As per the declaration issued by the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries that it will continue to closely manage the impact of fishing on the sea lion population in response to research showing fluctuations in sea lion numbers. The ministry said that a mortality limit is set every year based on a comprehensive sea lion population model, which has been developed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
Ministry of Fisheries Chief Executive Wayne McNee told that this is always a hard decision to make, we have to balance the need to protect our native sea lions with the legal obligation under the Fisheries Act to allow for fishing of the squid resource around the Auckland Islands.
The Department of Conservation has previously carried out research on sea lion populations in the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands that showed a decline in the number of sea lion pups and a reduction in the number of female sea lions coming ashore. It is not known what caused this decline. McNee said that the authorities are very much confident that any decline was not caused by fishing.
