Press Release

23 February 2010

High Court Ruling a Reprieve for NZ’s Endangered Dolphins

A High Court ruling has stopped a section of the fishing industry from stripping away vital Government protection measures for New Zealand's endangered Hector's and Maui's dolphins, designed to stem the number of dolphins dying in fishing nets in New Zealand's coastal waters each year. 

WWF said the ruling today was a reprieve for Hector's and Maui's dolphins, and would be welcomed by the New Zealand public who do not want the dolphins to be pushed to extinction. In the decision released by the High Court today, the Judge upheld four points of new protection measures for the dolphins, and referred two back to the current Minister of Fisheries for his consideration.  The Fisheries Minister must now consider the accuracy of information available to him in his decision making process.  Where there is limited information, the Minister is obliged to take a precautionary approach.

"Saving Hector’s and Maui's dolphins is a national conservation emergency," said WWF-New Zealand's Marine Programme Manager, Rebecca Bird.  "The science is very clear - take the nets out of the water and the dolphins numbers will start to recover.  Today's ruling is a reprieve for these endangered dolphins.  However, fishing still occurs in areas frequented by the dolphins, threatening their recovery.  We call on the Ministers of Fisheries and Conservation to respond urgently to New Zealanders' wishes, by introducing a comprehensive suite of management measures to ensure Hector's and Maui's dolphins recover to their former abundance."

Scientific research shows that fishing with nets is the biggest human cause of the dolphins' decline.  The dolphins cannot detect the fine mesh of fishing nets, become entangled and drown.  The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) estimated that prior to the new Government protection measures between 110 and 150 Hector's dolphins were drowning in commercial set nets every year. The research found that if this death toll continued unchecked, it would lead to the eventual extinction of the species. 

Whilst today's news is positive for the survival of the dolphins, scientific analysis of the protection measures show that in full and at best they would halt the decline of Hector's dolphins. 

"Dolphins have died needlessly in nets during this legal process.  The process has distracted from the real issue of ensuring the recovery of Hector's and Maui's dolphin numbers.  Rather, the focus has been on watering down protection measures that were already a compromise between commercial interests of fishers and the survival of the species.  Today's ruling is a significant step forward in the dolphins' fight for survival, but the measures are not far reaching enough to guarantee their future. Dolphins will still continue to die in fishing nets in areas where protection is inadequate," said WWF's Ms Bird.

"The vast majority of New Zealanders want increased protection for one of our most treasured species.  Today's ruling is step in the right direction for our dolphins, and will be welcomed by many New Zealanders who have been following this case closely," she said.

ENDS

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