A major conservation group says it has found a way to save the world's rarest dolphin, while also keeping fishing boats in business.
But the World Wildlife Fund says it'll need between $26 and $40 million from the Government to help fishing companies move away from set netting and trawling.
"We're urging the Government to step in, support the transition, do it once, do it right so there's a long-term future for these creatures," WWF's Peter Hardstaff told Newshub.
Set netting and trawling is blamed for 95 percent of Māui dolphin deaths but Mr Hardstaff says commercial fishing and dolphins can co-exist.
"The debate around Māui dolphins has been characterised by people versus the environment, jobs versus nature," he said.
"We want solutions that go beyond that."
The solutions would include commercial operators refitting their boats, retraining, adopting new fishing techniques like longlining and thus losing revenue.
The report says the Government could cover that - it'd be between $26 and $40 million.
Last year fishing companies Moana New Zealand and Sanford committed to phasing out dolphin-unsafe fishing.
The boss of Sanford says it's a small sum for the Government to help - and it's worth it.
"We feel that as this is a New Zealand issue, that Government should come to the table too and support the transition," he said.
WWF says it's the same cost as what the Government spent on the flag referendum ($26 million) and less than three years of Ministerial travel expenses ($30 million).
"It's not a huge amount of money in terms of Government spending and we believe we should be doing the maximum possible, rather than the minimum we can get away with," Mr Hardstaff said.
Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy dismissed the idea in a statement, saying he's confident the current measures to protect Māui dolphins are working.
Newshub.
