The smallest and rarest marine dolphin in the world could be extinct within 15 years if protection is not stepped up, new research suggests.

 

Conservationists say the remaining population of Maui's dolphins has dropped below 50.

 

The critically endangered species is found only in waters off New Zealand.

 

Measures to prevent dolphins dying in fishing nets must be extended, according to the German conservation organization Nabu.

 

Fishing should be banned across the dolphin's entire habitat rather than only limited areas, they say.

 

According to new estimates just 43-47 individuals, including about 10 mature females, are left.

 

The study is being presented at a meeting of the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in San Diego, US.

 

More than 200 experts are attending the annual event.

 

"These new figures are a loud wakeup call: New Zealand has to abandons its current stance, which places the interests of the fishing industry above biodiversity conservation, and finally protect the dolphins' habitat from harmful fishing nets, seismic airgun blasts and oil and gas extraction," said Dr Barbara Maas, Nabu's head of endangered species conservation.

 

Unless this happened, Dr Maas said the dolphin's extinction was ''a matter of when, not if".

 

A spokesperson for the New Zealand minister for conservation said no comment would be made until after the scientific committee reported its findings and recommendations in June.