How this new Māui Dolphin soap can help protect one of NZ's rarest species

There are less than 50 Māui dolphins left in our waters, and now one bath, body and skincare brand is hoping a bar of soap can help change that.

Lush Cosmetics has teamed up with Tāngaro Tuia te Ora (Endangered Species Foundation) to raise awareness about the impact of bottom trawling on one of Aotearoa's most endangered native species.

Found only in New Zealand, the Māui dolphin is one of the rarest dolphins in the world and is considered a significant taonga (treasured) species.

But as the number has dwindled, Tāngaro Tuia te Ora and warn they're running out of time.

To help shine a light on the issue, a limited drop of Māui Dolphin soap has been released by Lush, with a goal of raising more than $10,000.

75% of sales from each soap will go directly to Tāngaro Tuia te Ora to support its conservation work.

The Foundation's campaign focuses on the effects of bottom trawling, a fishing method that drags heavy nets across the ocean floor - destroying marine habitats, damaging coral forests, releasing stored carbon and wiping out food sources relied on by dolphins and other marine life.

Natalie Jessup, General Manager of Tāngaro Tuia te Ora, says, “The warning signs in our oceans are devastating."

"It’s heartbreaking that bottom trawling has so heavily impacted their habitats, leaving so few Māui dolphins that they are now considered critically endangered. No dolphin should ever be killed in a fishing net."

The decisions made right now will determine what species survive. We urgently need solutions that match the scale of this challenge.

Advocacy and Activism Executive at Lush, Jessielee Pearce, says that allowing a dolphin species to disappear from New Zealand waters is "unacceptable".

Because if there's one thing worth thinking about during your next shower, it's making sure the next generation get to see Māui dolphins thriving.