1. THE HECTOR DOLPHINS

2. What Is The Issue?
The Hector/Maui dolphins are endangered and soon becoming fast extinct. Because they live so close to shore, they often get tangled up in “recreational and commercial gill and trawl nets”. Gillnets are made of fish mesh so dolphins are unable detect them when underwater, therefore they swim right into them. Other threats these dolphins face are pollution from their own habitat, seabed mining, being struck by boats or coastal development.

3. Why Is It An Issue?
They only live off the coast of New Zealand,so because it’s so close to (my) home i feel some what responsible.
Because they were always extremely rare and also extremely intelligent and are able to perform amazing acrobatic tasks when properly trained.
If they are extinct then we won’t understand the value of nature, animals and life.
With the loss of so many Hector dolphins, it’s radically changing the community of plants/animals off New Zealand coats. Therefore affecting our ecosystem.

4. What Animals/Organisms are involved?
The Hector/Maui dolphins. The human organisations that are killing them (names on next pages).

5. Who Are The Groups Involved? Do They Have Different Opinions.
There are many different groups involved in the killings of the hector dolphins, some trying to save them, others trying to kill them all off.
Project Jonah, New Zealand is one of the groups that are working to save the hector dolphins. They have a website where you can go, learn about the hector dolphins, find out why they are so special, and also find out how to save them from becoming extinct. Project Jonah delivers ‘essential first aid’ to injured or stranded marine animals (the hector dolphin), and they are ready to offer these lifesaving supports no matter the weather, time or day. They share their expertise online with the rest of the world, so people know the basic skills to rescue stranded dolphins (marine mammals). Because of this group and what they do through the network and on the ground, thousands of animals have been saved.
Another group trying to save the the Hector Dolphins is the NABU International, Foundation For Nature. They also have a website, that shows the same sort of information as the one above. Their aim is to inspire people to get involved in protecting nature through lots of community projects. “We want future generations to be able to enjoy an earth worth living on, which has a great wealth of habitats and species, good air quality, clean water, healthy soil and the greatest possible quantity of natural resources available.”
(turn to next page)

6. Then you have the other side of the scale where you have groups such as the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, SeaFIC who are the ones killing the marine mammals/hector dolphins, making them extinct. They have also consistently opposed every effort groups like the Project Jonah take to improve the protection of these animals, they have even taken the government to court on many occasions in attempt to overturn new regulations put in place.
Another group that has a big voice but are choosing to kill the Hector Dolphins is Mc’Donalds. By using New Zealand fish in some of their food, they are encouraging and supporting the New Zealand Fishing Industry and Government. Instead of giving the Hector Dolphins full protection, so they can live, the NZ Fishing Industry and Government have/are overlooking the Hector dolphins, therefore NOT doing ALL that they can do, to save them. Both the government and some of the big fishing industries, have been caught lying and hiding the dolphins deaths. There is even official document proof that they ‘misreported’ some illegal killings of the Hector Dolphins, in Akaroa, 2013.

7. What’s My Opinion On The Issue?
I am a surfer, and I like seeing marine animals in the ocean, on the last friday of the term 3 school holidays of 2017, I went surfing with my friend Charlotte Bruin, we were catching a wave in at sumner beach, and saw a baby seal swimming in front of us. It wasn’t even afraid, it was just swimming casually along the ocean and kept going all the way to the clock tower( even though quite a crowd had gathered) before finally swimming out back into the depths of the ocean. It was amazing to be in the presence of a marine animal up close like that. So I don’t believe that we should be killing them off and making them extinct. I want to help save them,, so I can see them live another day.

8. What Can Be Done To Reduce The Issue?
Lot’s of things can be done to save the dolphins. You could start a petition or tweet about it, protest. A group called Forest And Bird have come up with a couple ideas to save them, such as; “retaining the set-net ban around Taranaki, increase observer coverage on fishing vessels to see if any dolphins are caught as bycatch to prioritise research and extend the protection slightly south of Pain Kariwa point.” Nabu International Foundation For Nature have demanded that McDonald's be banned from dropping fishnets around the shores of New Zealand as that is where the Hector dolphins live and McDonald's are known to be the biggest consumers in the country that are killing off the Hector fish.

9. What I Have Decided To Do About The Issue:
I have decided that in order to help save the Hector Dolphins and other wild marine mammals that belong in the ocean, I’m going to create some poster and give them to my head of year at Cashmere High School, so he can put it on the Yr 10 Facebook page, so everybody can know/learn about the issue and hopefully choose to donate to an organisation that protects/saves these mammals, because even the donation of $2 can go towards helping the Hector dolphins.

10. Bibliography http://www.hectorsdolphins.com/news-releases.html