New fishing restrictions to protect dolphins
A nationwide ban on drift netting is among a raft of changes to fishing methods as part of a Government plan to protect endangered dolphins.
Ma¯ui dolphins are critically endangered, with only about 63 left and Hector's dolphins were nationally vulnerable with about 15,000 in New Zealand's waters.
Yesterday, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash announced the plan, which Greenpeace says is promising but not transformational.
It will see extensions to the marine mammal protection areas and a proposal to prohibit seismic surveying and seabed mining in the five marine mammal protection areas.
It will extend bans on trawling and set net fishing around much of the South Island and the West Coast of the North Island.
New regulations will also give the fisheries minister power to act immediately to impose further restrictions if a single dolphin is caught in the Ma¯ ui dolphin habitat within the west coast of the North Island.
More than 15,000 submissions were made on the Threat Management Plan review and a 78,000 signature petition was presented on options for improving the protection of the dolphins.
Nash acknowledged the changes, which will come into force from October 1, will affect some fishing operators and said the decisions were not taken lightly.
A targeted transitional support package is being established to help and incentivise fishing operators to adapt to the new restrictions, he said.
Nash said fishing activities and the disease toxoplasmosis posed the biggest threats to the dolphins and DOC will roll out a toxoplasmosis action plan.
Sage said the precious marine mammals were New Zealand's taonga and action was needed now to ensure the dolphins were around for future generations.
Greenpeace said while the plan made some promising steps, it was not completely transformational.
Jessica Desmond, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace, said the plan fell short in some areas.
‘‘In several areas the restrictions fall short of the 12 nautical mile limit. This means there will still be risky fishing in Ma¯ui dolphin habitat,'' Desmond said.
‘‘It also makes it unnecessarily complicated to administer and understand.''