A group of people have today carried out a protest action at the local electorate office of Prime Minister and Botany MP Christopher Luxon over the deaths of rare dolphins.
The group, Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders, placed white crosses with images of dolphins attached to them on the front lawn of Luxon’s office in Northpark.
In a statement, it says it’s calling on the coalition Government to “better protect Hector’s dolphins after yet another death caused by the trawl industry just a few days ago”.
The Department of Conservation Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Incident Database, updated on August 30, reveals 15 dolphins killed by the fishing industry this fishing season, since October, 2023.
That’s when the number of onboard cameras increased from less than 10 to more than 100 vessels.
The group says the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Hector’s dolphin Bycatch Reduction Plan requires quarterly reporting and clear accountability to the public, to ‘incentivise and support fishers toward zero bycatch’.
“Despite these objectives, record numbers of dolphins are being reported killed.”
Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders chair, Christine Rose, says: “Fifteen dead dolphins reported in less than a year is a new record.
“It’s highly likely that these huge numbers were always being killed by the fishing industry, but not reported, until the roll out of cameras on boats.
