Maui dolphin policy ‘wrong’ - MP

Tauranga Independent MP Brendan Horan is leading a chorus of political voices claiming the Green Party's planned policy on the endangered Maui's dolphin is 'wrong and doesn't make sense”.

The Green Party yesterday launched its plan to ban set-net fishing, trawling and gas and oil exploration throughout the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary, home to the world's smallest and most endangered dolphin.

Brendan Horan says the Green Party policy to protect the Maui dolphin is flawed.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says $20million would be given to fishermen assisting the transition to new 'dolphin-safe fishing methods” in the range from Maunganui Bluff to Whanganui River.

The money will be spent in consultation with the affected fishers, but it is anticipated it will be used as transitional support to alternative dolphin-friendly fishing gear, including support for technology-led research and appropriate permitting.

According to the Government's own figures Metiria says the annual revenue lost by closing these fisheries is only $13.5 million per year, less than one percent of New Zealand's $1.5 billion annual seafood exports.

"National's sham sanctuary allows dangerous oil drilling, seismic surveying, seabed mining, and fishing methods which are lethal to Maui's dolphins. It's closer to a slaughterhouse than a safe house."

Only 55 Maui's dolphins are believed to exist and the Government maintains that no dolphins have been killed as a result of oil and gas exploration.

NZ Independent Coalition on Tuesday launched its own strategy to protect the Maui's dolphin. It plans to 'promote a scientific research team to determine the exact habitat of the Maui population.

'The team will track the dolphin daily and determine the health, size and specific requirements to save this species.”

Brendan says the Green Party have got it wrong and more research must be undertaken before any drastic policy changes are made.

'What we are saying is first and foremost you must get a scientific team charged with tracking the dolphins, isolating their habitat and working out what disease whether it's Brucella or Toxoplasmosis that might be killing them,” says Brendan.

He believes a blanket ban on fishing throughout the waters is the wrong approach that will penalise fishermen, most of whom are 'avid conservationists”.

'Once the scientific team isolate the habitat then Government can consider the areas to make net-free and consider fair compensation for those fishermen affected.”

Conservation Minister Nick Smith also hit out at the Green Party plan, claiming there hasn't been a single incident involving Maui's dolphin and Taranaki's $3 billion oil and gas industry in over 40 years.

The Government introduced compulsory regulations for protecting marine mammals from exploration activities in 2010 that ensures no harm to Maui's dolphin.

Prohibition on any new oil and gas exploration in this large area will come at a huge economic cost long-term not just to Taranaki but more widely to New Zealand, says Nick.

'Set net fishing is the major risk for the Maui's dolphin and has been responsible for every recorded human-caused death. The National Government doubled the set net ban area to 6200 square kilometres in 2012 to cover all areas where there had been confirmed sightings. There has not been a single incident or fatality since we introduced these new protections.

'We also required 100 per cent observer coverage on all fishing vessels beyond this area and in over 900 trips not one Maui's dolphin has been sighted. The Government will review the set net ban area if any Maui's dolphins are sighted outside the current protect area.”

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