Hector’s dolphins are found only in New Zealand. The species as a whole numbers fewer than 8,000 individuals. That is down from more than 29,000 in 1970. The decline was caused by dolphins being caught and drowned in gillnets used by commercial and recreational fishers.

North Island Hector’s dolphins, also known as Maui’s dolphins, have been worst affected. With a population size of about 100 individuals they are critically endangered.

This problem can be solved simply and effectively by ensuring that only selective fishing methods are used in areas where Hector’s dolphins are found.

In particular, in waters less than 100m deep:

• Use only fishing methods that don’t catch dolphins
• Replace gillnets and trawling with selective, sustainable fishing methods

A Marine Mammal Sanctuary has been created around Banks Peninsula in Canterbury. In this area, commercial gillnetting has been banned throughout the year. However, recreational gillnetting is allowed for 8 months of the year.

There is a protected area off the North Island west coast, from Maunganui Bluff (north of Dargaville) to Pariokariwa Point (north of New Plymouth). In this area commercial and recreational gillnetting have been banned, and fisheries observers are being placed on trawlers.

Recent research carried out by the NZ Whale and Dolphin Trust has shown that both protected areas are not yet large enough to properly protect the dolphins. For example the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary extends 4 nautical miles offshore, but the dolphins range out to nautical 20 miles. The North Island protected area does not include the harbours, and both areas do not include restrictions on trawling.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Department of Conservation have recently released a draft Threat Management Plan for Hector’s dolphin. The plan acknowledges that greater protection is needed for the species as a whole. Clearly, the two existing protected areas are not sufficient to halt population declines.

TXT DOLPHIN TO 8080
Send a txt message with the word "dolphin" to the number 8080 (this costs 20 cents). The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society will forward these messages to the Prime Minister Helen Clark, urging her to put in place effective protection for the dolphins.

To send an Electronic card, please go to:
Care for the Wild:  www.careforthewild.org
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society:  www.savemauisandhectors.co.nz

To send a letter to the Ministers of Fisheries and Conservation click here

• Slooten, E., Rayment, W.J. and Dawson, S.M. Offshore distribution of Hector’s dolphins at Banks Peninsula: Is the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary large enough?  New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater  Research
• Rayment, W., Dawson, S.M., Slooten, E. and Childerhouse, S.J. Offshore distribution of Hector’s dolphin at Banks Peninsula.  Department of Conservation Research and Development  Series, 232, 23 p. (2006)
• Slooten, E., Dawson, S.M., Rayment, W.J. and Childerhouse, S.J. A new abundance estimate for Maui’s dolphin: What does it mean for managing this critically endangered species?  Biological Conservation 128: 576-581 Available online 18 November (2005)
• Dawson, S.M. and Slooten, E. Management of gillnet bycatch of cetaceans in New Zealand.  Journal of Cetacean Research and Management  7: 59-64 (2005)
• Slooten, E., Dawson, S.M., Rayment, W.J. and Childerhouse, S.J. Distribution of  Maui’s dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Report 2005/28,  21p. Published by Ministry of Fisheries, Wellington (2005)
• Gormley, A.M., Dawson, S.M., Slooten, E. and Bräger, S. Capture-recapture estimates of Hector’s dolphin abundance at Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science 21: 204-216 (2005)
• Slooten, E., Dawson, S.M. and Rayment, W.J. Aerial surveys for coastal dolphins: Abundance of Hector’s dolphins off the South Island West Coast, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science 20: 117-130 (2004)
• Dawson, S.M., Slooten, E., DuFresne, S., Wade, P. and Clement, D. Small-boat surveys for coastal dolphins: Line-transect surveys for Hector’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Fishery Bulletin 201: 441-451 (2004)
• Burkhart, S.M. and Slooten, E. Population viability analysis for Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori): A stochastic population model for local populations. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 37: 553-566 (2003)
• Fletcher, D., Dawson, S. and Slooten, E. Designing a mark-recapture study to allow for local emigration. Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics 7(4): 1-8 (2002)
• Bräger, S., Dawson, S.M., Slooten, E., Smith, S., Stone, G.S. and Yoshinaga, A. Site fidelity and along-shore range in Hector’s dolphin, an endangered marine dolphin from New Zealand. Biological Conservation 108: 281-287 (2002)
• Dawson, S., Pichler, F., Slooten, E., Russell, K. and Baker, C.S. The North Island Hector’s dolphin is vulnerable to extinction. Marine Mammal Science 17 (2): 366-371 (2001)
• Slooten, E., Fletcher, D. and Taylor, B.L. Accounting for uncertainty in risk assessment: Case study of Hector’s dolphin mortality due to gillnet entanglement. Conservation Biology 14: 1264-1270 (2000)
• Jones, P.D., Hannah, D.J., Buckland, S.J., van Maanen, T., Leathem, S.V., Dawson, S., Slooten, E., van Helden, A. and Donoghue, M. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and polychlorinated in New Zealand cetaceans. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management (Special Issue 1): 157-167 (1999)
• Cameron, C., Barker, R., Fletcher, D., Slooten, E. and Dawson, S. Modelling survival of Hector’s dolphins around Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics 4(2): 126-135 (1999)
• Martien, K.K., Taylor, B.L., Slooten, E. and Dawson, S. A sensitivity analysis to guide research and management for Hector’s dolphin. Biological Conservation 90: 183-191 (1999)
• Dawson, S.M., Read, A. and Slooten, E. Pingers, porpoises and power: Uncertainties with using pingers to reduce bycatch of small cetaceans. Biological Conservation 84(2): 141-146 (1998)
• Pichler, F., Baker, C.S., Dawson, S.M. and Slooten, E. Geographic isolation of Hector’s dolphin populations described by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Conservation Biology 12(3): 676-682 (1998)
• Jones, P. D., Leathem, S. V., Hannah, D.J., Day, P.J., Dye, E.A., Hoffman, K.A., Lister, A.R., Porter, L.J., van Maanen, T., Symons, R.K., van Helden, A., Buckland, S.J., Slooten, E., Dawson, S.M. and Donoghue, M. Biomagnification of PCBs and 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in New Zealand's Hector’s dolphin. Organohalogen Compounds 29: 108-113  (1996)
• Slooten, E. and Dawson, S.M. Conservation of marine mammals in New Zealand. Pacific Conservation Biology 2: 64-76 (1995)