Experts claim the Maui dolphin is doomed because of inaction by the NZ Government - extinction is now inevitable...

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Maui’s dolphins are the smallest and rarest marine dolphins on earth and New Zealand’s only native dolphin species. They live in coastal waters up to a depth of 100m, where fishing pressure is intense. Gillnets and trawl nets have decimated them almost to the point of extinction. There are now just around 50 individuals left.  Maui‘s are dying many times faster than they can breed because less than 20% of their home is protected against fishing nets. They can only cope with one death every 10-23 years due to all human activities combined, but five Maui’s dolphins die in fishing nets each year. That is 75 times more than the sustainable limit. Maui dolphins are not doomed to extinction. If human induced mortality is removed, they can still bounce back but they need help now because saving them is a race against time! Mission Blue, which is an ocean conservation organization I am involved with, has set up the Maui Dolphin Legal Defense Fund. All donations will go directly to help save the dolphin. If you are interested in making a donation just go to Mission Blue on facebook. These dolphin are particularly dear to my heart since I spent time in New Zealand. I am donating 50% of my sales for the month of December to this fund, so you can help support a shell artist and save the Maui dolphin! It is not just the fishing industry that is the problem, it is actually the inaction by the John Key National Government. History will show they were responsible for the extinction of the world's smallest dolphin - the Maui, and the dwindling numbers of the hectors in years to come too. http://www.contemporaryshellartist.com/4/post/2013/11/new-zealands-maui-dolphins-facing-extinction.html http://www.hectorsdolphins.com/uploads/9/5/9/0/9590633/maui_leaflet_2013.pdf https://www.facebook.com/groups/hectorsandmauissos/ http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/too-late-save-maui-s-dolphin-experts-5778889 Ecospree

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