A Maui’s dolphin is killed in a commercial gillnet, off Cape Egmont in Taranaki. This is well south of the protected area for Maui’s dolphin. Map of dolphin death, from Ministry for Primary Industries: This death could have been avoided, by including Taranaki in the protected area off the North Island west coast. Taranaki and […]
Finally a decision!
Before the end of the International Whaling Commission meeting, a decision was made. But it’s not all we could have hoped for, and not all that the IWC recommended. Let’s compare the decision made by David Carter (Minister for Primary Industry) with the International Whaling Commission’s recommendations. The International Whaling Commission recommended: ✓ Immediate extension […]
Strong support from scientists
The Ministry for Primary Industries organised an Expert Panel meeting on Maui’s dolphin. The panel consisted of scientists from Auckland University, Otago University, the US National Marine Fisheries Service, National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, Te Papa and the Seafood Industry Council. Again, there was strong agreement that dolphin deaths in gillnets and trawl fisheries […]
Trust researchers leave for Right Whale study at Auckland Islands
Trust researchers are making final preparations and packing for a 25 day research expedition to the Auckland Islands to study right whales. The research has three aims: To assess recovery of this population via gaining the best quality population estimate yet. This is done using photo-ID of individual whales (Led by Dr Will Rayment) To […]
Strong public support for protection
Public submissions on the proposed interim protection measures for Maui’s dolphin come out strongly in favour of extending the protected area south to Hawera (about 80km south of the dolphin death in January). In addition, 24,448 public submissions want to see protection extended offshore to the 100m water depth contour, including the harbours, want to […]
Only 55 Maui’s dolphins left
The Department of Conservation releases a new population estimate for Maui’s dolphin. This estimate – of only 55 individuals (aged 1 year and older) remaining – is shocking news and puts further emphasis on the need to act immediately to prevent this dolphin going extinct. The researchers, from Department of Conservation and Auckland University, recommend […]
Two more dead dolphins
Two dead dolphins are found entangled in a gillnet on Waikuku Beach, just north of Christchurch – another reminder that Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins are still being killed in fishing nets around New Zealand. The number of dolphin deaths in commercial gillnets has apparently been reduced from 35-46 per year to 23 per year off […]