14101 (2025). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister of Conservation

14101 (2025). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister of Conservation: What monitoring measures, if any, does the Department of Conservation have in place to ensure that biopsy sampling does not cause stress or harm to Hector’s dolphins in Otago?

Hon Tama Potaka: I understand from the Department of Conservation that it uses a Standard Operating Procedure for collection of high-quality genetic samples from free swimming dolphins. It is designed to minimise adverse effects on the dolphins. When biopsy sampling is undertaken a dedicated observer monitors and records the response for each dolphin when a biopsy is taken. The response is recorded on a scale from zero to five following established criteria in the Standard Operating Procedure.