Hector's adn Maui's Dolphin SOS

Marine mammal experts condemn seismic tests in Maui's dolphin habitat

The Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) is urging the New Zealand government to halt seismic testing in Maui’s dolphin habitat immediately. In a letter to New Zealand’s Prime Minister the SMM expressed concerns about seismic surveys in the home of the little known Maui’s dolphin, the rarest dolphin species on earth. The President of the Society Prof. Helen Marsh said that allowing seismic testing in the dolphins’ habitat may harm their hearing and push them into unprotected areas, where they are more exposed to fishing nets. The impact on the 55 remaining Maui’s dolphins could be devastating. Read more ...

Six Hector's dolphins die in a single month

One of six Hector's dolphins found dead.

New information from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation reveals that a record six Hector’s dolphins were found dead last December. Five of the deaths occurred along the east coast of the country’s South Island. The sustainable limit for this area is just one dolphin per year. Another individual was washed up along the west coast.

In 1988 New Zealand’s established its first Marine Mammals Sanctuary to protect the Hector’s dolphins against harmful fishing practices, the primary cause of their decline. But Sanctuary is failing in its task because it is simply too small. Read more ...

Maui's dolphins extinct by 2030: world's marine mammal scientists urge immediate action

Under current protection levels, Maui’s dolphins will become practically extinct by 2030 as a result of fishing.

In a letter to New Zealand’s Prime Minister, the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) urges the government to ban gillnets and trawling in Maui’s dolphin habitat immediately to avoid their extinction. With a membership of some 2,000 scientists from 60 countries, the SMM is the world's largest professional body dedicated to research on marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them. The letter highlights that fishing nets alone kill about nine percent of an estimated population of 55 individuals over one year of age, which will render Maui’s dolphins virtually extinct in less than 20 years. Read more

Maui's dolphin extinction scenario

Under current protection levels, Maui’s dolphins will become practically extinct by 2030 as a result of fishing. Green bars: Historic population status, orange bars: prognosis at an annual decline of 9% due to fishing.

Fishing nets threaten Hector's dolphins inside a Marine Mammal Sanctuary

UNSAFE: A commercial trawler hauls in its nets while a group of Hector's dolphins swims just yards away. Clear proof that the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary is too small to protect this endangered marine species.

In 1988 New Zealand established its first Marine Mammal Sanctuary on the east coast of the country's South Island to protect the resident Hector's dolphin population against harmful fishing nets. But the so-called 'Sanctuary' is failing in its task because it is simply too small. What's more, the New Zealand government has been aware of this fact since at least 2009 but is refusing to act. Read more

The End of 100% Pure New Zealand

CLICK image to enlarge.

Set netting (commercial and recreational) and trawling have decimated New Zealand's endemic Maui’s dolphins from around 1,000 to less than 55 adults - that’s less than 20 breeding females. Yet the NZ government continues to drag its heals, ignores the science and gives credence to outlandish and misleading claims by the fishing industry, which denies responsibility for the animals' demise.

New Zealand’s reputation as an environmentally responsible nation is crumbling. As more Maui’s dolphins die, New Zealand's iconic fern is wilting. We need strong international support if we are to stand a chance of saving this species and avoid the first man-made extinction of a marine cetacean - something even the whalers didn’t quite manage. Read more

A big thank you ...

... to everyone who have signed, shared and promoted our petition, which made it easy for everyone to participate in the New Zealand government’s public consultation on Maui’s dolphins. An amazing 14,880 submissions came together because we came together to help them. That’s 6,500 more than in the last consultation round. In addition we distributed 8,000 submission leaflets and 5,200 reports in various countries around the world. Thank you all so very much! Of course our work doesn’t stop because the consultation period has passed, but let's pause for a moment, take a deep breath and reflect about what we have achieved together. We can’t let Maui’s or Hector’s dolphins down, so please stay tuned for the next chapter in trying to get them the protection they need and deserve.

Historic alliance of leading environmental groups pledge new actions to protect whales and dophins

Save the Whales: Reloaded selects Maui's & Hector's dolphin conservation as one of its first three priority areas for action

Over 75 leading environmental and animal protection groups and businesses, including NABU International have committed to Save the Whales: Reloaded, a new global alliance will identify and work together to protect whales and dolphins in areas where they most need help. Twenty two conservation groups and businesses from around the world have joined NABU International in a collective bid to save Maui and Hector’s dolphins as part of the Save the Whales: Reloaded campaign. Read more

How New Zealand Law Lets Down the ‘Down-Under Dolphin’ and How to Fix It
A New Zealand lawyer speaks out

Nicola Wheen is a Senior Lecturer at New Zealand’s University of Otago’s Faculty of Law. Her latest paper, entitled "How the Law Lets Down the ‘Down-Under Dolphin’ - Fishing-Related Mortality of Marine Animals and the Law in New Zealand”, which was published in the Journal of Environmental Law in September 2012, is both interesting and highly relevant to our cause. We are delighted to have Nicola explain her findings and point towards a simple solution firsthand.
Read more ...

New Zealand shames itself in front of the world

The New Zealand government has exposed its anti-conservation stance in the most spectacular way. At the recent IUCN World Conservation Congress, New Zealand was the only nation to cast a vote against a motion in favour of better protection of the last 55 or so Maui's dolphins and their endangered cousins, the Hector's dolphin. With about 6000 daily participants, the meeting is the world’s largest conservation event and brings together professionals and governments to discuss the environment. The IUCN's demands perfectly match those of our turn the red sea green campaign, confirming once again the legitimacy of what we have been asking the New Zealand government to do. Read more

Would you give up seafood from New Zealand to save Maui's and Hector's dolphins?

Hector's dolphins and their close relative the Maui’s dolphin live only in New Zealand and are both the smallest and rarest marine dolphins on earth. Entanglement in gill and trawl nets has devastated them to near extinction. Unless things change, they will disappear forever.

Since he 1970s, Hector’s dolphin populations have dropped by more than 75% from 30,000 to just over 7,000. The situation is even worse for Maui’s dolphins, their North Island subspecies. With just some 55 animals and around 20 breeding females left, Maui's dolphins are facing imminent extinction.

Saving this species is a race against time that can only be won if the threat of fishing is removed from the dolphins’ habitat. But industry bodies have forcefully opposed every effort to protect these animals and even took the government to court on several occasions in an attempt to overturn protection measures.

Both the Conservation and Primary Industries ministers said they are not implementing immediate protection measures because they fear being sued by the industry. No one wants this. But no one should be allowed to intimidate a government into allowing a species to be wiped out. There are a mere 55 Maui's dolphins left. All other avenues have been explored. This would be the very last resort to persuade the industry that this is not o.k.

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