A nationwide ban on drift netting is among a raft of changes to fishing methods as part of a New Zealand Government plan to protect endangered dolphins.
M?ui dolphins are critically endangered, with only about 63 left and Hector’s dolphins were nationally vulnerable with about 15,000 in New Zealand’s waters.
On Wednesday, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash announced the plan, which Greenpeace says is promising but not transformational,.
It will see extensions to the marine mammal protection areas and a proposal to prohibit seismic surveying and seabed mining in the five marine mammal protection areas.
It will extend bans on trawling and set net fishing around much of the South Island and the West Coast of the North Island.
New regulations will also give the Fisheries Minister power to act immediately to impose further restrictions if a single dolphin is caught in the M?ui dolphin habitat within the west coast of the North Island.
More than 15,000 submissions were made on the Threat Management Plan review and a 78,000 signature petition was presented on options for improving the protection of the dolphins.
Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash acknowledged the changes, which will come into force from October 1, will affect some fishing operators and said the decisions were not taken lightly.
A targeted transitional support package is being established to help and incentivise fishing operators to adapt to the new restrictions, he said.
To protect livelihoods and minimise the social and economic impacts, ex gratia payments and free and independent business advice would be available to commercial fishers and Licensed Fish Receivers, who were most impacted by the new measures, he said.
Nash said fishing activities and the disease toxoplasmosis posed the biggest threats to the dolphins and DOC will roll out a toxoplasmosis action plan.
The changes would significantly increase fishing restrictions in dolphin habitats, focussing on methods with the highest potential to affect dolphins, he said.
However I want to be clear fishing vessels will be able to keep fishing if they move to different methods. There is new support from the government to help them make that transition.
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