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Letter to New Zealand Minister of Conservation: additional protection is insufficient

Hon Dr. Nick Smith
Minister for Conservation
Government of New Zealand

Dear Dr. Smith,

Thank you for advising the Society of Marine Mammalogy that additional netting closures are planned to protect Maui’s dolphin.

We appreciate that such action is very difficult because of the resultant negative impact on the New Plymouth fishing industry.

Members of the Society have extensive experience with efforts to reduce interactions between marine mammals and the fishing industry. It is our professional opinion that to successfully conserve this sub-species, it will be necessary to reduce the risk of Maui’s dolphins being caught in nets to zero. This can only be done by extending the proposed netting closures to cover the entire range of the Maui’s dolphin.

While we realize the complications of such an action, the Society hopes that the New Zealand government will be able to take this critical step to save the world’s rarest dolphins.

Sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig
Helene Marsh
President

Letter to New Zealand Prime Minister regarding seismic surveys and Maui’s dolphin

Rt. Hon. Mr John Key
Prime Minister of New Zealand

Hon. Mr. Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Hon. Mr. Nick Smith
Minister of Conservation

Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

17 April 2013

Dear Sirs

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the World’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society concerning ongoing seismic surveys within the area of protection for Maui’s dolphins Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. The most recent science indicates that only about 55 individuals of this subspecies remain and government agencies are currently considering protection measures to eliminate deaths in fisheries by removing gillnets and trawling from the protected area.

Like porpoises, these dolphins use high frequency sonar to locate their prey. A recent study of harbour porpoises (Lucke et al. 2009) found them to be more sensitive to auditory damage from seismic testing than any other dolphin or whale. The direct damage to porpoises anticipated to result from a planned seismic project off California, USA resulted in the denial to permit this activity by the California Coastal Commission (see http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2012/11/W13b-11-2012.pdf). It should be noted that the potential seriousness of the impact of the seismic activity was considered excessive for a stock of over 2,000 individuals that has no current conservation concerns. By comparison, Maui’s dolphin is Critically Endangered.

The Society’s letter of January this year commended the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries for convening an Expert President Panel and preparing a Risk Assessment Report (www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/threat-management-plan-review-for-mauis-dolphin) to inform the review.

The letter went on to state:
Scientists from New Zealand and elsewhere have provided an exceptionally strong scientific basis for managing fisheries to prevent the extinction of Maui’s dolphins. I trust that you recognize the urgent need to act on that science and strengthen measures to protect these dolphins, which are endemic to North Island waters. Any bycatch of Maui’s dolphins is clearly unsustainable and, on behalf of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, I concur with the IWC recommendation to extend the North Island protected area and the IUCN resolution to ban gillnet and trawl fisheries in all areas where Maui’s dolphins are found as critical actions without which this population is highly likely to decline towards extinction.

I encourage you to act quickly and decisively to provide the leadership in marine conservation that the world expects of your country. The Society’s biennial international conference will be held in Dunedin later this year – I hope we will be able to receive reports of positive management developments benefiting Maui’s dolphins at that time.

We are very concerned that seismic testing is being allowed in the protected area not only because of the risk of direct harm to dolphin hearing but also because potential displacement from this habitat by Maui’s dolphins could result in increased bycatch in unprotected areas. Allowing this seismic testing thus appears inconsistent with the New Zealand Government’s stated goal of enabling this subspecies to recover. We urge you to reconsider the decision to allow this seismic testing in and near the protected area in light of the high risk to the Maui’s dolphin.

Yours sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig

Helene Marsh PhD, FTSE

President Society for Marine Mammalogy

Letter to New Zealand Prime Minister regarding Maui’s dolphin

Mr John Key
Prime Minister of New Zealand

Mr Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Mr Nick Smith
Minister of Conservation

Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

11 February 2013

Dear Sirs,

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society, concerning the review of the Threat Management Plan for Maui’s dolphins, Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. I commend the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries for convening an Expert Panel and preparing a Risk Assessment Report to inform the review (see
(www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/threat-management-plan-review-for-mauis-dolphin)

The Society is committed to using the best available scientific evidence to support sustainable marine resource management, and thus supports conservation solutions consistent with the conclusions of the Expert Panel.

The data on fishing effort presented in the Risk Assessment Report show that gillnetting and trawling still occur in areas inhabited by Maui’s dolphins (see Figures A2.8 and A2.11 of the Report). Gillnets are used up to the boundary of the current protected area, and trawling continues inside and outside the protected area. In fact, the Expert Panel estimated that five Maui’s dolphins die each year from entanglement in fishing gear.

Thus, entanglement mortality annually removes about 9% of the estimated remaining population of 55 individuals (over one year of age), and greatly exceeds the level of human-caused mortality that this small population of dolphins can sustain. Scientific advice often involves a degree of uncertainty, but in a situation such as this one involving a critically endangered subspecies delay to resolve uncertainty could have dire, irrevocable results.

After reviewing research on Maui’s dolphins at its meeting in June 2012, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) expressed particular concern about the small size of the population and recommended immediate implementation of the proposal by the Ministry for Primary Industries to extend the North Island protected area to approximately 80 km south of the latest dolphin bycatch site, offshore to the 100 m depth contour and to include the harbours. As a further indication of international interest and concern, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted a resolution at its World Conservation Congress in September 2012, urging the New Zealand government to ban gillnet and trawl fisheries in all areas where Maui’s dolphins are found.

Scientists from New Zealand and elsewhere have provided an exceptionally strong scientific basis for managing fisheries to prevent the extinction of Maui’s dolphins. Any bycatch of Maui’s dolphins is clearly unsustainable, You will appreciate the urgent need to act on that science and strengthen measures to protect these dolphins, which are endemic to North Island waters. On behalf of the Society for Marine Mammology, I concur with the IWC recommendation to extend the North Island protected area and the IUCN resolution to ban gillnet and trawl fisheries in all areas where these dolphins are found. These actions are critical and without them this population is highly likely to decline towards extinction.

I encourage you to act quickly and decisively to provide the leadership in marine conservation that the world expects of your country.

The Society’s 20th biennial international conference will be held in Dunedin later this year. I look forward to receiving reports of positive management developments benefiting Maui’s dolphins at that time and would be very happy to meet with members of the New Zealand government or their officers if you think that would be helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Helene Marsh PhD, FTSE.

New Zealand can act to conserve dolphins

Rt. Hon. Helen Clark Prime Minister
PO Box 18888 Parliament Buildings
Wellington New Zealand

New Zealand can act to conserve Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins

Dear Prime Minister:

The recent extinction of the baiji, (Lipotes vexillifer), a river dolphin endemic to China, is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of dolphins and porpoises to human activities. The Board of the Society for Marine Mammalogy wishes to convey to you its grave concern about the future of Maui’s dolphins and the continued vulnerability of Hector’s dolphin. Our Society is the largest professional group in the world dedicated to the study of marine mammals and consists of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. We are dedicated to the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and their ecosystems. As you know, only about 100 Maui’s dolphins and some 7000 Hector’s dolphins remain. Maui’s dolphins are recognized both nationally and internationally as critically endangered. The very small size of the population is of particular concern as small populations are vulnerable both to natural disasters and human impacts. Hector’s dolphins are listed as endangered by both New Zealand and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Hector’s dolphins are found in three geographically and genetically isolated populations, a situation which increases their vulnerability to human impacts.

New Zealand has been a world leader in the conservation of marine ecosystems and has demonstrated strong commitment to the conservation of Hector’s dolphins through establishment of the Bank’s Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary and the protected area for Maui’s dolphins off the North Island. We commend you and your Government for these actions and for the Draft Threat Management Plan now under consideration.

As you evaluate further measures to conserve Maui’ s and Hector’s dolphins, we urge you to consider the following:

  1. Hector’s dolphins are amongst the best-studied species of marine mammals. There is an extensive scientific literature describing the distribution, abundance, population structure and demography of these dolphins. While Maui’s dolphin is less well known, the knowledge of Hector’s dolphins is likely to be highly applicable. Management action does not need to wait for further research.
  2. The scientific evidence is very clear. The primary threat to both sub-species is bycatch in commercial and recreational gill net fisheries and trawl fisheries. Scientific evidence suggests that any level of by-catch of Maui’s dolphin is unsustainable. The estimated by-catch rates for Hector’s dolphin continue to be the primary cause of concerns for its vulnerability.
  3. The only conservation measure that has proven to reduce by-catches of all small cetaceans in gill net and trawl fisheries effectively over the long term is separation of nets and animals in time and/or space. The two protected areas for Hector’s and Maui’ s dolphins were major steps forward when they were created, but recent research has demonstrated that these areas are likely to be insufficient to allow recovery. Significant increases in the nature and extent of the spatial protection are required to limit the risk of extinction for Maui’s dolphin and to improve the conservation status of Hector’s dolphin. This protection needs to be extended to all populations of Hector’s dolphins.

We look forward to your continued leadership on this critical conservation issue. We hope that New Zealand’s actions will continue to set a global standard for the effective conservation of the world’s whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Please contact me if you would like further independent scientific advice from members of the Society who are experts in the conservation of coastal dolphins.

Yours sincerely,

John E. Reynolds, III, Ph.D. President

cc:
Hon. Steve Chadwick Minister of Conservation Parliament Buildings
P.O. Box 18888
Wellington New Zealand

Hon. Jim Anderton
Minister of Fisheries
Parliament Buildings
P.O. Box] 8888
Wellington New Zealand