Estimated fur seal captures in trawl and longline fisheries by fishery type (2003–13)
Publisher
New Zealand's Environment Reporting Series: The Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand
Description
Sea lions and fur seals are the protected species most directly affected by fisheries in New Zealand waters, along with seabirds and dolphins. Estimating the bycatch of sea lions and fur seals indicates the pressures they face from current fishing practices. The New Zealand fur seal Arctocephalus forsteri is classified as not threatened. Its population appears to be increasing and extending back into its historical range (where they were commonly found) (Baker et al, 2010). The Fisheries Act 1996 designates this species as protected and requires mitigation measures to reduce bycatch (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2014). This dataset relates to the "Bycatch of protected species: sea lion and fur seal" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.
