Building a nation of Dolphin Defenders - Feel the change, be the change
We’re building a nation of Dolphin Defenders - people like you who put your name to the cause, and sometimes more.
We are the change.
More groups are adopting our messaging and calling for protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins from the fishing industry, especially bottom trawling. You may have seen the comms from a range of other groups who are now Dolphin Defenders like us.
We’ve been sharing info, carrying out collaborative activities, making connections, issuing joint media releases and working across the non-governmental sector to strengthen the voice for dolphins.
Last week we also made a presentation to the NZ Sport Fishing Council AGM. The Sport Fishing Council has over 35,000 members in 55 clubs around the country. That’s a lot of eyes on the sea and a lot of potential sightings reports, and they share our concern about the fishing industry’s impacts on our common ocean.
After I did my presentation, one club member reflected on how bottom trawling, within 2 nautical miles of shore, is a destructive and unacceptable norm. Another person wondered how Shane Jones gets away with his behaviour in the face of science and the Department of Conservation.
There was high level support and real promise of working together to protect Māui and Hector’s dolphins.
Last week we also took the next step in legal proceedings to protect Māui dolphins, with a further claim against the US government in the Court of International Trade.
You might recall that we won our court case against the US government, for its failure to ban fish imports from NZ’s North Island west coast trawl and set net fisheries because they do not meet US Marine Mammal Protection Act standards. Unfortunately the judge deferred an import ban, instead giving the government time to address its failures. Just a few days after that judgement, the US accepted a new ‘comparability finding’ from the NZ government, but it’s basically the same as the old one. The old one, that the Court found was arbitrary, capricious and unlawful.
So basically, the NZ and US governments thumbed their noses at the court ruling. NZ’s fishing practices allow bycatch beyond the US standards, and by law, must be banned.
We have amazing, inspiring, smart legal representation from EarthJustice in the US and Law of the Wild based in South Africa. So we continue to push back abroad, and build alliances here.
Together we are stronger.
Thanks for adding to that strength with your petition signing, social media shares and donations. Your voice - and your support matters.
If you’d like to donate to support our work further, you can do so here https://www.mauihectorsdolphins.org.nz/donate/
For the
dolphins.
Posted: 29 September 2025