Less Than 50 Left: Why Protecting the Māui Dolphin Can’t Wait
Every now and then, a statistic stops you in your tracks.
Less than 50 Māui dolphins remain.
Found only off the west coast of Aotearoa, the Māui dolphin is one of the rarest marine dolphins in the world. Their decline hasn’t happened overnight, it’s the result of years of human impact on the ocean they call home. Now, we are facing a critical moment: without urgent action, Aotearoa is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to allow a dolphin species to officially become extinct.
This isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s a reflection of the choices we make, and what we’re willing to protect.
The Hidden Cost of Bottom Trawling
One of the biggest threats to Māui dolphins is bottom trawling.
This commercial fishing practice involves dragging heavy, weighted nets along the seafloor. In the process, everything in its path is disrupted or destroyed. Coral forests, which take decades or even centuries to grow, are flattened in moments. Carbon stored in the seabed is released back into the atmosphere. Entire ecosystems are dismantled, including the food sources that dolphins and countless other marine species rely on to survive.
While much of this happens out of sight, beneath the surface, its impact is vast and long-lasting.
When the seafloor is damaged, the ripple effects are felt throughout the entire ocean ecosystem. For a species already on the brink, like the Māui dolphin, this loss of habitat and food can be devastating.
Why This Moment Matters
It’s easy to feel disconnected from what happens in the ocean. But the reality is, these ecosystems are deeply interconnected with our climate, our biodiversity, and our future.
Allowing a species like the Māui dolphin to disappear would set a global precedent, one that signals that extinction, even when preventable, is something we’re willing to accept.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Awareness is growing, and so is the call for change. There is increasing pressure to end bottom trawling in Māui and Hector’s dolphin habitats, including out to the 100m depth contour, and to protect vulnerable areas where coral thrives.
But change doesn’t happen without people.
A Simple Action With Real Impact
Protecting the Māui dolphin starts with collective action.
You can help by signing the petition calling for an end to bottom trawling across Māui and Hector’s dolphin habitats. Every signature sends a clear message: that our oceans, and the life within them, are worth protecting.
Sharing this message with your community also helps build the awareness needed to drive meaningful change.
Introducing: Māui Dolphin Soap
To further support this campaign, we’ve created a limited-edition giving product: Māui Dolphin Soap. This product is designed to do more than sit by your sink. It’s a conversation starter, a reminder, and a way to contribute to real impact.
75% of the sales price (excluding tax) is donated to Endangered Species Foundation. These funds support their ongoing work protecting endangered wildlife, advocating for stronger environmental protections, and driving action to safeguard Aotearoa’s unique ecosystems.
It’s a small, everyday action that contributes to something much bigger.
A Step Toward a Lusher Future
Movements are built on moments like this, when awareness turns into action, and small choices add up to meaningful change.
Buying a product. Signing a petition. Starting a conversation. These actions may seem simple, but together they create momentum that can’t be ignored.
The Māui dolphin is on the brink. What happens next is up to all of us.
Visit your local Lush store to learn more, explore the Māui Dolphin Soap, and find out how you can take action. Because protecting our oceans means protecting the future, for every species that depends on them, including us.
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