The Star: March 28, 2024

The Star Thursday March 28 2024
18
NEWS
• By Niva Chittock
A MARINE conservation
academic says the New Zealand
Whale and Dolphin Trust turned
down funding for a project from
SailGP due to concerns about its
behaviour during racing.
The future of SailGP in
Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour
next year is also in doubt after
an appearance by endangered
Hector’s dolphins saw a racing
day cancelled over the weekend.
SailGP chief executive Sir
Russell Coutts has come out
firing since, saying there was too
much red tape and racing did not
need to be halted.
He claimed Hector’s dolphins
were not endangered and a
statement from Otago University
professor Liz Slooten saying as
such was a “lie”.
Hector’s dolphins are listed
as threatened – nationally
vulnerable, “which means they
have been assessed as facing a
high risk of extinction in the
medium term”, Department of
Conservation deputy director
general operations Henry Weston
said.
Emeritus Otago University
professor Steve Dawson was
unimpressed by Sir Russell’s
comments.
“Sir Russell is one of the world’s
great sailors but he’s not a dolphin
expert. It’s the International
Union for Conservation of Nature
that considers the species to be
endangered and they are the
principal international body that
evaluates the threat status of our
animals and plants worldwide.”
Hector’s dolphins are listed by
the Department of Conservation
as nationally vulnerable.
Dawson had been one of the
advisers on SailGP’s Marine
Mammal Management Plan
(MMMP).
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Dolphin charity rejected funding from SailGP
VULNERABLE: A member of the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust says it turned
down funding for a project from SailGP due to fears about greenwashing. PHOTO: RNZ
Sir Russell
Coutts
Steve
Dawson
Under New Zealand law, no
vessel could go faster than five
knots when it was within 300
metres of any marine mammal,
he said, and that would be the
case wherever SailGP was held.
“It was a courageous move by
the sailing coordinator to cancel
the sailing on Saturday, and I
applaud that. It was the right
decision,” he said.
Dawson said he was also a
part of the New Zealand Whale
and Dolphin Trust, which had
turned down SailGP funding for
a conservation project because of
greenwashing concerns.
“We ended up declining that
funding on the basis that we
didn’t feel that their behaviour
over last year’s racing was
adequate in relation to this
endangered species.
“I don’t want to take
money from any activity that
potentially posed harm to the
animals that I’m studying. I
think that’s inappropriate,”
Dawson said.
His view remained the same
now, he said, and added he
would not accept funding from
the fishing industry, either.
Concerns had been raised
about the safety of Hector’s
dolphins prior to the event,
when a DOC memo revealed
two dolphins were sighted on
the course in 2023, but racing
continued – despite the race
director being told to stop it.
The harbour has been a
marine mammal sanctuary
since 1988.
Weston said more than one
upokohue Hector’s dolphin was
present over the weekend.
“At this time of year, mothers
and calves are present in the
harbour and calves have been
seen on the course this weekend.
“Newborn calves and young
animals are vulnerable to boat
strike as they are less aware of
risk, spend more time on the
surface and dive more slowly
than mature dolphins,” he said.
- RNZ
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