New Zealand calls on drones to halt Māui dolphin extinction Environmental News

Wellington, New Zealand – In 2018, a grasshopper skipper mistakenly caught the Māui dolphin spot on a net on the Taranaki coast of the North Island of the New Cross.

The fisherman had a confusion: even though dolphins are among those at risk in New Zealand, if he released the net, he would also violate the country’s Fisheries Act and impose a large fine on him for releasing catches.

He decided to save the dolphin. And in the end, he avoided the fine.

The skipper worked for Sanford, New Zealand’s largest seafood company, accounting for nearly 20% of New Zealand’s fishing quota. As for the company, catching the Māui dolphin is one of the worst things that can happen – it can only cause serious damage (including death) to an employee at sea.

“Māui dolphins are a national treasure – our people live in the sea and have a real affinity with the creatures that live there. They have a tremendous respect for the environment, and even if they don’t violate it in a criminal sense, it would cause a great deal of excitement for fishermen, ”said Operations Director Clement Chia.

With just 63 dolphins off the west coast of New Zealand, Sanford, Moana, the New Zealand Government, WWF-New Zealand, scientists and technology experts have joined forces with fishing companies to find and develop a drone. Monitoring Māui dolphins using artificial intelligence.

They hope to collect data on dolphin habitat, population size and behavior, then report on government policy changes to halt the population decline.

Developed by the non-profit organization MĀUI63, initial testing launched in 2019 shows that AI technology distinguishes Māui dolphins from other species with 90 percent accuracy. Flying at a height of 120 meters (393 feet) with a 50-meter optical zoom camera, the drone can find, track and shoot for six hours.

The first tests began in January 2021. The flights in the coming months will be used to publicize the habitat and behavior of mammals.

The project dates back to 2018, when marine scientist Rochelle Constantine of the University of Auckland said researchers would not be able to track dolphins after selling a plane used for annual surveys to Australia.

“Only 7 per cent of New Zealand is land, the rest is sea, and yet we have had poor equipment to study the ocean. There is a lot of money around,” he said.

“In the past, we had highly trained observers on a plane who would come out once a year and report what they had seen. You had to focus on their specialization and time. Otherwise, there would be no visual record if what was seen is questioned. “

We have a new resource for endemic dolphins in New Zealand – take a closer look at these special marine mammals – and an innovative table to track them. # MAUI63https://t.co/YcLIl1i2yS#STEMeducation @liviaesterhazy@WWFNewZealand @docgovtnz @blakenewzealand pic.twitter.com/xgSD4Bwz4L

– NZ Science Learning Hub (@NZScienceLearn) April 16, 2021

Māui Dolphin Day is Raglan … Māui Drone Project is a successful technology! True, Māui dolphins + drones are the coolest. Together #MauiDroneProject you are working to help Māui Aotearoan move forward! MAUI63 MOANA Sanford Limited Ministry of Primary Industries pic.twitter.com/d32VRKUGaV

– WWF New Zealand (@WWFNewZealand) March 20, 2021

Cheaper, safer

Airplanes and boats were expensive and inefficient, and they were unable to collect data during the winter months due to weather conditions. Drones would be cheaper, safer for humans and ecosystems, and in theory, the data they collect could be more extensive.

He met with technology expert Constantine Tane van der Boon and doctor and drone enthusiast Willy Wang and the M andUI63 project was born.

Van der Boon argues that the technology has the potential to collect accurate data on dolphin habitat, population size, distribution, and behavior that can be used to model risks and develop policy.

Steve Penno, director of investment programs at the Ministry of Primary Industries, says the government funded the project because it was an innovative approach to the problem affecting a national treasure.

“Details about the project, including how the information will be put together, are working on M informationUI63,” he said.

This specific information has raised concerns about misuse or exploitation, perhaps by fishing or tourism companies for commercial gain.

Chia of Sanford says the data has no commercial use and stresses that the company has no economic or creative interest in the project.

The New Zealand Maui dolphin population declined sharply in the 1970s as the use of nets on surface water increased. [Rochelle Constantine/Department of Conservation, University of Auckland]

“The environment is important to us,” he said. “We don’t want to be a company that catches an endangered animal. It’s not good for us and the industry with a good reputation and ethics. We want to do better, work sustainably and use the latest technology. It’s a win-win situation. “

The Māui population was depleted dramatically in the 1970s, as more people began using nets in deeper waters, and dolphins drowned after being trapped in nets. However, it was not until the 1980s that conservationists realized the extent of the decline, and found that the population was only in the hundreds.

Constantine’s release fishing is not the only threat to dolphins.

Dangerous parasite

The greatest risk is death from toxoplasmosis – a parasite found in cat feces.

“Parasites can only complete their life cycle through cats – there can be billions of parasitic cysts in a single cat [faeces], ”he said.

“The parasite survives weather conditions and is almost indestructible. Once they enter our waterways, they are eaten by fish, and eaten by dolphins. From there, it is said to cause organ failure and attack the brain. “

The parasite also affects humans, where it can cause flu-like symptoms and serious problems in unborn babies.

In 2013, former politician Gareth Morgan made waves internationally when he tried to eradicate wild cats in the New Zealand political arena and failed. Despite the potential impact it can have on humans, “it’s no surprise that there is no political appetite to kill cats,” Constantine said.

Drones can help deal with the problem.

“It will show dolphin migration patterns, where the discharge or [the problem areas where Toxoplasma gondii] is located, and where and when there is a marked overlap between the two.

The drone’s data can help researchers deal with the biggest threat to dolphins (toxoplasmosis), it is found in cat feces, and they swallow dolphins when they eat fish. [Courtesy of MAUI63]

“These data, if used properly, can help halt the decline in the extinction of the Māui dolphin, which would mean that we start using it with other endangered marine animals, which could be a complete game changer for conservation,” Constantine said.

The potential of technology has helped bring together an unprecedented grouping of civil society, science, and government.

WIA-New Zealand CEO Livia Esterhazy said each party could have conflicting interests, but the data will move the country forward.

“Conservation is often left behind. The time it takes to consult or find out the best approach is when these animals are under threat. “Forever business” is no longer an option, ”he said.

“Our vision is for people to come to terms with nature. We want to make sure that these precious creatures are protected, but we also want to ensure that people continue to fish, within the boundaries that will ensure a sustainable environment. We may all be sitting in different camps but that data will move us forward. It’s incredibly exciting. “