse and ill-treatment of animals, especially in the world of entertainment.
William Roache, OBE
The message is clear and powerful. Humanity has reached a stage where it is intolerant of the abuse and ill-treatment of animals, especially in the world of entertainment.
William Roache, OBE