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If New Zealand fails to protect critically endangered dolphins there could be far-reaching consequences for other endangered animals around the world, an international animal welfare organisation says.
Care for the Wild International (CWI) has expressed concerns over the Government's failure to act in preventing the demise of the hector and maui dolphins, saying both were at risk of extinction in the immediate future.
CWI's chief executive Barbara Maas, who is visiting New Zealand, said the situation did not bode well for endangered animals elsewhere.
"If a progressive, environmentally conscious country like New Zealand can't or won't do everything possible to prevent extinction for whatever reason, what hope is there for any of the world's tigers, rhinos and other endangered species?"
Dr Maas also took aim at Tourism New Zealand's 100 per cent Pure campaign, saying the dolphins' extinction would damage the campaign's credentials and undermine New Zealand's reputation as an environmental leader.
"Late last year China's Yangtze River dolphin became extinct and now one of the `greenest' countries on earth, a country that is proud of its unique native wildlife and its staunch stance on whaling is in danger of allowing an indigenous dolphin to disappear forever," she said.
Since the 1970s hector's dolphins have declined from an estimated 29,000 in the 1970s to just 7000 today. The situation for maui's dolphins is even more grave, with just 111 remaining.
The Government will respond this month to a draft Hector's and Maui's Dolphin Threat Management Plan.
However, CWI said none of the three options included in the plan would provide effective protection for the dolphins or guarantee their continued survival.
It said even the best option only had a 50/50 chance of the dolphins recovering to their original numbers by 2050.
Dr Maas said with so much at stake, she hoped the Government would demonstrate the same commitment to the threatened dolphins as it had in fighting the extinction of whales at the International Whaling Commission.
- NZPA
