(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, July 12, 2013 ) Orlando, FL -- The latest set of research out of the University of Otago has noted that the Hector's dolphin, which is an endangered species found off the coasts of New Zealand, are at more risk from amateur fishers in the Akaroa Harbor than have previously been considered.
Akaroa harbour is the largest harbor on the Banks Peninsula, which is located near Christchurch. It is home to the valuable dolphin-watching industry, which takes visitors out in the inhabited waters to both see and swim along-side the Hector's dolphin.
Professor Steve Dawson, Assoc. Professor Liz Slooten, and statistician Assoc. Professor David Fletcher moored three “T-Pod” acoustic devices in order to monitor the Akaroa Harbor. The devices were utilized to note high-frequency echolocation signals of Hector's dolphins throughout the year.
"Because Hector's dolphin echolocation clicks are very different from those of other dolphins in New Zealand, we can tune the T-PODs to detect them specifically," Prof Dawson said.
Dawson also noted that he felt the Hector's dolphins were only present in the harbor during the summer months. "Because of this, amateur fishers were given a concession allowing them to set unattended set nets in this area for seven months of the year (1 April - 30 September). The nets, made of nylon mesh, can entangle dolphins and prevent them from surfacing for air," he says.
The devices used to listen in on the dolphins did have a small radius of detection. Thus, it only covered around 1% of the inner harbor area. The dolphins were detected on 41% of the days during what is considered recreational fishing periods, wherein nets can be utilized.
"This shows that dolphins use this area much more regularly than previously thought, and that the concession offered to amateur gillnetters is not safe for the dolphins," he says. "A crucial problem for Hector's dolphins is that in several key areas the protection does not match the dolphins' distribution. The new research shows this is true in Akaroa Harbor, but it is also true offshore around Banks Peninsula, where aerial surveys have shown that the dolphins range much further offshore than the protection extends. A large part of that population is essentially unprotected."
About FloridaDolphinTours.com
Florida Dolphin Tours (http://floridadolphintours.com) allows all to enjoy the splendor and excitement of swimming with dolphins off the Florida coast. Find out how fun and affordable it is to swim with dolphins orlando with family and friends or take the kennedy space center tours for an exciting journey on space exploration and astronaut encounter.
