Media release
10 January 2009

Christchurch girl steps forward to save endangered Hector's dolphins

Fifteen year old Christchurch Avonside High School student Aescleah[1] Hawkins has an unusual resolution for 2010 - this year, she has pledged to help stop the extinction of New Zealand's endangered Hector's dolphins. It's an apt resolution for the new decade: the UN has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, officially launching in Berlin tomorrow[2] (11 January 2010).

On 4, 5 and 6 March, Aescleah will walk the 42 kilometers from Lyttelton to Akaroa, aiming to raise vital funds for WWF's Stop Their Extinction campaign, and spreading the message of the urgent need to protect Hector's dolphins. She plans to bring together a team of 12 walkers, including herself, aiming to raise $36,000 for WWF's conservation of the species.

"We are walking to Akaroa because that's one of the places where Hector's dolphins live. I hope that we can raise people's awareness that the dolphins are now endangered, and we need to save them," explains Aescleah. "Hector's dolphins are just amazing, wonderful animals and we can't let them go extinct. I want to see change come about, from our walk," she concludes.

Hector's dolphins need significant change if they are to survive. The species, which lives only in New Zealand's coastal waters, has lost nearly three quarters of its numbers since the 1970s, from an estimated 29,000 in 1970 to just over 7000 estimated surviving today. Hector's are classified as one of the rarest marine dolphins in the world and ranked as 'endangered' on the IUCN's[3] Red List of Threatened Species. For these reasons, WWF-New Zealand ranks the survival of Hector's dolphins a national conservation emergency.

When Aescleah found out about the plight of Hector's dolphins, she immediately wanted to help: "I'd done a walk for wildlife in the UK for WWF, and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to do something here in New Zealand for local wildlife. I contacted WWF-New Zealand, found out about Hector's dolphins being endangered and it was like - this is something I have to get involved in."

When Aescleah talked about the idea of a sponsored walk with her family and WWF, the idea of making a symbolic journey from Christchurch to Akaroa emerged, and Aescleah's initial interest quickly snowballed with friends, family and local tourism operators getting involved. Her passion for protecting the dolphins has even convinced her younger brother, Ffyn, that 'Hector's dolphins are better than sharks'. As Aescleah reflects, "that's saying something coming from an 8 year old. I'm really grateful for all the support and help I'm receiving from all my friends and family."

Aescleah is hoping to bring together a team of 12 walkers including herself, with each walker pledging to raise $3000 each. Confirmed walkers so far are Aescleah's mother, Sarah-Jayne Hawkins, three of Aescleah's friends, and Paul Bingham, Managing Director of Black Cat Cruises. Aescleah aims to find another 6 walkers to take up the challenge. The walkers are being guided by Tuatara Tours, which is generously discounting its services at cost.

"Aescleah's passion for Hector's dolphins is just wonderful - it's great to see how she's getting everyone around her excited by the idea of doing something positive to help protect Hector's dolphins," comments WWF-New Zealand's Executive Director Chris Howe.

"It will raise vital funds for WWF's campaign to save Hector's dolphins, and we're very grateful for Aescleah and her team's support in this respect. But the message that it sends is just as important in showing the Government that New Zealanders are passionate about our wildlife, and want Hector's dolphins protected. The more people who give their support, the more powerful that message will be, so we're encouraging everyone who wants to protect Hector's dolphins to please support Aescleah's Walk for Hector's. This is a national conservation issue that every New Zealander can get involved in solving, and we encourage people across the country to back Aescleah's cause," he said.

Though Aescleah only celebrated her fifteenth birthday in November 2009, she explains her decision to walk for Hector's as just down to her "lifelong commitment to wildlife".

"I went out on a tour with the Black Cat Cruises and we saw four mothers and calves - it was just amazing," says Aescleah.

Paul Bingham, Managing Director of Black Cat Cruises. comments on his decision to take part in the walk: "We got involved to draw attention to just how rare Hector's dolphins now are. Black Cat only exists because of our partnership with the dolphins and the unique marine environment that we operate in. We give people the opportunity to experience Hector's dolphins, and we are committed to protecting the dolphins. When the opportunity came up to take part in Aescleah's walk for Hector's, we got right behind it, as part of our ongoing support the conservation of this endangered and treasured species."

"Our walkers are quite often accompanied by Hector's dolphins during our guided experiences from Christchurch to Akaroa. It is always fantastic to share a little of the 42km Akaroa Walk with them. The Hector's are one of the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world so we must treasure them," said Stephanie Fitts, Marketing Manager, Tuatara Tours.

To make a donation to Aescleah's Walk for Hector's, or to find out more, go to: www.givealittle.co.nz/hectors

Notes to editors

• The money raised by the Walk for Hector's will go to WWF's Stop Their Extinction campaign, helping fund its Hector's dolphin education and community engagement programme, raising public awareness about the threatened status of the dolphins, and advocating for legal protection at Government level.
• The main threat to Hector's dolphins is fishing with nets, as recognised by the Government's Hector's Dolphin Threat Management Plan.
• WWF is campaigning to stop set net fishing throughout New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone, restrict trawl fishing, and ensure 100% independent scientific observer coverage on all inshore trawl vessels. This is important to ensure dolphin deaths get reported, as well as incidents involving other species, such as seabirds.
• WWF is also campaigning for the Government to develop and implement an effective action plan for the recovery of Hector's dolphins that identifies, manages and mitigates all other potential threats to Hector's and Maui's to ensure their recovery, such as boat strike, pollution, coastal development and exploration for oil and gas.
• To find out more about Hector's and Maui's dolphins, including how you can get involved in WWF's Stop Their Extinction campaign go to wwf.org.nz
• WWF is supporting Aescleah's Walk for Hector's by coordinating the walk, Tanya Jenkins is WWF's Walk for Hector's coordinator based in Christchurch. The walk is also supported by the Department of Conservation and Enviroschools.
• Walk for Hector's takes place during Seaweek (1-8 March 2010) the annual week long celebration of New Zealand's unique marine life organized by the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE).
• Aescleah has dual nationality - her mother is a New Zealander, her father is Welsh. The Hawkins family lived in London (UK) until Aescleah was 9 when they moved back to New Zealand to settle in Christchurch.
• Paul Bingham of Black Cat Cruises is also Chairman of Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism, board member of Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand.

About WWF

WWF-New Zealand is part of the WWF International Network, the world's largest and most experienced independent conservation organisation. It has close to five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. This is achieved by working on the ground with local communities, and in partnership with government and industry, using the best possible science to advocate change and effective conservation policy.

[1] Aescleah is pronounced 'Ashley'

[2] More information on the International Year of Biodiversity at: http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

[3] The IUCN is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

ENDS

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