Dolphin Death – One Too Many for Critically Endangered Māui
- 22 hours ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
The Endangered Species Foundation (ESF) is devastated by the recent discovery of another Māui dolphin carcass on New Zealand’s coastline.
With fewer than 54 adult individuals remaining, every loss is catastrophic, pushing this critically endangered species ever closer to extinction.
“Every dolphin death for this endangered species is a complete disaster for a species teetering on the brink of extinction,” says Natalie Jessup, GM of the Endangered Species Foundation.
The dolphin was a juvenile male found near Port Waikato. The cause of death is not known though the dolphin’s body “had a series of intersecting linear lacerations of varying length, forming a 'criss-cross' pattern.”
Emeritus Professor Liz Slooten, a world expert on Māui and Hector’s dolphins, says the linear lacerations seen could have several possible explanations:
Gillnet marks, which are often distinctive on dolphins that are not severely decomposed.
Tooth marks from the mother attempting to disentangle her calf from a gillnet.
Knife marks from someone trying to remove the dolphin from a net or potentially attempting to conceal evidence.
Another cause entirely - the exact origin of the marks cannot yet be confirmed.
Hector’s Dolphin Also Killed
The Department of Conservation’s Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Incident Database has also revealed a Hector’s dolphin died in February. Hector’s dolphins, are also in grave decline, with only 10,000–15,000 left, down from over 50,000 in the 1970s.
The Hector’s dolphin killed by a commercial fishing net near Kaikoura was a female, and her body was thrown overboard. This was the fourth female Hector’s dolphin reported killed off Kaikoura since the roll out of cameras began in October 2023.
Both species remain at risk from fishing gear entanglement and destructive fishing methods.
True Dolphin Bycatch Numbers Still Hidden
For years, the true scale of fishing-related dolphin deaths has been hidden, and the full extent is still not truly reported.
When cameras were installed on roughly half of the commercial fishing fleet, reported dolphin bycatch on monitored vessels jumped by nearly 700% compared with previous self-reported figures. This dramatic increase revealed how much mortality had likely gone unreported for years.
“What the cameras show is deeply concerning,” Jessup says. “It strongly suggests that past dolphin deaths were significantly under-reported, masking the real impact fishing activity has had on these fragile populations.”
Before on-board cameras were introduced, the fishing industry reported one or zero Hector’s dolphin deaths annually between 2014 and 2022 from nets or trawls. However, in the first year after cameras began rolling out, 15 Hector’s dolphin deaths were reported or observed.
Even now, monitoring remains incomplete. A 2025 report from the Ministry for Primary Industries found that only about 30% of recorded footage had been reviewed since cameras were introduced in 2023. Data for the quarter ending September 2025 showed just 18% of footage had been reviewed.
The majority of fishing activity recorded on cameras has not been examined - leaving the true scale of dolphin bycatch unknown.
Weak enforcement of fisheries rules continues to put dolphins at risk.
Recent court proceedings have highlighted serious gaps in accountability after a commercial fisherman was fined for failing to report the death of a Hector’s dolphin. The case revealed that the fisherman, who has worked in the industry for more than 40 years, told the court he could not distinguish a Hector’s dolphin from other animals in the water and claimed he was unaware of some fishing rules.
Despite multiple offences and the forfeiture of two vessels, the boats were later returned — allowing the operator to continue fishing.
What Needs to Happen
ESF is calling for decisive action to stop the slide toward extinction and rebuild healthy dolphin populations. We urgently need to:
Expand protected areas to cover the full known habitat range of Māui and Hector’s dolphins - out to the 20 nm / 100 m depth contour - and ban both set net and trawl fishing in these critical zones.
Support a complete ban on bottom trawling within New Zealand waters to protect feeding grounds and reduce bycatch risk.
Reduce catch limits and adopt truly sustainable fishing practices, including eliminating harmful gear where dolphins are present.
Ensure Government, local councils and DoC engage in a genuine way with tāngata whenua, local communities and key community organisations to develop research, protection and restoration protocols and practices.
Empower communities to report sightings and threats, rebuild coastal and freshwater ecosystems, and advocate for stronger protection policies.
How You Can Help
ESF is urging supporters and all ocean users to take actionable steps right now:
Sign and share ESF’s petition to stop bottom trawling in dolphin habitats: https://www.endangeredspecies.org.nz/petition-stop-bottom-trawling-hectors-habitat
Advocate for policy change and vote this election for leaders who prioritise the health of our oceans.
Report Māui and Hector’s dolphin sightings or instances of illegal activity to the Department of Conservation (0800 DOC HOT / 0800 362 468).
Act responsibly on the water and keep your distance to avoid stressing or injuring dolphins.
Māui and Hector’s dolphins need clear, enforceable protections that stop deaths before they happen. These losses are the tip of the iceberg in terms of how we are looking after all our marine habitats and we need much stronger leadership to ensure we end bottom trawling and truly enable the restoration of our ocean life.
Support our campaign
You can support our ongoing campaign to ensure greater protections for endangered Māui and Hector’s Dolphins. Every donation goes towards advocacy, education, outreach and empowering communities to turn things around.
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