Whales and dolphins join the ranks of the free in Costa Rica, following a decree signed Saturday by President Oscar Arias protecting these marine mammals in all of Costa Rica's expansive ocean territory.

The decree forbids the “pursuit, capture, injury, netting or commercialization” of all whale and dolphin species on the country's expansive, 640,000 square-kilometer marine territory, the largest in Central America.

Arias waxed poetic about his move, likening it to Costa Rica's now half-century old decision to do away with the country's army.

“Today, we have another peace agreement to sign, and another military force to abolish: We must come to peace with our environment,” he said in a speech in Puerto Jiménez, overlooking well-known whale and dolphin-viewing hotspot Gulfo Dulce, in the southern zone. “We must abolish the forces that seek to destroy it, and today, with these actions, we have done our part.”

Environment Minister Roberto Dobles seconded Arias' commitment, stating that the country had proven once again that it was at the “forefront” of biodiversity protection worldwide.

While the decree makes the policy official, Costa Rica has traditionally never had a whale hunt, unlike nations such as Japan and Iceland, and dolphins have rarely been the target of commercial fishermen here.

Earlier this year, Dobles voted against reinstating a limited hunt worldwide, despite the pressure from the Japanese, at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Alaska.