DOC Investigating Decline In Sea Lion Pups

DOC Investigating Decline In Sea Lion Pups

Department of Conservation researchers are investigating a significant decline in New Zealand sea lion pups born this breeding season.

Once found widely around the mainland coastline, the breeding population has now largely retreated to the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands and there is concern about the growing vulnerability of the remaining breeding colonies.

Over 85% of all breeding occurs on the Auckland Islands and DOC researchers, working on the islands this summer, are recording a 31% fall in the number of New Zealand sea lion pups born this season.

“We are not exactly sure why pup numbers have declined so significantly this year. The team on the islands are currently working to pinpoint the cause of the problem. Indications at this stage are that this is not a repeat of the bacterial epidemics that led to a decrease in the number of pups born in the past. Our researchers have however observed that there are a lot less females coming ashore to breed this year,” Simon Banks, DOC’s Marine Conservation Manager said.

“Whatever the cause, this latest setback for the breeding population highlights the vulnerability of the species.”

New Zealand sea lions face a number of natural and human threats, such as fishing and disturbance by beachgoers and dogs along the mainland coastline in the past year. DOC ultimately aims to rebuild the population to non-threatened status.

DOC researchers will remain on Auckland Islands over the coming weeks to determine the cause of the latest fall in New Zealand sea lion pup numbers and to continue their on-going research into the breeding population.

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