1,000 signatures reached
To: NZ Parliament
Stop fishing industry sea lion deaths
We call on Parliament to immediately reinstate the Fishing Related Mortality Limit (FRML), the official limit for ‘acceptable’ deaths of pakake, the New Zealand sea lion.
Why is this important?
Pakake, the New Zealand sea lion is the world’s rarest sea lion and an endangered species. There are only 10,000 and live around the remote subantarctic Auckland Islands.
Acting on advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries, and against Department of Conservation advice, the new Minister for Fishing Shane Jones has removed a ‘mortality limit’ for sea lion deaths. This is the maximum number of deaths caused by commercial fishing. The number was set to protect the population, as more deaths would threaten the survival of the species.
This is outrageous - pakake are at risk of going extinct, and we should be finding as many ways as possible to protect them. The number of sea lion pups dropped by almost a third last year. They could be affected by heating ocean temperatures, and commercial fishing depleting their food sources.
The southern squid trawl fishery operates around the Auckland Islands and overlaps with the sea lion foraging grounds. Fishing vessels kill sea lions by accident as ‘bycatch’. The mortality limit was set at 52 deaths and was a red line for the fishery - if it went over the limit the fishery would be closed.
This protected, endangered species needs protection, but the Minister of Oceans & Fisheries has decided to listen only to the voices of the commercial fishing industry! Sign our petition to reinstate the death limit, and support the call for more protection!
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350240291/death-limit-endangered-new-zealand-sea-lions-scrapped
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/38189-Squid-6T-Operational-Plan-2019-2023