BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS AS ECO LEGAL PERSONS

[Anchor Lead]

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin is an internationally designated endangered species that can only be found in waters off Jejudo island in Korea. To protect the species, Jeju authorities are discussing designating dolphins as eco legal persons to let them exercise their legal rights.

[Pkg]

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, an internationally designated endangered species... Some 120 of these dolphins live in waters off Jejudo, but their lives are jeopardized by reckless ferry excursions and offshore wind power generation.

[Soundbite] Hwang Hyun-jin(Hot Pink Dolphins) : "Dolphins' habitats are shrinking consistently because they are omitted in environmental impact assessments, which oftentimes have loopholes."

To protect the species, authorities began discussions on designating the dolphins as "eco legal persons." The goal is to give Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins the status of humans because of their high ecological value. The designation will give them the right to file lawsuits when their habitats are threatened by massive development.

[Soundbite] Prof. Park Kyu-hwan(Youngsan Univ.) : "Dolphins will have the right to fight in court. The outcome doesn't matter. Right now they don't even have a chance to try. The new system will give them that opportunity."

The eco legal person system is meaningful in that it promotes awareness that nature also has its rights rather than being viewed as an object of management.

[Soundbite] Jin Hee-jong(Former member of Jeju-do Prov. Inspection Commission) : "This will help change the perception of nature in island residents and visitors, and subsequently contribute to protecting the island's ecosystem."

Although many tasks still lie ahead, such as forming public consensus and finding sponsors, the efforts to give a legal person status to an internationally endangered species are drawing significant attention.