Maui's dolphin, found off the west coast of North Island in New Zealand, has recently been identified as a subspecies of Hector's dolphin. This subspecies is the world's rarest marine dolphin – there are around 100 in the wild – and more than one human induced death every seven years seriously threatens its chances of recovery.

A slow breeding rate and small population size have made of Maui's dolphin a very endangered subspecies.

However, over since March 2001, seven dead Maui's dolphins have been found. Five of these deaths were due to fishing, one was impossible to determine and one was because of natural causes. This dolphin is vulnerable to set net (gill net) and trawl fishing, marine pollution and debris, boat strikes and genetic bottleneck.

The most significant threat to Maui's dolphins is from set net fishing. Dolphins do not seem able to detect the fine nylon nets with echolocation and swim into them.

They cannot swim backwards so are unable to free themselves from the net. Since they cannot reach the surface to breathe, they drown within a couple of minutes. A set net ban is in place in part of the dolphin's range. The ban at this stage does not fully include harbors yet, even though dolphins have been sighted there.

In the South Island, Hector's dolphins have drowned in coastal trawl nets. It appears there is a risk to the Maui's dolphin where there is overlap between dolphin habitat and trawl operations. Trawlers are still operating beyond of 1 nautical mile of the coast where dolphins continue to be vulnerable to by-catch.

The genetic diversity of Maui's dolphin has declined significantly over the last 100 years, raising concerns about a "genetic bottleneck". Their genetic diversity has been reduced from at least three lineages to one, making them susceptible to extinction from environmental and demographic change.

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/hectors_dolphin/mauis_dolphin/

Help us prevent net fishing in New Zealand and in the West Coast of North Island by signing my petition and taking action in saving the couple of Maui dolphin left.