Media Release: Department of Conservation—Te Papa Atawhai, 25.11.2013
On the evening of Monday 26th November, Dr Nick Smith, Minister of Conservation (DOC) and Nathan Guy, Minister for Primary Industries (MPI) announced significant new protective measures to increase the safety of New Zealand’s endangered Maui’s dolphins including restrictions on set net fishing. Decisions have been made on both the Maui’s dolphin Threat Management Plan review (TMP review) and the variation to the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary.
A package of measures is being implemented as part of the TMP review process. These will aim to address research gaps and to put in place greater protection for Maui’s dolphins from both fisheries and non-fisheries threats. To add to this, all current restrictions to set net fishing, including the interim protection measures introduced in Taranaki in July 2012, will be maintained. For further information on the protection measures being implemented, please refer to our website (www.doc.govt.nz/tmp-review).
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Secondly, the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary is being varied to include new restrictions within the existing sanctuary.This variation prohibits commercial and recreational set net fishing between two and seven nautical miles offshore between Pariokariwa Point and the Waiwhakaiho River, Taranaki and increases current set net fishing restrictions by 350 square kilometers.
The variation to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary is in addition to the protection measures put in place as part of the TMP review and will be implemented alongside them. For further information on the variation to the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary, please refer to our website (www.doc.govt.nz/sanctuary-variation).