News

Māui and Hector’s dolphins are often in the news. Most often though, it’s because they are caught in nets, found dead on beaches, or New Zealand is being noted for letting them slide into extinction.

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The 2019 Threat Management Plan and current updates:​

Threat Management Plan

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October 2021 

• A study commissioned by DOC and Fisheries New Zealand reported that there were likely to be 54 Maui dolphins over 1 year old within the survey area, with 95% confidence that the number of dolphins was between 48 and 64.

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June 2021

• Hector’s and Māui dolphin Research Strategy 2021 was created to support the vision and goals of the Hector's and Māui Dolphin Threat Management Plan (TMP).

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November 2020

• Changes to five marine mammal sanctuaries and the Kaikoura Whale Sanctuary came into effect on 5 November.

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October 2020

• The new measures to restrict commercial and recreational set-net and commercial trawl fishing announced in June 2020 took effect.

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Reference and more information (Timeline of protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins)

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More information on the Threat Management Plan

• The Draft TMP from MPI

• NZIER: Hector's and Māui dolphin threat management plan (November 2019)

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Recent News​​

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• Why is it so hard to save this species? A recent article about the countdown to extinction for Maui Dolphins

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• Dolphin Defender Genevieve Robinson asks Canterbury Regional Council to do more

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• Drones will be deployed in the efforts to spot Māui dolphins, but only more investment preventing fishing entanglement, toxoplasmosis and other human impacts will save them.

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• Sea Shepherd take the fight for protection to the US

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• Increased fishing quotas pose more threats to Māui dolphins

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• Other threats dolphins are facing - Hector's dolphins in danger from retired landfill / Colac Bay erosion 

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Deaths

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• Hector's and Māui dolphin incident database 

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• Dead Māui's dolphin discovered to be pregnant

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• Māui dolphin found dead on Auckland beach

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• Three Hector's dolphins were killed in a net off the Canterbury coast

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• Four endangered Hector's dolphins caught in fishing trawls​

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Government announcements

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• Further protect South Island Hector's dolphins - Have your say. Government consultation closes on December 6th. 

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• The 2021 Māui dolphin population estimate

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• Timeline of protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins

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• Govt announces a $17.1million programme for cameras on boats only in Māui habitat

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• Camera programme better for the industry than for Māui and Hector's​

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Further reading and references

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• Protect Pahu (Hector's dolphins) from fishing nets petition link 

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• Hector’s dolphin sightings app is an online tool to act as a portal for citizen science reporting of dolphins around New Zealand.

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• DoC – Visit this page for the Māui and Hector’s dolphin sightings database – mortality record, abundance estimate and info on past and proposed Threat Management Plans.​

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• New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust – We work with a range of scientists, including world experts Professor Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson from the University of Otago and the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust.

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• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society​