World freedive champion William Trubridge, a Kiwi, has joined an international campaign calling on McDonald's to stop using New Zealand fish.
NABU International, based in Germany, last week called on McDonald's to stop sourcing hoki from New Zealand in the wake of reports of mass fish-dumping and under-reporting of catch.
It now says there are more than 100 conservation groups behind the campaign, aimed at saving the Maui's and Hector's dolphin species.
NABU alleges the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) and the fishing industry covered up the death of a Maui's dolphin in the 2012/13 fishing season. According to NABU's Dr Barbara Maas, fishermen on board the boat which caught it didn't want to report it because "it would be a lot of paperwork".
The death allegedly happened outside the area currently designated for the protection of the species.
But MPI says the claim "lacks credibility" and there's no evidence to support it. The Department of Conservation website lists a number of dolphin deaths in the season, but none are Maui's.
Trubridge, who broke his own freediving world record in April, says once people know the truth they will "refuse New Zealand fish until it is no longer mixed with the blood of the last few individuals of a beautiful species".
"What decent human being or company could possibly buy fish from an industry that fights for the right to kill every last Maui's dolphin?"
McDonald's sources 8 percent of its fish from New Zealand, because hoki fishing here has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
But NABU's campaign is using the slogan: "Buy New Zealand fish, get dead Maui's dolphins free."
"New Zealand is in danger of becoming the first country to allow the extinction of a marine dolphin due to human activity," says NABU chief executive Thomas Tennhardt.
"The industry's role in the dolphins' demise is already impacting New Zealand's international standing and brand, an untenable situation for a country that portrays itself as an environmentally responsible nation and tourist destination."
McDonald's says it has no plans to stop buying New Zealand fish, but hinted that could change if the Marine Stewardship Council revoked New Zealand's certification as a sustainable fishery.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced on Tuesday monitoring equipment for fishing boats was being fast-tracked.
"This increased monitoring will provide greater transparency of the commercial fleet's activities and improve public confidence that our fisheries are being well managed."
He says that was always the plan, but the rollout is being sped up in the light of last week's revelations.
"We do have some ratbags in the fishing industry, like any industry, and I expect the regulator to go very tough on them."
Newshub.
