Are New Zealand political parties listening to the people in the lead-up to 20 September national election?

A report published this week shows a large majority of New Zealanders are prepared to pay a “Dolphin Tax”, or to pay more for the fish ‘n’ chips, to stop the animals dying in fishing nets. The report was commissioned by WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and presented in summary form to the Biennial meeting of the Marine Mammal Society which was held in Dunedin, NZ, December 2013.

The New Zealand Dolphin (also known as Hector’s and Maui’s dolphin) is unique to NZ and numbers are in rapid decline, primarily due to accidental drowning in fish nets. The North Island population in particular (Maui’s dolphin) has an estimated population of fewer than 55 adults and only about 15 breeding females.

“The New Zealand dolphin is doomed unless urgent action is taken to stop destructive fishing methods,” says biologist Gemma McGrath, a WDC consultant working in NZ. “We recognise that this will cost money and the really important finding from our study is that New Zealanders are prepared to pay extra for fish so non-destructive methods can be used."

WDC, other international and local conservation organisations and marine mammal scientists believe the best means of achieving protection for the dolphins is to declare a national New Zealand Dolphin Sanctuary everywhere the animals are found and for non-destructive fishing methods to be required within this sanctuary.

The sanctuary would be primarily in areas of less than 100 m depth around the coast. It would not ban all fishing, just the two methods that accidentally kill dolphins.

More than anything, such a dolphin sanctuary or MPA could be a point of pride for New Zealanders to give their iconic, native dolphin a permanent place in coastal waters.

For more information and the full report please contact WDC or you can download the report here.