We were officially established in 2012 but many of our members and supporters have been advocating for Māui and Hector’s for decades. In that time we have run a lot of campaigns, successfully getting more protection for Māui and Hector’s.
We have run petitions, co-ordinated submissions to consultation processes, taken part in governmental working groups, run letter postcard campaigns and encouraged hundreds of people to send dolphin letters and pictures to MPs including the Prime Minister.
We’ve talked to people about dolphins in schools, markets, kindys. We’ve waved dolphins in streets and public meetings. We’ve had rallies and supported rallies, with people dressed as dolphins, and carrying signs. We even held a tribute for dead dolphins with a coffin and flowers on a local beach.
And we have won. These days a lot of Māui habitat is protected, especially from set nets. A set net ban down the west coast of the North Island now protects Māui, Hector’s, but also fish species, sharks and seabirds. Protection for Hector’s in the South Island saves dolphins’ lives.
But there’s more work to do.
Resources
Spread the word - we have stickers and fliers that can be shared with your community. Please contact us if you’d like some to share on public coastal sites or local libraries and places where people gather and dolphins can be seen.