OSOF welcomed the long overdue public consultation of the Threat Management Plan Review 2019 for protecting Hector’s and Māui dolphins from fishing-related and other threats.
OSOF has taken an approach to advocate for the most protection possible in context of the options outlined in the TMP. We hope that the Government will seriously consider these options as a minimum base-line to build a more robust system of protection for these dolphins.
“The world is watching to see if the New Zealand Government will place the utmost level of urgency required to prevent the human-caused extinction of our endemic dolphins, the Māui, and Hector’s.”
Hector’s and Māui dolphins are unique marine mammals found only in New Zealand waters. These dolphins range close to the coast, making them particularly vulnerable to human activities as evidenced by their decline in numbers over the past decades.
“The implementation of the 2019 Hector’s and Māui Dolphin TMP will be a true test of whether New Zealand can save its endemic Hector’s and Maui Dolphins from all current threats.”
Alongside fisheries impacts such as trawling and set nets which pose the greatest risk to these dolphins, there are several other threats including disease, seismic surveying, seabed mining and vessel-based tourism.
Our full submission on the Hector’s and Māui Dolphin TMP can be found here: https://bit.ly/2P5uUtL