Thank you Matthew Scott at Newsroom for writing this great investigative article about the ‘Protect Endangered New Zealand Sea Lion’ campaign I began in June 2020!
Whether you are passionate about New Zealand sea lions/pakake, impartial, or consider them a nuisance; they are returning to mainland Aotearoa.
Sea lions are philopatric and will breed at the same beaches they were born; therefore, chasing them away is not the solution. We must learn to live with them harmoniously.
The human population and tourism in Aotearoa is consistently growing, and vehicles are more powerful than ever; so, racing along the beaches in vehicles is not a sustainable activity.
I will continue to engage and work with the Clutha District Council, stakeholders of the ‘Vehicles on Beaches Bylaw’, iwi, locals, Forest & Bird, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust, the Department of Conservation and the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, to protect endangered and indigenous species that reside in the Clutha Region.
Click to read his article: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/environment/black-sand-highway-sea-lion-vs-traffic.