5:30 AM Saturday Feb 11, 2012
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
The shooting of a young New Zealand sea lion - a species as threatened
as the African elephant or the kakapo - has shocked and dismayed those
working to ensure the survival of the species.
Police are investigating after a bullet was discovered with the
decomposed body of a sea lion - identified as "BK", one of five tagged
on Otago Peninsula last year - on Victory Beach recently.
"It's a mindless act of stupidity," Senior Constable Lox Kellas said.
As it was not a fatal shot, the sea lion would have suffered before
its death.
In early January, a sea lion was seen at Papanui Inlet with a
suspected bullet wound but disappeared before the Department of
Conservation could investigate. DoC sent photographs of the injured
sea lion to Massey University for analysis and scientists reported the
wound was probably only a couple of days old. While DoC appealed for
sightings at the time, none were reported.
The decomposed body was discovered last week by DoC marine ranger Jim
Fyfe, who was able to identify it as the sea lion with the suspected
wound by the tags found with its body. He returned the next day to
sieve through the remains and found a .22 bullet.
"I'm pretty annoyed, a lot of work goes into looking after sea
lions ..."
Its death would have a significant impact on the local population, he
said. New Zealand sea lions are listed as a nationally critical
threatened species - the same level as the kiwi or kakapo.
"Those who shoot marine mammals may be ignorant of how endangered
their target is, but the law is simple - it is an offence to kill or
harm any marine mammal."
Under the Marine Mammals Act, penalties of up to six months' jail and
fines up to $250,000 can be imposed.
New Zealand Sea Lion Trust spokesman Shaun McConkey, of Dunedin, said
BK was likely to be a second or third-generation Otago sea lion. With
the death of an Otago female a few weeks ago and a dog attack, the
shooting was all part of a worrying trend, he said.
"We need concerned locals to take ownership of this species and watch
out for them - be their guardians. They are simply too spread out for
DoC or the trust to keep them safe."
Sea lions had been shot, clubbed and rammed by cars in the past, he
said.
"We were starting to hope this sort of behaviour might be in the
past," said Mr McConkey, who has been studying the local sea lions for
17 years.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
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