Fears for rare dolphin

A conservation group is renewing its call for a national ban on set netting, after the world's first sound recordings of Maui's dolphin - the world's rarest marine dolphin.

The New Zealand arm of the World Wide Fund for Nature said the recordings, made by Otago University scientists, tracked Maui's dolphin use of harbours on the west coast of the North Island and preliminary results had indicated the dolphins were present in harbours where set netting was still permitted.

The research was released within hours of a Maui's dolphin washing up on Raglan Beach - the fourth reported death in the past five months.