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Population of Australia's only unique seal has fallen by 60%, study finds | Conservation

“I have seen some colonies halve in pup production in a decade. Seeing these declines has been really worrying.” In late 2020, the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, raised the status of the Australian sea lion from vulnerable to endangered after recommendations from the threatened species scientific committee. The Australian sea lion, together with two species of fur seals, were commercially hunted from the late 18th century to the early 21st century. Fur seal numbers are recovering, but Australia sea lion numbers are not. The sea lions are known to get caught in fishing nets and lobster pots, in particular gillnets set on the ocean floor in the same places where the seals forage for food.

Population of Australia's only unique seal has fallen by 60%, study finds

Population of Australia’s only unique seal has fallen by 60%, study finds Graham Readfearn © Provided by The Guardian Photograph: Auscape/UIG via Getty Images The population of Australia’s only unique seal has fallen by more than 60% in just four decades, with experts worried about the fate of the species, according to a study of the number pups born at breeding sites. The number of Australian sea lion pups is now at just 2,739 across 80 known breeding sites off the coasts of South Australia and Western Australia, according to the research. The Australian sea lion is Australia’s only endemic seal and one of four marine mammals listed as endangered, but the only one with declining numbers.

Population of Australia's only unique seal has fallen by 60%, study finds

A new model for wildlife tourism

Photo courtesy: Andrew Fox / Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. Wildlife tourism including white shark cage-diving is growing in popularity,.

Model for Wildlife Tourism

Model for Wildlife Tourism Written by AZoCleantechMar 1 2021 Wildlife tourism including white shark cage-diving is growing in popularity, but these industries remain highly contentious amongst tourists, conservationists, and scientists alike. Image Credit: Andrew Fox / Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Many voice concerns about possible negative impacts – especially when it targets potentially dangerous animals – while proponents cite the socio-economic benefits to justify wildlife tourism activities. In reality, wildlife tourism is complex, requiring managers to balance the benefits and drawbacks to determine what is acceptable for such industries. To help solve this question of “is wildlife tourism good or bad?”, a tool to help managers assess these industries has been created by scientists from Flinders University, the Georgia Aquarium, and Southern Cross University with help from environmental, marine parks, and tourism managers from the South Australian Department for E