International Whaling Commission expresses ‘grave concerns’ for Maui’s dolphins
Commission urges NZ govt action to save Maui’s, again
(Wellington, 22 June) The world’s leading whale and dolphin scientists have expressed their ‘grave concerns’ about the
survival of the last 55 Maui’s dolphins, and reiterated their calls for urgent action to save these animals from
imminent extinction.
The newly released International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee report concludes that the New Zealand
government is falling short of protecting Maui’s dolphins and urges the highest priority be given to eliminating the
risk to dolphins from entanglement in setnets and trawl nets before it is too late.
“Action to protect Maui’s dolphins is long overdue, and not only is the delay making the road to recovery for the
world’s smallest and rarest dolphinmore difficult, the repeated issuing of extinction warnings that go unheeded is
tarnishing New Zealand’s reputation on the global stage,” said Peter Hardstaff, WWF-New Zealand’s Head of Campaigns.
“WWF urges the government to act without further delay and to help affected fishers transition to dolphin-friendly
methods.”
The IWC recommends that Maui’s dolphins should be protected throughout their entire range, from Maunganui Bluff in
Northland to Whanganui, offshore to 20 nautical miles and inside harbours. Currently less than half of Maui’s current
range is protected by fishing restrictions.
New population modelling from Professor Liz Slooten was presented at the Commission’s meeting last month that revealed
the population of Maui’s dolphins would continue to decline under the current limited protection measures, with the
likelihood of the population having just 5 breeding females in 2033. However, under the IWC’s recommendations, the
population has a much higher chance of recovery.
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