Did you know that 81 percent of New Zealand sea lion/pakake pups were reported to have died during 2019 and 2020 at Campbell Island in the Sub Antarctic Region? That is the highest reported incidents of New Zealand sea lion pup mortalities.
Life in the Sub Antarctic Islands is harsh – residents are subjected to high rainfall and low wind-chill; which appears to be the cause of these pup’s deaths.
Additionally, residents of the Sub Antarctic Islands must compete for food with the fisheries, in particular the squid fisheries. There are three commercial squid fisheries in New Zealand and the second trawl fishery is located specifically around the Auckland Islands in the Sub Antarctic Region.
Squid fishing takes place in the summer months from January through to May, coinciding with New Zealand sea lions/pakake breeding season.
*Photo by Janet Ledingham from the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust of a mainland New Zealand sea lion pup.