Wellington, New Zealand — The Māui dolphin, numbering only between 30 to 50 in the wild, navigates the precarious waters off the western coast of New Zealand’s North Island, holding the unwanted title of the world’s rarest marine dolphin. These critically endangered mammals, known for their intelligence and complex social structures, face threats primarily from entanglement in fishing nets designed to capture commercial seafood.
To combat this urgent conservation issue, Earthjustice and Law of the Wild took significant legal steps by filing a lawsuit in the United States Court of International Trade on December 4, coinciding with World Wildlife Conservation Day. They represent a New Zealand grassroots advocacy group, Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders, which works tirelessly to raise awareness and push for decisive action to save these dolphins.
The lawsuit aims to enforce the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which mandates the prohibition of seafood imports from foreign fisheries that excessively harm marine mammals. This legislation reflects a commitment to not only safeguard marine mammal populations in the United States but also prevent American markets from accepting seafood linked to harmful fishing practices elsewhere.
The MMPA includes a trade ban component that blocks imports from fisheries with significant marine mammal bycatch, which is the accidental capture of non-target species such as dolphins. Fisheries hoping to export to the United States require a “Comparability Finding” from the U.S. government, confirming that their practices meet U.S. environmental standards. This finding ensures that U.S. consumers are not unwitting participants in the endangerment of marine species and that domestic fishers remain competitive against imports obtained through environmentally harmful methods.
Despite these protections, the plight of the Māui dolphin remains dire, with population numbers suggesting a worrying decline from 63 individuals in 2020 to 43 in 2024. Prompted by this continued downturn, Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders have recently contested a 2024 Comparability Finding, arguing it inadequately applies U.S. standards and contains several analytical errors. They emphasize that even minimal levels of human-induced mortality can lead to the extinction of such a vulnerable species.
This concerning trend in Māui dolphin numbers is stark compared to historical figures, which noted approximately 2,000 individuals fifty years ago. The dramatic reduction — over 97% — is attributed to impacts from human activities, particularly from the fishing industry. Māui dolphins live up to approximately 25 years, with females reaching sexual maturity around eight years old and producing only one calf every two to four years, amplifying the detrimental effect any loss in their numbers has on the overall population’s stability.
In response to these pressing issues, the recent litigation emphasizes the critical nature of strictly adhering to the MMPA to prevent U.S. actions from contributing to the decline of such a crucial species. These litigations reflect the broader necessity of international cooperation and rigorous environmental accountability to safeguard the biodiversity vital for a healthy planet.
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