The Green Room
This week the Department of Conservation announced that one of our threatened New Zealand sea lions and a leopard seal had been shot and left to rot on a Soutland stretch of coast:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10590596
What is it with some people?!!??
Preaching to the converted I know, and saying things that others perhaps can't quite so bluntly..
1) We have a bought government that has and will continue to kill, as certain as if it is pulling a trigger, 70 (x2) if you include the cubs, sealions a year out of a population of 10,000 and declining...
http://www.sealiontrust.org.nz/
2) We have an All Black "hero", involved in a seal shooting incident.
Is it any wonder that your average southern boy with a gun might think its just a bit of a lark?
sea-lion.jpg (104.6 KB, 0 downloads) 2 years old Actually James the estimated number of deaths this year is 72 - 57% more than last year. The multiplier is potentially x3 - sea lion, pup on shore and unborn foetus (many sea lions caught in squid fishery are pregnant females that have also given birth to a pup that season).
What's REALLY disappointing is that DOC has just passed up the chance to REALLY take contorl of the dire situation our NZ sea lions are in. Rather than finalising the 10 yr + overdue Sea lion Population Management Plan, they have decided to opt for a rather pathetic 'Species Management Plan instead'
The difference??
A PMP is legally binding and enable the Minister of Conservation to set the 'rules' to return the species back to non0-threatened status.
The SMP simply outlines the problem and the status quo as its position, leaving the annual death of sea lions in our squid trawl nets in the hands of the Minister of Conservation.
Here's hopeing we don't have a repeat of last year's nonsence!
http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/license-to-kill-spells-trouble-for-sea-lions/
i reckon the Sealion Trust and F&B should each offer 10K bounty for info leading to the one who pulled the trigger on the Southland Beaches.
Last year Kirstie at Forest and Bird you had some extraordinary DOC statistics about the number of marine mammals killed around the NZ coast. There were fur seals, sea lions as well as dolphins. Can you share those with us? I was appalled...and those were the dead marine mammals that were found....what about all the rest.
Those numbers probably are minor compared to the number of sea lions killed in the squid fishery and NZ fur seals killed in the hoki fishery where there may still be 1,000 being killed each year.
In terms of getting good role models for young New Zealanders can anyone please explain to me the Editor Alastair Hall's logic behind the August 2009 issue of NZ Wilderness Magazine headlined "Green Tourism-how to have adventures without harming the planet"?. On Page 17 it has a feature article "Into the Wild with Andrew Hore". It interviews the "seal shooter" about the outdoors but never mentions his shooting of seals. Is Wilderness Magazine naive?...or maybe he doesn't think that the public remembers.
thats terrible .just cause it is at sea or out of the way no one sees and no one cares ,except the few.
my partner saved a bull seal from lads with dogs although i think the dogs took on more than they bargained for .
Hi Tawaki,
I think the info you refer to is what we published in a media release highlighting the mutilation of Hector's dolphins - and supporting our call for a ban on set nets:
Doesn't include other marine mammals though. Am currently seeking an update from DOC, but current record 2002 - October 2008 includes the following - PLEASE BE WARNED - NOT NICE READING!:
2002 - 1 x NZ fur seal (dog)
2003 - 1 x NZ sea lion (shot)
3 x NZ fur seal (skinned, arrow, dog)
2004 - 1 x NZ fur seal (run over)
2005 - 1 x Common dolphin (tail cut off)
2 x NZ fur seal (shot)
2007 - 2 x Hectors dolphin (tails cut of +++)
1 x orca (tail, fins, fluke cut off and filleted)
1 x common dolphin (filleted, head and spine)
5 x NZ fur seal (most = shot)
2008 - 1 x dusky dolphin (shot)
3 x NZ fur seal (run over, hammer to head, dog)
+ 39 NZ fur seals (single event - dogs)
2 x NZ sea lions (shot, bludged)
1 x dolphin (tail cut off)
:( :( :(
I'V found Dolphins that have been shoot, and ones that have net marks all over them! BAN SET NETS!
hgfjhdkhtgd_128.jpg (76.6 KB, 0 downloads) 2 years old Hi there,
Im a Film student and I also work for CH9 in Dunedin, Im making a documentary about the consequences of the Marine Mammal protection Bill being voted down. Im looking at the implications for Mauis Dolphins, sealions, albatross and all NZs marine species- and how the NZ government is looking internationally right now for failing to protect these species. Please email me if you wish to donate any relevant images or footage of the tragedy that is marine animal "bycatch". Thanks, Tess
tessbrosnan@gmail.com
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