The measures were estimated to cost the commercial fishing industry up to $79.1 million over five to 10 years and up to 295 jobs, but struck the best achievable balance between the protection of the dolphins and the fishing industry, Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said. [comment caption=Who needs protection, the dolphins or the fishing industry?]
Acting Conservation Minister David Parker also announced a Notice of Intention to establish four new marine mammal sanctuaries in areas where the dolphins frequently range, including the Catlins coast and Te Waewae Bay on the south coast, where seabed activities, like mining and seismic surveying, would be restricted or managed.
The protection strategies, part of the new Hector's and Maui Dolphin Threat Management Plan, included banning commercial and recreational set-netting in most areas of the South Island east coast to four nautical miles.
Allan Anderson, a set-netter from Karitane, said 90% of his moki fishing was inside the four-nautical-mile mark and it was not viable to go further offshore.
"I'm in absolute shock.
''Man, they've just put us out of business - just like that."
He warned the price of fish would go up as a result so the measures would "hit the consumer as much as anyone else".
"Set nets do not kill dolphins.
''It's pollution."
Mr McDonald said he believed fishermen throughout New Zealand, through the Federation of Commercial Fishermen, should unite and fight the measures which were "absolutely over the top".
While it might affect North Island fishermen more, with generations of families taken out of the industry, it still had implications for Otago trawling with increased compliance costs, he said.
There had been consultation on the plan, but it did not appear the Government had listened, especially to the fact that dolphins were "not caught down here".
New Zealand Seafood Council chief executive Owen Symmans said the "ruinous" measures would put New Zealanders out of business, destroy their savings and, worst of all, would not save any additional dolphins.
"We are appalled that the minister can think it's all right to ruin even one person's business and livelihood with an absolutely pointless and unnecessary measure to protect a dolphin that is already fully protected."
The Government was not prepared to compensate people, he said.
"We accept the need for restrictions where the future of an endangered dolphin species is affected but we cannot stomach unnecessary and pointless restrictions," he said.
University of Otago Associate Prof Liz Slooten said the measures were a good first step but looked like they would only hold the population at its level now, which was 27% of its original number.
"It is very unlikely to allow their recovery."
The measures were definite improvements for the small population of Hector's dolphins at Moeraki, Waitati and Blueskin Bay as they had not been protected before, she said.
Forest and Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said the measures were the most significant step taken in 20 years and would also be a boon for Blueskin Bay's population of fewer than 20 hector's dolphin.
Commercial set nets had killed at least four dolphins out of this population in the past six years, he said.
