KEY POINTS:
Conservation Minister Chris Carter is sympathetic to the idea of a mammal marine sanctuary and says a ban on set netting should be considered.
Forest and Bird Marine used today, World Oceans Day, to propose a sanctuary off the North Island's north-west coast to save maui's dolphin, a subspecies of hector's dolphin of which there are only 111 left.
The proposed sanctuary would run from Maunganui Bluff near Dargaville in the north to Cape Egmont, Taranaki, in the south, including the inner harbours and estuaries.
Set netting, trawling, sand mining, pollution, and excessive speed of boats near dolphins, would be restricted or regulated within it.
Mr Carter said he was also worried about the future of the dolphin.
"The sanctuary is a possibility," he said.
"Extending the range of where set nets are banned is something that I am very sympathetic to. Australia has banned set nets for some time... that's something that I would certainly think is worth considering in New Zealand as well."
Mr Carter said he welcomed Forest and Bird's proposals.
"I welcome their concern about maui's dolphin and I do agree more needs to be done," he said.
Mr Carter said a threat management plan, being prepared by the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Fisheries, would be released in about eight weeks.
"So we'll see if we can incorporate some of the concerns that they have raised in their press release," he said.
Green Party conservation spokeswoman Metiria Turei said the plan was taking too long and dolphins were dying in the meantime.
Mr Carter said it had not been an easy exercise.
"I think this is a complex issue and it's not just the Department of Conservation that's working on this threat management plan. The Ministry of Fisheries has a strong input and coordinating the two agencies has taken a bit of time but (Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton) and I are both committed to protecting maui's dolphin and if that requires further measures than those already taken then we will certainly be doing that."
Ms Turei said set netting and seabed mining should be banned in habitats of endangered species.
"New Zealanders pride ourselves on our commitment to the environment and strong conservation ethic," she said.
"The community does not want the terrible responsibility of having allowed such a species to become extinct when its survival is entirely in our hands."
- NZPA
