Experts Appalled at Oil Survey Threat to Maui Dolphin
Monday 14 July 2014: Following yesterday’s rally at John Key’s electorate office in Kumeu, international dolphin experts
are appalled that that the Government has allowed seismic oil surveys to occur in the protected area for the world’s
smallest and most endangered dolphin a week after a dead blue whale washed ashore on the Taranaki coast.
“We ask the Prime Minister to immediately halt all seismic and sonar surveys in the Maui protection area and for this
zone to be extended to 20 nautical miles offshore, as recommended by the International Whaling Commission,” says Dr Liz
Slooten, Maui dolphin expert of Otago University.
“If you wanted to protect the last Maui dolphins, one of the last things you’d do is head into their habitat exploding
sonic airguns that can injure and killwhales and dolphins,” says Dr Liz Slooten. “It is a recipe for extinction. But
that’s exactly what’s been happening since early June.”
On 4 July a dead blue whale washed ashore at Tapuae Beach, Taranaki (1) but was too decomposed to ascertain the cause of
death.
Oil survey ship Duke, commissioned byTodd Shell, had surveyed throughout June within the Maui dolphin protectionarea south of Mt Taranaki
(2). This is where blue whales, usually solitary animals, have been recently discovered gathering to feed (2).
An attached map shows the route of the seismic testing two weeks ago, in another part of the Maui dolphin protection
zone west of Mt Taranaki and near New Plymouth (also read map interpretation at end of this media release).
"The argument from oil companies that seismic surveys haven't been associated with dolphin or whale deaths is
practicallymeaningless at best, or false, at worst,” says Dr Lindy Weilgart one of the world experts on the impact of
sonar on whales and dolphins of Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
“Seismic surveys have been strongly tied to fatal whale, dolphin and giant squid strandings and deaths at sea,” said
DrWeilgart. "Of course, if you don't look, you won't see. Oil and gas companies do not undertake thorough surveys for
whale and dolphin carcasses. Even if they did, only about 3% of dolphin carcasses are ever detected, as they sink or are
eaten by predators.”
“Finally, immediate deaths are not the only concern. Seismic surveys can cause dolphins to avoid important habitat, can
interfere with their food-finding, reproduction, resting, and hearing sounds vital to their survival, and can cause
stress effects. All these canhave serious impacts on the welfare of these populations and the welfare oftheir prey," she
said.
3 http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/9681753/Blue-whale-dine-out-off-Taranaki-in-their-dozens
ends