NZ dolphin conservation effort leads to progress
Image - animaladay.blogspot.co.uk
A study by researchers from the University of Otago has confirmed that a designated Marine Protection Area (MPA) off the coast of Christchurch, New Zealand has led to an improvement in the survival rate of the local population of rare Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori). The New Zealand government is currently devoting consideration to extending the MPAs further in the hope of further gains.
The models used by the team suggest that the survival rate of the dolphins had improved by 5.4% to an overall rate whereby the population is now declining at a rate of approximately 1% per year instead of 6% as was previously the case. The team's findings may be found in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
Commenting, Dr Liz Slooten of the University of Otago's team said "The good news is that the situation has improved. The population was doing a nose-dive...The bad news is that the protected area is still too small. It would need to be extended further offshore to allow the population to stop declining and better still to grow and recover towards its original population size. The MPA hasn't quite yet 'saved' the dolphins but it's been a major step in the right direction."
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