Fishers' challenge shows contempt - WWF

A High Court challenge by commercial fishers to government measures aimed at protecting Hector and Maui dolphins shows contempt for New Zealanders' wishes, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says.

The action was launched on Friday by the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen, South East Finfish Management Ltd, Challenger Finfisheries Management Company Ltd, and the Northern Fisheries Management Stakeholder Company Ltd.

The court move follows Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton's announcement in May of a package of measures to protect the two threatened dolphin species.

The measures, designed to take effect on October 1, affect the coastal waters where the dolphins are most often found, and include a variety of regional bans and other restrictions on set netting, trawling and drift netting.

The fishers are asking the High Court to review Mr Anderton's decision to close about two thirds of New Zealand's coastline to fishing in response to concerns about the dolphins, saying they were the most extensive changes to commercial and recreational access to inshore fisheries in two decades.

"They are, in our view, unnecessarily onerous and will drive people out of business, even in areas where dolphins are not at risk," commercial fishermen's president Doug Saunders-Loder.

But WWF-New Zealand Executive Director Chris Howe said the action showed "contempt" for New Zealanders' wishes.

"This move by the fishing lobby is short-sighted. These measures are already a compromise between fishing interests and conservation interests," Mr Howe said.

"They are enough only to stop the dolphins' decline, not ensure recovery. Any further reduction in the areas protected would not even halt their decline.

"It shows contempt for public opinion, and ignores the scientific research showing that fishing with nets is pushing these endangered species towards extinction."

WWF sympathised with fishers whose livelihoods could be affected by the bans. However, the fishing industry had the option of using more sustainable fishing methods that did not catch dolphins, Mr Howe said .

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research has estimated that commercial set nets kill 110 to 150 dolphins each year. An Otago University study by Professor Lis Slooten has found that the protection measures will significantly slow the decline.