No further fishing restrictions will be put in place as a result of a Hector’s dolphin being caught by a commercial fisher earlier this year.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Rachel Brooking, of Dunedin, said she believed a voluntary ban by the industry on fishing where the animal was caught along with additional monitoring being put in place by Fisheries New Zealand was enough to address the issue.
"But I will continue to monitor the situation," Ms Brooking said.
The breeding-age female Hector’s dolphin was caught in a commercial set net, at the end of April, outside the Hector’s dolphin protection zone of 4 nautical miles, where fishing methods such as net-setting are prohibited.
A fisheries observer was aboard the vessel that was targeting school shark used in fish and chips at the time and the by-catch was reported.
It was the first reported fishing-related death of the vulnerable endemic cetacean since 2012.
However, conservationists feared it was only the tip of the by-catch iceberg.
Further, University of Otago marine science Emeritus Prof Steve Dawson said the loss of one breeding female could put the Otago Peninsula population of about 40 animals at risk of decline.
Fisheries New Zealand fisheries management director Emma Taylor said the fishing industry had decided to implement voluntary measures to protect Hector’s dolphins in the Otago area immediately.
Fisheries New Zealand would also brief the minister, who would decide if the voluntary measures went far enough or whether additional measures were needed, she said.
Ms Brooking said in October last year, the Government put in place the South Island Hector’s Dolphin by-catch reduction plan to protect dolphins.
"This was the first dolphin to have been caught since then, and as a result, commercial fishers have put in place a voluntary ban on fishing in that area for the rest of the fishing year," Ms Brooking said.
"I have received advice from officials that this voluntary ban, combined with extra monitoring that’s being put in place by Fisheries New Zealand, is sufficient action at this stage, but I will continue to monitor the situation."
