New Zealand Fishermen taking minister to court for protecting endangered dolphins!
15/06/2009 22:59:18
Hector's and Maui dolphin facts
- Hector's dolphins are New Zealand's only native dolphin, and one of the smallest dolphins in the world, reaching only 1.5m in length (or 1.6m for the slightly larger Maui's dolphins).
- They are easily recognisable for their ‘mickey mouse' shaped rounded dorsal fin, and grey and white markings.
- The 2 subspecies of Hector's dolphins, Maui's (in the North Island), and the South Island Hector's dolphin, are physically and genetically distinct from each other. This genetic separation suggests that the dolphins do not travel far up and down the coast.
- Hector's dolphins are classified as ‘nationally vulnerable' while Maui's dolphins are listed internationally as ‘nationally critical'. They are the rarest sub species of marine dolphin in the world.
- Both Hector's and Mauis can live for up to 20 years.
- They are extremely slow to reproduce, with females taking 7 years to reach maturity, and producing one calf every 3 years. This means most females can only have 4 -5 calves in their lifetime.
- The Banks Peninsula marine mammal sanctuary in Canterbury was established in 1988 primarily to reduce set-net deaths of Hector's dolphins in the area.
- Set-net controls were introduced to Canterbury in 2002, and the West Coast of the North Island in 2003.
- The Department of Conservation and Ministry of Fisheries are working together to produce a Threat Management Plan to try to reduce human induced impacts on Hector's dolphins
Forest & Bird on close watch over fishing court case June 2009. New Zealand National conservation organisation Forest & Bird will be closely watching a court case challenging measures to protect endangered Hector's dolphins.
Fishermen taking minister to court for protecting endangered dolphins!
The Federation of Commercial Fishermen and three regional fishing groups are taking the Ministry of Fisheries and previous Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton to court for protecting endangered Hector's and Maui's dolphins.
Hector's dolphin killed in fishing net
In a separate development, New Zealand's Department of Conservation has announced that a Hector's dolphin was reported killed in a commercial fishing net off the east coast of the South Island on May 8.
Forest & Bird Marine Conservation Advocate Kirstie Knowles says this latest reported death illustrates the need to extend fishing restrictions rather than weaken them. "The death of another Hector's dolphin in a fishing net demonstrates that current protection measures are inadequate and that fishing still poses a risk to our endangered dolphins."
A judicial review of some of the fishing restrictions announced in May 2008 to protect Hector's and Maui's dolphins began in the High Court in Wellington on June 15.
Set net bans
The fishing measures include regional bans on set netting and trawling in some coastal waters. Other measures announced last May include better monitoring of commercial fishing boats, four new marine mammal sanctuaries and the extension of the existing sanctuary off Banks Peninsula.
"The Department of Conservation's monitoring of commercial fishing boats has proven to be highly valuable. It shows that Hector's dolphins get caught in nets where previously the industry has denied responsibility for their deaths. Forest & Bird gives credit to those fishers who are working with the observers and supports the observer programme."
At the court case the fishing groups want the fishing restrictions overturned in certain areas, including some measures introduced in May to protect critically endangered Maui's dolphins.
Just 111 Maui's dolphins left
Maui's dolphins - found off the north-west coast of the North Island - are the rarest marine dolphin in the world with just 111 individuals, and are a sub-species of Hector's dolphins. Hector's dolphins number fewer than 8000, down from 21,000-29,000 in the 1970s.
Kirstie Knowles believes the protection measures are critical to halting the decline of the endangered dolphins. "We would like to see the dolphins begin the slow path to population recovery. The measures announced last year are just the minimum to halt decline."
Last year the fishing companies were granted an interim injunction allowing fishing to continue over summer.
The judicial review hearing is expected to last three days.
Read the comments about this article and leave your own comment
Chris,
Not sure where you live but I think that unless you are extremely familiar with NZ avifauna, you are being extremely narrow minded. The introduction of rats, mice, stoats and possums into NZ has led to the extinction of 50 species of bird in the last 100 years and without sustained predator control another 20 or so species would be lost within ten years.
There were three mammals unique to NZ pre-maori and european occupation, all of which were bats. As a consequence many of the bird species endemic to NZ don't fly or fly very short distances and are very confiding. Therefore, what you you think the effect of additional mammals might have been?!
If a species doesn't belong in that eco-system then i strongly believe that it should be removed. If you would like another example of man's brilliant activities, check out Gough Island, where introduced rodents eat live albatross chicks. The birds themeselves breed every two years and raise one chick. In addition, current commerical fishing practices are also taking their toll.
I suggest that you consider the natural eco-systems before making such narrow minded comments.
Posted by: Iain Johnson | 20 Jun 2009 05:38:18
Pests are supposed tobe animals that interfere with mans welfare and food production.Declaring war on these small animals because one man wants to hear more bird song is simply interfering with nature!Will it work? ,well only he can make a judgement ,the rest of us must walk the forest knowing and seeing real live animals of the forest being cruelly killed and probably for nobody's benefit .I am disappointed New Zealand promotes such attitudes.Remember each animal is an individual with its own life, Mr. Sullivan certainly doesnt know if the individuals he has killed were regularly carrying out the crimes he apparently dislikes so much!
Posted by: chris hill | 19 Jun 2009 17:20:30