Princess Latufuipeka to Lead Global Ocean Advocacy: A Defining Moment for Tonga
News Desk | June 2025
Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka will take the international stage at the UN One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC) in Nice, France, from 3–6 June 2025. Representing the Huelo Matamoana Trust of Tonga, the Princess will lead a Pacific delegation in a bold call for stronger whale protections and broader ocean stewardship. This high-profile engagement underscores Tonga’s enduring leadership in marine conservation and opens doors for sustainable tourism and blue economy innovation.
A Royal Legacy of Ocean Protection
In 1978, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV made history with a Royal Decree banning all whale hunting in Tongan waters, establishing one of the world’s first whale sanctuaries. This bold decree predated the International Whaling Commission’s global ban on commercial whaling by several years, cementing Tonga’s reputation as a pioneer in marine protection. Today, Princess Lātūfuipeka carries forward that heritage by championing legal personhood for whales, an emerging framework to safeguard sentient marine life.
Tonga Drives Pacific Voice in Global Ocean Dialogues
At OOSC, Princess Lātūfuipeka will lead a delegation featuring representatives from the Moananui Sanctuary Trust and the Pacific Whale Fund of New Zealand. Their unified message: the Pacific must be front and centre in global efforts to protect the ocean and fight climate change. On 5 June, Her Royal Highness will speak at a landmark evening at the Nice Opera House where art, music and science merge to influence key policymakers before the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
Launching a Global Campaign for Whale Rights
For World Oceans Day on 8 June, Princess Lātūfuipeka will launch the “I’m a Person Too” campaign, which calls for whales to be recognised as legal persons. More than 300,000 people have so far signed Avaaz’s live Community Petition supporting an historic effort to recognise whales as sentient beings with rights to life, culture and protection from harm. Tonga’s support for this initiative draws international focus to the Kingdom’s visionary leadership. By weaving indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge environmental law, this campaign aims to shift global consciousness and establish a transformative legal precedent for marine life.
Impacts for Tonga
By enshrining whale rights into national law, Tonga stands to unlock major benefits:
- Boost Ecotourism: Legally protected whale populations and international recognition will position Tonga as a premier ethical whale-watching destination, driving visitor numbers across the South Pacific.
- Unlock Nature-Based Finance: Legal protections open access to blue nature markets and sustainable investment, providing new funding for climate resilience and community-led conservation.
- Amplify Global Leadership: Princess Lātūfuipeka’s presence on the world stage affirms Tonga’s place as a principled, solutions-oriented voice for ocean justice.
Turning Legacy into Law
With global attention focused on Nice, Tonga has an historic opportunity to transform royal legacy into landmark legislation. Princess Lātūfuipeka’s voice, rooted in cultural wisdom and scientific resolve, offers a powerful call to action in this defining decade for the ocean.
