Extensive new protections are being put in place as part of an updated plan to look after New Zealand’s native Hector’s and Māui dolphins, announced Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash and Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today (24^th June 2020).

As part of those protections, the following new fishing measures will take effect from 1^st October:

• A nationwide ban on drift netting
• An extension of current set-net closures, and the creation of new areas closed to set-netting, in the North and South Islands
• An extension of the existing area closed to trawling off the west coast of the North Island
• A change to the regulations allowing the Minister to act immediately to impose further restrictions if a single dolphin is caught in the Māui dolphin habitat within the west coast of the North Island.

For further information, please see the Beehive website for the Minister's announcement.