Ah, Man’s Best Friend… Many would agree that dogs are valued members of the family/whānau! New Zealand sea lions/pakake are behaviourally like dogs; however, unlike dogs, sea lions were once distributed across Aotearoa New Zealand pre-human colonisation.
In late September 2024, an eight year old cow named ‘Jade’ and her pup were shot in the Catlins. There is not one justifiable reason to harass, maim or kill a sea lion.
- New Zealand sea lions are not predators of humans. There has not been one human death linked to sea lions.
- They are not “eating all our fish”. It is statically impossible for a total of about 12,000 sea lions to deplete fish populations, versus millions of humans fishing commercially and recreationally over generations. The ocean is also essentially their supermarket.
- They are not “taking over the beaches”. Beaches are their homes, and are where they sleep and socialise with each other. Usually, they are unfazed by humans sharing the beaches. However, if you are racing on the beaches in your vehicles, you will elicit a disturbed reaction from them.
The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust‘s monetary reward for information that leads to the successful prosecution of the perpetrator(s) who killed Jade and her pup has now reached $11,000.00, thanks to kind benefactors! Contact the Department of Conservation at 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) if you know anything.
Photo: Sian Mair. Taken from a safe distance and zoomed in on.