Sightings of three rare and endangered Maui's dolphins off the coast of Taranaki have led to renewed calls for a commercial fishing net ban to be extended.
The dolphins, the world's smallest dolphin measuring just 1.7m in length, were thought to be extinct in the Taranaki area, but were reported to have been spotted there last week.
Auckland Regional Council councillor Christine Rose said the sightings showed that the fishing boundaries should be redrawn to protect the mammal and she called on Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley to act immediately.
"The commercial and recreational set nets used widely in this area are a serious threat to these dolphins," she said.
"With a population of around 110 [left in the world], and a very limited breeding window, even one death can have a big impact on the population. The Government has already signalled it intends to protect this species. Now is the time to act."
Ms Rose urged those out on the water over the Christmas and New Year period to keep an eye out for a Maui's dolphin and to call the Department of Conservation's hotline on 0800 362 468 if they saw one to help to keep track of numbers.
A sub-species of the Hector's dolphin, the Maui's was at the centre of a debate two years ago when the then Labour government wanted to extend a commercial fishing net ban to Cape Egmont.
Fishermen argued that the dolphin had not been recorded south of Tongaporutu for 30 years, and feared their livelihoods would be jeopardised.
In May 2008, then fisheries minister Jim Anderton relented and left the southernmost boundary of the ban at Tongaporutu, but said on-going monitoring and research could affect the legislation's framework in the future.
NZPA