Call to protect sea lions
Otago's coastal sea lion community is edging towards a historic comeback 150 years in the making.
Thirty-one pups were born on the Otago Peninsula in 2024, just four shy of the benchmark of 35 a year for five consecutive years that would see the area formally recognised as a breeding colony.
Those increasing numbers mean Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope is calling for a more robust agreement between all organisations that are key to protecting sea lions such as the Department of Conservation, New Zealand Sea Lion Trust, Te Runaka o Ōtākou and the Dunedin City Council.
"I've lived on the peninsula for 30 years and I've seen the advent of the sea lion return back to the Otago Peninsula."
Alongside the rise in sea lions, the number of tourists visiting local beaches has increased.
One example is Allans Beach, near his home, which is now far busier than before.
"There was a time when you would go to Allans Beach and you were lucky to see one or two people."
That is often no longer the case and Mr Pope had witnessed some unfortunate encounters.
"The way that the animals are interacted with and other things are not always the best.
"I think we need to do better from that place in terms of vehicle management and people management."
This was not a criticism of the work Doc was doing, he said.
Sea lions are managed under the Marine Mammals Protection Act, which is administered by Doc.
The council also manages factors that affect sea lions, such as local roads.
"We have had sea lions killed on the road."
Doc and the council maintain joint-funding for Summer Rangers who patrol busy beaches and advise visitors how to behave around marine mammals.
The partnership strengthens Dunedin's reputation as the 'wildlife capital' of New Zealand and helps mitigate avoidable threats to sea lions resting on local shores.
"It is a collaborative arrangement, but there has to be some sort of financial strategy around some of that to make sure that actually the sea lions are protected in the best possible way.
"The summer rangership is a great thing, but does that need to be funded more broadly between both organisations?"
Mr Pope hoped a concrete funding plan would ensure a stronger programme could proceed.
More money was needed for measures ranging from clear beach signage to extra "boots on the ground" to educate visitors about sea lions.
Another pup-bearing season will begin in December which, if recent trends continue, will push the Otago mainland closer to breeding-colony status.
"We are increasingly having more and more interactions with sea lions across the Otago Peninsula and with that comes risks to the animals in terms of their welfare and their treatment.
"If we are to manage this in the long term, there needs to be a better increase in funding around making sure that they are safe in the longer term.
"At the moment it all seems a little bit ad hoc. I think we could do better," Mr Pope said.
Doc marine bycatch and threats manager Kristopher Ramm said the New Zealand sea lion population had risen sharply in recent years on Otago's coastal beaches.
"We expect this trend to continue unless the population is impacted by human interference, disease, fisheries, or climate change."
Pakake are among the world's rarest sea lions and are considered a taoka (treasure) by mana whenua.
They appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list and were reclassified nationally endangered in New Zealand in April.
"As this species is in active decline and at risk of extinction, Doc is working to improve survivorship and breeding numbers."
While the mainland sea lion population is rising, the department's operational budget has remained similar to that of recent years.
On the mainland the focus is on tracking population trends and advocating to lessen human-caused threats.
Doc is directing most of its resources to the shrinking sea lion colonies on the sub-Antarctic islands, aiming to prevent the species' irreversible decline.
For the rising numbers of sea lions on the Otago Peninsula, the priority was educating and advocating for pakake, such as asking drivers to be aware of sea lions and keeping dogs under control around marine mammals, giving animals space to rest.
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