Hector dolphin found mutilated

Department of Conservation staff are outraged at reports of a mutilated Hector's dolphin found in Port Levy on Banks Peninsula.

They say they are relying on information from the public about the dolphin that washed up on Saturday with its tail cut off and stab wounds to its head, as DOC staff were unable to retrieve the carcass as it had either been removed or washed away during high tide.

DOC spokeswoman Nicola Vallance says the dolphin is believed to have had set net marks on its body, which is also concerning. She says it would be a blatant breach of the Marine Mammals Protection Act, so DOC would love to hear from anyone who knows anything further about it.

Nicola Vallance says 22 Hector's and Maui dolphins have died since September last year, despite interim measures introduced by the Government on set nets.