Fears for shark-protector dolphins

Illegal net fishing is being blamed for the deaths of two dolphins, the mutilated carcasses of which have been found in the upper reaches of Whangarei Harbour.

The discovery has shocked Ocean Beach lifeguard Rob Howes and lifeguard trainee Helen Slade, who fear the two mammals may have been part of a pod of dolphins that three weeks ago protected them and other swimmers from a great white shark.

The dead dolphins - with their tails missing - were found on Wednesday in the Awaroa River, which branches off the upper reaches of Whangarei Harbour.

Department of Conservation (DOC) staff believe the dolphins died about two weeks ago after drowning in a fishing net. Their tails had been hacked off, probably to free them from the net, DOC officer Richard Parrish said.

Three weeks ago, seven dolphins protected Mr Howes, his daughter Nicky Howes, 15, Karina Cooper, 15 and Miss Slade, 16, from a great white shark at Ocean Beach, Whangarei Heads.

Mr Howes and Miss Slade said they feared the two dolphins may have been members of the pod that had saved them.

The protective dolphins have been hailed around the world as saviours after the incident was reported this week.
The lifeguards had been swimming 100 metres offshore when the dolphins formed a ring around the group and warded off the three- metre shark.

A fourth person, Matt Fleet, saw the shark after leaping into the water from an inflatable rescue boat.

The story captured the imagination and hearts of people around the world. It has featured on international television channel CNN and the front pages of United Kingdom papers such as The Times.

An angry Mr Howes said whoever mutilated the dolphins should be castrated.

"In light of what has happened at Ocean Beach I would give them a taste of their own medicine," he said. "This is how we repay them for their help?"

Setting nets where dolphins could get tangled up in them amounted to "indiscriminate murder," he said.

He believed the discovery would put a lot of fishermen under pressure. "There will be a public outcry against the use of nets," he said.

Miss Slade said it was "pretty disgusting" to hear what had happened to the dolphins.

"Oh my God, why would they do that?" she asked.

Bay Of Islands SPCA inspector Jim Boyd said fishers needed to change their habits and not set nets where dolphins could be caught.

"They (dolphins) drown in the nets because they cannot get moving and cannot get up to get air," he said.

If fishermen did not change their ways ultimately the Government would have to impose legislation to protect the dolphins, he said.

"If it doesn't stop then they will become extinct. That would be a sad indictment on society that we cannot look after a creature as special as this," Mr Boyd said.

Mr Parrish said he had heard that nets were being set illegally across a channel below the Awaroa River bridge on Riverside Dr. It was also an offence for failing to report a marine mammal in a net and mutilating a marine mammal. The maximum penalty for the latter two offences is $10,000 for each charge.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)