Maui’s Dolphins are only found along the west coast of New Zealand's North Island and are the smallest and rarest marine dolphins on earth.
In an exchange during Parliamentary Question Time, Minister of Primary Industries, David Carter, refused to take immediate action to protect the species from extinction.
In Parliament recently (11th February 2012), Green Party MP and Oceans spokesperson, Gareth Hughes called for an urgent extension of the set net ban in Taranaki waters after the death of a Maui’s Dolphin there recently.
Accessory to Extinction
“Given the Minister’s inability to guarantee that more Maui Dolphins won’t die on his watch and his refusal to implement greater protection measures now, is he prepared to be an accessory to extinction?” said Mr Hughes.
Recent estimates of the critically endangered Maui’s Dolphin put the population at around 85 - 100 individuals with only about 24 breeding females. The dolphins inhabit a small area of inshore waters from Taranaki to the Hokianga Harbour on the North Island west coast.
Mr Hughes challenged the Minister of Primary Industries David Carter, to take responsibility for the recent Maui’s Dolphin death given that research published by the Ministry of Fisheries in 2005 showed that this Maui’s Dolphin died in the area identified as one where they swim.
Waiting for Recovery Plan
Mr Carter replied that he would not, and that the Ministry of Fisheries and Department of Conservation were working on a Maui’s Dolphin Recovery Plan.
“I wait until that report has been presented before making any decisions on set net bans in Taranaki”, said Mr Carter. “I have certainly asked for that work to be done as quickly as possible.”
In reply to a question in the House from Mr Hughes, he said that he could not guarantee that no Maui’s Dolphins would die while that recovery plan was being carried out.
He claimed that the current set net ban covered areas where Maui’s Dolphin swim, and that the recent Maui’s Dolphin death happened in an area where the dolphins did not swim. That was why he was waiting for the recovery plan.
Extinction Imminent
Mr Hughes again asked if he would take responsibility for the recent Maui’s Dolphin death given video footage in 2009, of a Maui’s Dolphin swimming in the vicinity, in unprotected Taranaki waters.
“Given that Maui’s Dolphins will become extinct if mortality exceeds more than one individual over five to ten years and we’ve had two Maui’s Dolphins deaths in the last five months, why won’t the Minister use his powers under the Fisheries Act and put a moratorium on set net fishing while more research is being carried out?,” said Mr Hughes.
Given the research, the video footage and the recent death of a Maui’s Dolphin, what further evidence did the government need to make an extension of the set net ban?, he said.
This Government had taken action with the set net ban put in place in 2008, and he wanted the completion of the Maui’s Dolphin Recovery Plan before making a decision, said Mr Carter. But he claimed there were other factors in the dolphin’s death.
Human Interaction Threat
“I certainly accept that this is a species under extreme threat of extinction. Set net banning and the influence of human interaction is but one factor in the death of these dolphins.”
He reiterated that he would work with the Ministry and DOC and await the report of the recovery plan before making further decisions. He said it was a relatively small population. It was an endangered species, but there were a number of reasons for which this extinction could be caused, of which human interaction was only one of them.
Meanwhile community support for a ban on set nets is growing with more than 4600 signatures on an online petition to stop the extinction of both Maui’s Dolphins and closely related South Island species, Hector’s Dolphin.
Strong Community Support
Campaigns for better protection of Maui's Dolphins are also supported by members of Forest and Bird, WWF-NZ, and Greenpeace NZ.
The west coast community of Raglan is also holding a Maui's Dolphin Day to raise awareness about the plight of the dolphin on March 10th at Kopua Domain on Whaingaroa Harbour in Raglan. The day of fun activities, arts and music includes a recycled raft race on the harbour and games for the kids.
Entanglement in gill and trawl nets has devastated both Maui’s and Hector’s dolphins to near extinction and is killing them faster than they can breed.
Set Net Ban Vital
Since the introduction of these nylon filament nets in the 1970s, Hector’s dolphin numbers have dropped from 29,000 to less than 7,000. Experts believe they are also responsible for the loss of more than 90 percent of Maui’s Dolphins .
These dolphins breed very slowly and even under ideal circumstances, a population of 100 individuals can only grow by two animals a year at the most. Saving the species relies on preventing fishing related mortality.
For more than a decade, marine biologists and conservationists have called for a New Zealand-wide ban on gill set nets, and for the careful management of other threats, such as pollution, marine mining, tidal power stations in prime dolphin habitat, and aquaculture.
References
Parliamentary Question Time (NZ Parliament TV) on 9th February 2012.
Question 1: Gareth Hughes to the Minister of Primary Industries.
Petition to Stop the Extinction of Hector’s and Maui’s Dolphins
Maui's Dolphin Day and World Famous Recycled Raft Race at Ragan by Xtreme Waste
