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The fishing industry expects new moves to protect endangered dolphins will cost it tens of millions of dollars and nearly 300 jobs.
The initiatives, announced yesterday by the Government, include four new marine mammal sanctuaries in areas the dolphins use.
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton also announced measures including regional bans and other restrictions on set netting, trawling and drift netting in coastal waters in dolphinareas.
He said it was a balance between the protection of Hector's and Maui's dolphins and the activities of commercial and recreational fishers.
But Seafood Council chief executive Owen Symmans immediately condemned Mr Anderton's plans to extend restrictions.
The move would put New Zealanders out of business and "worst of all" would not save any additional dolphins, he said.
Mr Symmans said Maui's dolphins were already effectively protected by measures created in 2003.
"The fishermen cannot catch fewer than none - we are appalled that the minister can think it's all right to ruin even one person's business and livelihood with an absolutely pointless and unnecessary measure to protect a dolphin that is already fully protected."
Mr Symmans said there had been no reported deaths of Maui's dolphins from commercial trawling and, since the 2003 measures, no deaths attributed to commercial set netting.
"The Government is not prepared to compensate people for the huge personal losses caused by callous decisions. They are obviously happy to ruin people's lives and move on."
The industry expected to face costs of $79 million under the changes, with as many as 295 jobs lost.
Since the 1970s, Hector's dolphins have declined from an estimated 29,000 in the 1970s to just 7000 today. There are only 111 Maui's dolphins left alive.
International conservation organisation WWF welcomed the moves as a "good first step", but said much more was needed to save the dolphins.
"We're very encouraged to see action to manage the main threats that have caused Hector's and Maui's dolphins to decline," said the organisation's marine programme manager, Rebecca Bird.
But she said WWF and dolphin scientists were still concerned the new measures did not go far enough to allow dolphins to recover.
Otago University dolphin scientist Liz Slooten said the measures announced were likely to keep the population static, but no more.
The word "recovery" was not used anywhere in Mr Anderton's statement, she said.
WWF said it would continue campaigning for a full set net andtrawl fishing ban, to encourage repopulation.
"When you're dealing with the world's rarest dolphin you can't go for half measures in the face of extinction," Ms Bird said.
Acting Conservation Minister David Parker said new sanctuaries included areas on the west coast, North Island, Clifford and Cloudy Bay in Marlborough, Porpoise Bay/Fortress, Catlins coast, and Te Waewae Bay on the south coast.
Alterations to the existing sanctuary at Banks Peninsula are also proposed.
NEW DOLPHIN SANCTUARIES
* West coast, North Island.
* Clifford and Cloudy Bay, Marlborough.
* Porpoise Bay/Fortress, Catlins coast.
* Te Waewae Bay, Southland.
- NZPA
