Taranaki fishermen have backed the New Zealand government’s stance of voting against further protection for the endangered maui’s dolphin.
New Zealand was the only country to oppose a motion, aimed at stopping the extinction of the world’s rarest dolphins and porpoises, including New Zealand’s hector’s and maui’s dolphins put forward at the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress in Korea last week. Some 576 members, including governments and NGOs, voted for the motion.
The motion included an urgent extension of protection measures, with an emphasis on banning gill net and trawl net use from the shoreline to the 100 metre depth contour in all areas where hector’s and maui’s dolphins are found.
While the move has been labelled “shameful” and a “disgrace” by conservation groups and critics, it has met with the approval of Taranaki fishermen.
Local fisherman Ian McDougall said the Government had done the right thing.
“Not only for the country but also for the protection of the dolphins, there is ample work being done at the moment to safeguard the dolphins,” Mr McDougall said.
He described a ban on the use of set nets up to 3.6km (two nautical miles) off Taranaki’s coast, which was introduced near the end of last month, as overkill.
“If they are going to place a ban all the way round this country to the 100m contour line, off New Plymouth that’s 54 nautical miles.
“It’s a huge area. If that ever happened it would absolutely decimate the entire New Zealand fishery.”
He said the measures would affect hundreds of operators and put thousands of jobs at risk. “You are talking about billions of dollars of income for the country.”
Green Party MP Gareth Hughes said the Government was putting the interests of a handful of fishermen ahead of the safety of threatened dolphins.
Labour MP Ruth Dyson said the Government’s vote was a disgrace. “It beggars belief that the New Zealand Government could oppose a motion to protect these incredibly vulnerable dolphins in our own waters,” she said.
“The Maui’s dolphin is the most endangered dolphin species in the world, but we won’t stand up for its survival? It’s appalling.”
Mr McDougall said it appeared Mr Hughes didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Those comments to me, as a fisherman, are just absolute rubbish.”
He has had an observer aboard his boat for more than two months and after more than 800 hours at sea and travelling more than 500 kilometres they are yet to sight one of the estimated 55 adult dolphins.
In the address to IUCN members, New Zealand head of delegation, Andrew Bignell, said action had already been taken to protect the endangered dolphins, and the recommendation was not backed by scientific evidence.
“New Zealand is committed to the protection of Maui’s and Hector’s dolphin, but is unable to support the proposed motion because it is not consistent with New Zealand Government policy on mitigating fishing-related risks to them,” he said.
Fairfax NZ News