Protective measures are a 'death sentence' for rare dolphin say campaigners

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25145805


The tiny Maui's dolphins are only found off the west coast of New Zealand's North Island

Measures to protect one of the world's rarest dolphins have been denounced as a "death sentence" by campaigners.

Only 55 adult Maui's dolphins are known to survive off the coast of New Zealand but their numbers are being threatened by fishing and disease.

The NZ government has proposed extending a protection zone to save the tiny, black and white cetaceans.

But researchers say the actions don't go far enough and argue the Maui's could be extinct within 20 years.