New Zealand

Earthrace in New Zealand

Operations Director Pete Bethune
Chapter Director, Earthrace, New Zealand Scott Bowman scott@earthrace.net
https://www.facebook.com/EarthraceNewZealand

New Zealand is slightly larger than the UK but remains a mere speck in the vast oceans, more than a thousand kilometers away from any other large landmass; it consists of two main islands, North and South Island, and several smaller ones - nowhere is more than 70 km from the sea. As a result, New Zealand has one of the longest coastlines for its size of anywhere in the world, 15,134 kilometers of it! It is surrounded by two bodies of water - the Pacific Ocean to the East and the Tasman Sea to the West (Source: Wikipedia).

New Zealand's ocean wildlife
New Zealand has a rich and diverse fauna of marine mammals. Almost half the world's cetaceans (whales, porpoises and dolphins) have been reported in New Zealand waters, including the critically endangered Maui’s dolphins and the endemic Hector's dolphins, both found nowhere else, as well as the rare beaked whales. New Zealand is also home to sea lions and the widely distributed New Zealand fur seals. Occasional visitors include other seals such as the southern elephant seal and the leopard seal, both found in larger numbers in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters.

Threats
The populations of many species of large whales, such as southern right whales and humpback whales, and both species of New Zealand’s indigenous seals were reduced to near extinction by commercial whalers and sealers of the past two centuries. Some are still threatened or endangered, and now face additional threats from habitat degradation, global climate change, by-catch in fishing operations, entanglement and accumulation of pollutants in the oceans (Source: Department of Conservation).
(see 'Campaigns' for more information on the critically endangered Maui’s dolphins)

In my Backyard – the battle for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
In view of recent events it remains to be seen whether Japan has given up whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary (SOWS) permanently. New Zealanders feel very strongly about this flagrant infringement in their own backyard, and any signs of a resumption of whaling in the SOWS would lead to an immediate response by ECO NZ and numerous other organisations worldwide.

As we all know, Pete Bethune personally helped save many whales in the SOWS in 2009 by taking part in the anti-whaling campaign and boarding the Shonan Maru#2 after it rammed his boat, the Ady Gil; his actions forced the Shonan Maru#2 to return to Japan well before the end of the whaling season. Saving the whales came at a price, as Pete subsequently spent five months in a Japanese prison.

Earthrace Conservation, New Zealand (ECO NZ)

ECO NZ Campaigns

Support "Lets Face It" for Maui's and Hector's Dolphins
Please join Earthrace Conservation Organization in supporting "Lets Face It" by joining them in creating a visual petition to help protect Maui's and Hector's dolphins.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC) announced that the number of Maui's dolphins over the age of one has reached a historical low of between 48-69 individuals, with a mostly likely point estimate of 55. A previous survey carried out in 2005 put the number of Maui’s dolphins at 111... just over 20 breeding female Maui’s dolphins survive.*

The main cause of death to Maui's and Hector's Dolphins is entanglement in set nets used for fishing. In just these past two months, two Hector's and one Maui's have been found dead due to drowning in these nets.

Please take action by participating in my "Let's Face It" visual petition (VP) campaign. With only 55 Maui's left, they urgently need your help. In about a week, we have nearly 500 VPs, with a goal of 1,000 by the 20th of March. The VPs will be collated onto banners for public display, and posters to hand-deliver to the three key decision makers in New Zealand. Please visit http://www.lets-face-it-dolphins.com/ and see how easy it is for you to create and send in your visual petition.

Maui’s dolphins – Swimming towards extinction?
Maui's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) joined the international critically endangered list on the 7th of October 2008. Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations.

ECO NZ considers the immediate and complete protection of Maui's dolphins and their habitat as an absolute priority, making it their first official campaign. Many groups, both national and international, are also involved and ECO NZ will be working closely with them towards a common goal.

How will the campaign help?
ECO NZ is instigating immediate action to confront government and conservation ministers about full protection for Maui’s dolphins’ habitat, including a total ban on fishing of any kind and a halt to the projected placing of hydro turbines in or near the Kaipara harbour. They team will also campaign through education and increasing awareness at all levels, including involving local fisheries and other stakeholders.

Shark Finning Campaign
Shark finning is the cruel practice of removing the fins of live sharks and then throwing the sharks back into the water to suffer a slow, painful death. It has been compared to the horror endured by an elephant solely for the removal of its tusks. The barbaric practice of shark finning is currently still legal in New Zealand.

As well as lobbying the Government of New Zealand for a change in legislation, ECO NZ is asking everyone to report any local restaurants selling shark fin soup in order to compile a countrywide map; the offending establishments will then be targeted by leafleting and other forms of vigorous but peaceful protests.