Hon. Mr. Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Hon. Mr. Nick Smith
Minister of Conservation

Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

17 April 2013

Dear Sirs

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the World's largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society concerning ongoing seismic surveys within the area of protection for Maui's dolphins Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. The most recent science indicates that only about 55 individuals of this subspecies remain and government agencies are currently considering protection measures to eliminate deaths in fisheries by removing gillnets and trawling from the protected area.

Dear Dr. Pestano,

Thank you for your letter of 18th February describing the very significant actions being taken by the Mexican Government to conserve the Vaquita.

Members of the Society for Marine Mammalogy are delighted to hear of the statutory changes requiring the netting practices to catch shrimp species in waters under the jurisdiction of Mexico to be changed to reduce the incidental take of Vaquita.

The Society established the Kenneth S. Norris career achievement award in honour of the Society's founding president and one of the truly great figures from our past. The Norris award is an acknowledgement of your exemplary lifetime contribution to science and society through research, teaching, and service in marine mammalogy.

From: J Key (MIN)
Sent: Wednesday, 20 February 2013 8:40 AM
To: Marsh, Helene
Subject: RE: letter from Society of Marine Mammalogy re Maui's dolphin

Dear Ms Marsh

On behalf of the Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Key, I acknowledge receipt of your recent email regarding Maui dolphins. Please be assured your comments have been noted.

I note you have also sent your correspondence to Hon Dr Nick Smith, Minister of Conservation, and Hon Nathan Guy, Minister for Primary Industries, which is appropriate as the issue you have raised falls within their portfolio responsibilities.

Thank you for taking the time to write to the Prime Minister.

Regards

L Diehl

Executive Assistant | Office of the Prime Minister
Private Bag 18041 | Parliament Buildings | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand

Autoridad Maritima de Panama

Direccion General Marina Mercante
Edificio PanCanal, Albrook
Ancon, Ciudad de Panama
Panama

To the Maritime Authority (A la Autoridad Marítima de Panamá):

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world's largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society to endorse the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) proposed by the Government of Panama and submitted to the Safety of Navigation Sub-Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the purpose of reducing deaths of humpback whales from ship strikes.

Director General of Fisheries Agency
Masanori Sato
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
100-8950 JAPAN

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Akira Gunji
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
100-8950 JAPAN

Dear Sirs:

The letter below was sent to the current, relevant, senior members of the Japanese government and bureaucracy on the 23rd May 2012 by the then President of the Society of Marine Mammalogy, Dr Randall Wells, on behalf of the Board of Governors of the Society. This professional Society consists of some two thousand scientists from 60 countries and is dedicated to the study, understanding, and conservation of marine mammals and their ecosystems.

The letter can also be accessed from the Society's website see http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=65&Itemid=183

At the time of writing, the Board had recently reviewed information on the dolphin and small whale hunts in Japan. On behalf of the Board and Society, Dr Wells conveyed our serious concern regarding the sustainability of those hunts and requested clarification on a number of points as outlined in his letter.

As this is a matter of great interest to the members of the Society, I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience, please.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Helene Marsh
President

[Letter to Japanese Government Regarding Dolphin and Small Whale Hunts included]

Mr Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Mr Nick Smith
Minister of Conservation

Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

11 February 2013

Dear Sirs,

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world's largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society, concerning the review of the Threat Management Plan for Maui's dolphins, Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. I commend the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries for convening an Expert Panel and preparing a Risk Assessment Report to inform the review (see
(www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/threat-management-plan-review-for-mauis-dolphin)

The Society is committed to using the best available scientific evidence to support sustainable marine resource management, and thus supports conservation solutions consistent with the conclusions of the Expert Panel.

Trevor will conduct research on the effects of implementing catch shares in fisheries, with associated ecological, economic and social impacts; impacts of fishing on global marine food webs.

The Leopold Leadership Program seeks to provide leadership training that is useful and relevant wherever Fellows choose to work.

The program offers two intensive core training sessions a year apart to help Fellows gain the skills, approaches, and theoretical frameworks for translating their knowledge to action and for catalysing change to address the world's most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges.

At reunions and through advanced trainings (currently under development), Fellows have further opportunity to reconnect, recharge, learn new approaches, and exchange ideas about integrating science into practice.

The Republic of Union of Myanmar
Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries
Department of Fisheries

Letter No: Ngala/-Dolphin (1)
Date: 22 November 2012

To
Dr. Helene Marsh
President Society of Marine Mammalogy
Professor of Environmental Science
Dean of Graduate Research Studies
James Cook University
Townsville, 4811
Australia

Subject: invitation for the discussion of Strengthen Ayeyarwady Dolphin Research and Conservation in Myanmar

Dear Dr. Helene Marsh

We have acknowledged receipt your reference letter, on the 1st November, 2012. The Government of the Republic of Union of Myanmar and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries are willing to discuss the collaboration program between Society of Marine Mammalogy for the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) Dolphin Research and Conservation Activities at the Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar.

In this regard, the Department of Fisheries would like to cordially invite Dr. Helene Marsh (President Society of Marine Mammalogy, Professor of Environmental Science, Dean of Graduate Research Studies, James Cook University) to pay a visit Myanmar for further discussion of Ayeyarwady Dolphin Research and Conservation activities at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

Please accept, the assuarance of my highest consideration.

Yours sincerely,
Khin Ko Lay
Director General

Presidente Constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Presidencia de la República,
Residencia Oficial de los Pinos
Co. San Miguel Chapultepec 11850
México, D.F.
México

Excelentísimo Sr. Presidente,

La Sociedad de Mastozoología Marina (Society for Marine Mammalogy, SMM), la Sociedad Europea de Cetáceos (European Cetacean Society, ECS) y la Sociedad para la Biología de la Conservación (Society for Conservation Biology, SCB) quisieran felicitarlo por haber sido elegido Presidente de México en las pasadas elecciones. También deseamos expresar a usted nuestra más profunda preocupación por la difícil situación en la que se encuentra la vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Estas tres Sociedades, en conjunto, tienen 7,190 miembros (SMM = 1,920; ECS = 476; SCB = 4,794). Los científicos miembros de estas tres sociedades provienen de muchos países y se dedican al estudio, comprensión y conservación de los recursos vivos y sus ecosistemas.