Snapper tagging raises fears for rarest dolphin

By ANNE BESTON environment reporter

Conservationists want a $2 million Ministry of Fisheries snapper-tagging project stopped for fear it could endanger the world's rarest marine dolphin.

The ministry has issued a special permit for trawlers involved in its research project to trawl in a prohibited area along the North Island west coast, home of the North Island Hector's dolphin.

Many conservationists believe the dolphin is bordering on extinction.

It is usually found relatively close to shore and trawlers are banned from operating within one nautical mile of the coast.

But ministry trawlers have permission to fish in that area with three sets of pair trawlers, which use a net slung between two boats, and three single trawlers.

It is understood the Department of Conservation was not consulted about the project, now half way through, and has insisted its staff accompany the boats as observers for the second stage, due to start today.

Conservationists say that is not enough.

"The research programme is taking a risk," said World Wildlife Fund conservation director Chris Howe. "Even one more death would be a disaster.

"If New Zealand can't save its only endemic dolphin then what hope is there, really?"

Seven North Island Hector's dolphin have been found dead in the past 18 months. Two were found entangled in set nets last month. Many believe that the dolphins, with an estimated population of about 100, risk extinction if wide-ranging bans on set-netting are not immediately imposed.

But debate continues over whether single or pair-trawling has been responsible for their deaths.

A study released under the Official Information Act says a South Island Hector's dolphin was killed by trawlers in 1997-1998.

Fishers argue that trawling does not impose a serious threat to the dolphins.

Minister Pete Hodgson said no Hector's dolphin were spotted during the first 10 days of the snapper-tagging operation.

The ministry's partner in the project, the state-owned National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, had acted as observers, he said.

"If any Hector's dolphin are sighted, the trawl tow will not be completed, the net will be carefully retrieved, and the next tow must be at least two nautical miles away," Mr Hodgson said.

Although the trawlers had permission to fish inside closed areas, the trawls would be much briefer than normal, taking only 10 to 20 minutes, he said.

The boats will tag and release 15,000 live snapper over the next 7-9 days and the trawlers will cover an area along the west coast from North Cape to Wellington.

The range of the North Island Hector's dolphin is thought to be from Manganui Bluff, north of Dargaville, to just north of New Plymouth.

Niwa's director of fishing research, Dr John McKoy, said everything was being done to ensure no Hector's dolphin were killed.

The west coast of the North Island is the second-largest of the four snapper stocks. It accounts for about one-third of New Zealand's total snapper catch with a combined commercial and recreational harvest of about 1800 tonnes a year.

The snapper were last tagged by the ministry and Niwa in 1990 and the latest tagging project will reveal how effective quota reductions over the past 10 years have been.

The size of the fishery will be estimated from the number of electronic tags counted in snapper from commercial catches between this October and next March.

That number will then be compared with the number of non-tagged snapper caught.

nzherald.co.nz/environment