Southern South Island Operations Manager Aaron Fleming discusses the fatal shooting of three sea lions and the impacts on the species. Video / Herald NOW
Warning: Graphic content
A graphic photo of three sea lions that were killed near Ōamaru at the weekend has been released by the Department of Conservation.
Two sub-adult male New Zealand sea lions were found dead, and a third was grievously injured near the mouth of the Waitaki River onSaturday.
All three had wounds consistent with being shot by a firearm.
The third was euthanised following veterinary assessment.
The image released by DoC shows the bodies of two of the sea lions lying on the ground in a coastal, bush-covered area.
The animals are on their sides, partially obscured by low trees and scrub, with visible injuries and blood pooled around them.
Two of the three endangered New Zealand sea lions found dead in a remote coastal area, in what DoC is calling a deliberate killing. Photo / Department of Conservation
DoC Southern South Island operations director Aaron Fleming says the killing of the three animals was the latest blow to the endangered species in what’s becoming a disturbing and unacceptable pattern.
“It’s completely horrifying and simply not good enough. As a country, we pride ourselves on our native wildlife and these acts are not who we are,” he said.
“Our precious taonga deserve much better. Most people are rightly appalled when they hear of these cowardly acts, so we are hopeful that someone somewhere will have a conscience and come forward and tell us what they know.”
The killings bring the total number of sea lions deliberately killed by people to at least five in the past year alone, Fleming said.
A female New Zealand sea lion known as Jade and her pup were killed by a firearm last year in the Catlins.
Investigations are ongoing.
“Because the population is so small, any loss is felt hard. We know them, we’ve cared for them, we’ve followed their progress as they’ve grown,” Fleming said.
“One was tagged as a pup at Port Pegasus, Rakiura, and the other at Enderby Island in the subantarctic. They were born in the summer 2024 breeding season; to lose them so soon is just gutting. Collecting the bodies of shot sea lions should not be a job for DOC rangers.”
The New Zealand sea lion numbers around 12,000 animals and is one of the world’s rarest sea lion species. It is endemic to New Zealand and primarily breeds on the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands.
The NZ Sea Lion Trust co-chair Shaun McConkey said the trust was devastated by the latest incident.
“It is heartbreaking that there are some people who want to deliberately harm our endangered, native species,” he said.
“After the shooting and stabbing of three sea lions less than a year ago in the Catlins, there seems to be a disturbing new trend of heartless attacks on sea lions. The perpetrators need to be caught and punished to the full extent of the law to send a clear message.”
Te Rūnanga o Moeraki CEO Trevor McGlinchey said the organisation was appalled by the killing and cruel wounding of the animals within their takiwā.
“Pakake [New Zealand sea lions] are taoka [treasured] species to us and were highly valued by our tūpuna for their flesh, fat and pelt. We support the police and the Department of Conservation in seeking to find and lay charges against whomever shot these pakake.”
It is illegal to injure or kill protected native wildlife like sea lions and anyone who does so can face punishments of up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
Fleming said sharing coastlines with marine mammals was a privilege and a hard-fought one at that.
“We all stand united in our condemnation of this callous act. Enough is enough.”
