As Emeritus Professor’s Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson pass the baton for Hector’s Dolphin conservation, we take a look back to their chance encounter with our founder Ron Bingham, and how their dedication to research leaves a lasting legacy in Akaroa and beyond.
Category Archives: conservation
How did we get here? Hector’s dolphins (Upokohue) are NZ’s own native dolphins. They are a ‘nationally vulnerable species’ with the population hovering around 15,000. For reference there are about 68,000 kiwi (birds) in NZ. The government through MPI (ministry for primary industries) has been consulting with interested parties on a ‘Threat Management Plan’ (TMP). […]
Research shows Hector’s dolphin sightings have moved further down Akaroa Harbour This week, the Department of Conservation have released research into the distribution of the Hector’s dolphins within Akaroa Harbour. The research concluded that over the past 20 years, the local Hector’s dolphin population is sighted less frequently in the inner harbour region, and more […]
What is this about? Just under a year ago, a very important matter regarding the future of Hector’s dolphins was opened to submissions from the public. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was trying to decide how to further protect Hector’s and Maui dolphins from ‘Bycatch’. Bycatch refers to accidentally catching one species […]
Business Spotlight A huge thank you to the Department of Conservation for taking the time to visit and speak with us as part of their Business Spotlight series. The series aims to highlight how businesses can get involved in the conversation, and play a part by taking action. Tiaki Promise Kaitiakitanga of New Zealand’s […]