Media Release For immediate release, 4 Oct

Young surfers turn out for Maui’s dolphin beachcomber event

Around fifty of New Zealand’s leading youth surfers have taken part in an on-shore ‘beachcombing’ event in New Plymouth to help save the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin, which is found only off the West Coast of the North Island.

“Taranaki is an important area for Maui’s,” says WWF’s marine programme manager Rebecca Bird. “They have less protection from fishing nets in these waters than further north, despite scientific evidence that shows they live off the Taranaki coast. With only about 55 Maui’s dolphins over the age of one year left on Earth, the government must take urgent action to protect them fully throughout their entire range.”

WWF ran the ‘Maui’s trail’ beachcomber event at Fitzroy Beach, which featured four action stations designed to give teams the chance to learn about how to identify a Maui’s, where they are found, the threats they face and how people can take action to help save them. Surfers competing in the National Scholastic School Surfing Champs took part in the sessions.

New Zealand representative surfer Paul Moretti, who is competing in the Nationals and took part in the Maui’s trail event, said: “I’ve been surfing since I was 11 and the environment has been a big part of my life. So it is awesome to give something back.

“Maui’s are at risk because of human mistakes and it would be a real shame if they went extinct. I want to do my bit to help save these dolphins.”

A subspecies of the endangered Hector’s dolphins, Maui’s dolphins are only found off the West coast of the North Island. In February, the then Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported the death of a Maui’s in a fishing net off the coast of Taranaki. The government has banned trawl and gillnet fishing in many parts of Maui’s habitat, but there are still areas of their habitat which remain largely unprotected. Other threats include sand mining and exploration for oil and gas, pollution and boat strike.

The government consultation on the review of the Threat Management Plan for Maui’s is now open, and will run until 12 November. WWF is encouraging New Zealanders, including the surfing community, to make their voices heard on this important issue.

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About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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