Hector’s dolphins are found exclusively in the coastal waters of New Zealand. Unfortunately, over the past 40 years, deaths as a result of becoming caught in gillnets and trawl fishing nets have had a serious impact on this species. Rough estimates show that there are only around 8,000 remaining. New protection measures implemented in 2008 were a major improvement, but still not enough to allow the species to begin to recover. As things stand now, it is expected to take more than 1,000 years for Hector’s dolphins to reach just half of their original population size. Unfortunately, the species as a whole is still declining.

With the fishing threat only half-solved, several new threats may be added soon, including two proposals for invasive research. One involves dolphins being caught and brought onboard a boat to have holes drilled in their dorsal fins and a tag bolted on. There is also a proposal to place 200 tidal turbines in the entrance to a harbor used by the North Island Hector’s dolphins (known there as Maui’s dolphins). Only about 100 dolphins remain in this particular group, which are genetically distinct from other Hector’s dolphins.

TAKE ACTION:
Please urge New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to improve protection for Hector’s dolphin by reducing the amount of gillnet and trawl fishing in dolphin habitat and by declining the applications for tidal turbines and invasive research.

Source: Humane Society International