Worlds smallest dolphin on the verge of extinction

[redpaintednavi]

More and more animals are driven to the verge of extinction because of human greed and destructiveness. Here is a little doplhin that lives in New Zealand waters. The whole species consists today of only 55 individuals.

The New Zealand government is poised to push the world's rarest and smallest dolphin into extinction. Only 55 Maui's dolphins exist in the world -- and they're all in New Zealand where, without government protection, fishing and mining will wipe them off the face of the planet. But if we act now, we can save them.

Despite the Maui's dolphin’s precarious status, the New Zealand government continues to allow dolphin-killing net fishing and is considering granting seabed mining licenses in their only habitat. At the same time, they promote a clean and green tourist image to the world that is worth billions.

Responding to domestic outrage, the government opened a public inquiry into the dolphin -- but while they talk, dolphins die. If we bring international pressure to bear, we can force the government to immediately ban net fishing and seabed mining in the Maui’s dolphin’s home. If we get 250,000 signatures, we’ll personally deliver the message to the New Zealand Prime Minster:

Avaaz - Save the smallest dolphin

The Maui’s dolphin is one of the world's natural treasures -- it is the smallest dolphin in the world, and the only with a rounded dorsal fin. Visitors to New Zealand are often greeted by the playful dolphin, who spend most of their time feeding in the shallow waters of the North Island’s west coast.

But fishing and mining lobbies are critically endangering the Maui's dolphin. Without protection, they'll be gone within the next decade. Mining giant TTR is pitching an “ultra-low cost” seabed mining operation in the dolphin’s home, and have already drilled 500 seabed cores looking for minerals to mine. If they go ahead, the Maui’s dolphin is as good as gone.

Locals are in the street protesting this plan -- and pressure has been slowly building. The government’s public inquiry is great news, but unless action is taken now it might be too late. Sign the petition to ensure New Zealand Prime Minister John Key uses his powers to institute an immediate ban on net fishing and mining while the inquiry investigates further:
Avaaz - Save the smallest dolphin

The world’s smallest dolphin is on the brink of extinction. With only 55 left, dolphins continue to die in fishing nets -- and now a mining company wants to drill into their seabed home. But our pressure can force New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to act now to save this rare creature.

Article about the dolphin:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environmen...ectid=10793020

[Niri Te]

I joined, signed the petition, and posted the information to my facebook page, you guys should do this too, the Tribe of the Eastern Sea would, if they were here.
Niri Te

[txim_asawl]

Signed the petition and blogged as well as tweeted the Avaaz link, too...

Wiggling bare toes,

~*Txim Asawl*~

[apache_blanca]

signed

[Marvellous Chester]

Signed.

[Moco Loco]

Will be signed as soon as i get to a computer :<

[Raiden]

To Facebook!

I know a bunch of people there that will sign this.

[Human No More]

While something needs to be done, the wording there is absolutely awful ("...continues to allow... net fishing" - ah, yes? that's the only real method of fishing, at all. Yes, some designs are dolphin-friendly while others are not, but that's terrible wording).

Still, the government isn't exactly gong to suddenly ban fishing, especially not based on an internet petition , so done anyway.

[Fkeu'itan]

Originally Posted by Human No More

While something needs to be done, the wording there is absolutely awful ("...continues to allow... net fishing" - ah, yes? that's the only real method of fishing, at all. Yes, some designs are dolphin-friendly while others are not, but that's terrible wording).

Actually, that isn't true.

For many businesses and fishermen, the demand and practice of pole and line fishing is growing rapidly - especially concerning the catching of tuna - as a reduced impact method of sucessful fishing. Indeed, a net catches a higher volume of fish, but it has the obvious effect of trawling unwanted/fragile species or young fish that have not yet had the ability to breed. Thus, although the volume is higher, a good percentage of that volume is made up by said unwanted species, whereas pole and line fishing better targets specific fish with baits and if a young or unwanted fish is line-caught, there is also the ability to throw the fish back alive.

I would suggest that if the New Zealand didn't want the loss of such species to happen, they would switch to sustainable fishing in the areas that they at least know these dolphins occupy at certain times of year.

[Human No More]

IIRC, most line-caught fish that are thrown back don't survive unless specific hook types are used. Yes, it's possible, but not practical in terms of volume, perhaps I should have made that more clear in my wording.

As it is, there are net designs that allow dolphins and similar to escape; thy are just more expensive. That would be a real way to change something without impacting food production, to make adoption more widespread.