new zealand sea lion/rāpoka threat management plan€¦ · annual sea lion pup counts at breeding...
TRANSCRIPT
Consultation DocumentNew Zealand sea lion/rāpoka
Threat Management Plan
NEW ZEALAND SEA LION/RĀPOKA THREAT MANAGEMENT PLAN
CONSULTATION PAPER
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries
20 June 2016
2 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
Disclaimer While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this publication is accurate, the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries do not accept any responsibility or liability for error of fact, omission, interpretation or opinion that may be present, nor for the consequences of any decisions based on this information. Requests for further copies should be directed to: Publications Logistics Officer Marine Species and Threats Team Ministry for Primary Industries Department of Conservation PO Box 2526 PO Box 10420 WELLINGTON 6140 Wellington 6143 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 Telephone: 04-471 0726 Facsimile: 04-894 0300 Facsimile: 04-381 3057 This publication is also available on the Department of Conservation website at http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/seals/new-zealand-sea-lion/docs-work/new-zealand-sea-lion-threat-management-plan/ And the Ministry for Primary Industries website at http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-and-resources/publications/
Cover image: New Zealand sea lion and pup. Photo: Andrew Maloney © Crown Copyright – Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries, June 2016
ISBN No: 978-0-478-15065-0 (print) ISBN No: 978-0-478-15064-3 (online)
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 3
How to submit DOC and MPI welcome written submissions on the New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka Threat Management Plan. The deadline for all submissions is:
Friday 5 pm, 5 August 2016 Please make sure you include the following information in your submission:
• the title of this consultation document
• your name and title
• your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation), and
• your contact details (e.g. phone number, address and email). You can return your submission via email, post or hand delivery: Email: [email protected] Post to: Consultation: New Zealand sea lion Threat Management Plan Marine Species and Threats Team Department of Conservation PO Box 10420 Wellington 6143 Deliver by hand to: Consultation: New Zealand sea lion Threat Management Plan Marine Species and Threats Team Department of Conservation Conservation House 18–32 Manners Street Wellington 6011 Official Information Act All submissions are subject to the Official Information Act 1982 and can be released, if requested, under the Act. If you have specific reasons for wanting to have your submission withheld, please set out your reasons in the submission. DOC and MPI will consider those reasons when making any assessment for the release of submissions if requested under the Official Information Act. DOC and MPI will analyse all submissions and develop joint recommendations for each agency’s respective Minister to consider.
4 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 5
Contents
How to submit .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Executive summary ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Treaty of Waitangi obligations .......................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
Problem definition .......................................................................................................................................... 10
Status of sea lions ........................................................................................................................................... 10
Recent population trend ................................................................................................................................. 11
TMP objective and scope ................................................................................................................................ 12
TMP goals ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 1. Population goals ...................................................................................................................................... 12
2. Partnership goal ...................................................................................................................................... 12
3. Research and monitoring goal: ................................................................................................................ 13
4. Community goal: ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Proposed Threat Management Plan actions ................................................................................................... 13
National programme ...................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Population monitoring............................................................................................................................. 15
2. New Zealand sea lion forum .................................................................................................................... 15
3. National engagement campaign .............................................................................................................. 15
4. Disease research ...................................................................................................................................... 16
Regional programme ...................................................................................................................................... 16
References ...................................................................................................................................................... 19
Other research priorities ................................................................................................................................. 19
Next steps ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
6 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
Executive summary The New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka (Phocarctos hookeri) is a taonga species, treasured by tangata whenua. It is the rarest sea lion in the world. Currently the estimated total population of around 11,800 sea lions is classified as ‘Nationally Critical’.1
Annual sea lion pup counts at breeding sites are used to index trends in the total sea lion population. The Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Primary Industries asked officials to develop this New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka Threat Management Plan (TMP) because the number of sea lion pups born annually at the Auckland Islands declined by 50% in the 11 years between 1998 and 2009. The Auckland Islands is the largest breeding site for sea lions with 68% of all sea lion pups being born there, so the decline from 3,000 pups to around 1,500 pups is a major cause of concern. The objective of the TMP is to ‘promote the recovery and ensure the long-term viability of New Zealand sea lions’. This will be achieved by a range of threat management/mitigation actions, as well as research and engagement activities, to be undertaken over the next 20 years. A major part of developing the TMP was production of a risk assessment of threats to sea lions which focussed on the two regions with the most data available – the Auckland Islands subpopulation, and the Otago coast breeding population.
1 Under the New Zealand Threat Management Classification System, Department of Conservation.
The TMP has four goals:
1. Population goal: • long term, by 2036, the overall population is above the 2015 estimate of 11,800
sea lions, and will be increasing
• short term, by 2021 and every 5 years thereafter, the overall sea lion population is on track to achieving the 20-year goal.
2. Partnership goal: The Crown works in partnership with Ngāi Tahu on issues involving sea lions.
3. Research and monitoring goal: A structured research and monitoring programme is implemented to inform and target management actions to achieve the objective of the TMP.
4. Community goal: Communities and stakeholders are involved and engaged in the conservation of sea lions.
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 7
Sea lions are exposed to different natural and man-made threats. For this reason, the TMP takes a holistic approach to mitigate the key threats to ensure recovery across the whole sea lion population. It sets out the national and regional management measures that are proposed to address the key threats. The TMP then outlines the actions that are being proposed for mitigating the threats at the main breeding sites: on the Otago coast of the South Island/Te Waipounamu, Stewart Island/Rakiura, the Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku. Research and monitoring associated with the TMP will be reviewed annually to assess progress against the 5-year goals. The TMP as a whole will be reviewed every 5 years and assessed against achievement of the 5-year goals and progress towards the 20-year goals.
Treaty of Waitangi obligations Sea lions are very important to all New Zealanders. In te reo, the female sea lion is kake and the male is whakahao – rāpoka is used more generically for all sea lions. Sea lions are a taonga species (or treasure) to tangata whenua and more specifically, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. The Crown acknowledges the cultural, spiritual, historical, and traditional association of Ngāi Tahu with sea lions under this Act. This commits the Crown to consult with and have particular regard to the views of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu when the Minister of Conservation makes policy decisions concerning the protection, management, or conservation of sea lions.
Under the TMP, officials will work with whānau, hapū and iwi to develop the appropriate mechanisms to ensure kaitiakitanga responsibilities for sea lions are met. Appropriate mechanisms for ensuring iwi engagement will be developed further at the local level, through DOC’s Pou Tairangahau and district treaty partnerships.
8 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
Introduction The purpose of this New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka2 Threat Management Plan (TMP) consultation paper is to:
outline the proposed TMP – the actions and research (based on available resources) that are planned to reduce the key threats to sea lions, and
seek feedback on the proposed TMP measures.
The TMP has been developed to prioritise sea lion research and management actions in a pragmatic way, targeting the key threats to sea lions within resource constraints. These proposed measures are designed to begin the sea lion population recovery process over the next 20 years.
In the two years since the TMP process began, a number of research programmes have been initiated or maintained. The background document contains information on the biology of sea lions, key threats, legislation, history of commercial fishing mitigation, and a description of the research undertaken during the development of the TMP. Extensive research on sea lions has taken place over the past 30 years. Identifying causes and relative importance and interdependencies, for the decline of the sea lion population has proven complex.
Sea lions were previously managed through the New Zealand sea lion Species Management Plan (2009-2014). The Department of Conservation (DOC) and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are now proposing to manage sea lions through the implementation of the TMP to progress the recovery of the sea lion population. Prior to implementation, both agencies are seeking feedback on the TMP. An overview of the proposed TMP is provided in Figure 1. After submissions are considered, the final TMP will contain those threat management measures agreed to by the Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Primary Industries. If a management measure is included that contains legislative amendments – a separate consultation will be undertaken. The TMP as a whole will be reviewed every 5 years and assessed against achievement of the 5 year goals and progress towards the 20 year goals.
Substantial work was undertaken to support the development of the TMP and a number of information papers on sea lions are available to assist your submission:
1. Review of threats to the recovery of New Zealand sea lions including a literature review of similar species overseas
2. Quantitative Risk Assessment of Threats to New Zealand Sea lions
3. A Summary of the Risk Assessment of Threats to New Zealand Sea lions
4. Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2015 - sea lion chapter
5. Background document – further reading
2 Subsequently referred to as ‘sea lion’.
New
Zea
land
sea
lion
Thre
at M
anag
emen
t Pla
n
Nat
iona
l Pro
gram
me
Four
pro
ject
s cov
erin
g1.
Popu
latio
n m
onito
ring
2.
New
Zea
land
sea
lion
Foru
m3.
N
atio
nal e
ngag
emen
t cam
paig
n4.
D
isea
se re
sear
ch
Regi
onal
Pro
gram
me
Proj
ects
targ
etin
g fo
ur ke
y th
reat
s1.
Pups
dro
wni
ng in
hol
es2.
H
uman
inte
ract
ions
3.
Mal
e ag
gres
sion
4.
Eff
ects
of fi
shin
g
Rese
arch
Pri
oriti
es
Add
ition
al re
sear
ch o
n th
e fo
llow
ing
thre
ats
1. D
isea
se2.
C
hang
es in
food
reso
urce
s3.
M
ale
aggr
essi
on4.
Po
or h
abita
t/pu
ps d
row
ning
in h
oles
5.
Effec
ts o
f fish
ing
Depa
rtmen
t of C
onse
rvatio
n and
Mini
stry f
or P
rimar
y Ind
ustrie
s NZ
sea l
ion T
hrea
t Man
agem
ent P
lan •
8
Figu
re 1
: New
Zea
land
sea
lion
Thre
at M
anag
emen
t Pla
n O
verv
iew
10 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
Problem definition Annual sea lion pup counts at the main sea lion breeding sites are used to index trends in the total sea lion population. The Auckland Islands is the largest breeding site with 68% of all sea lion pups being born there. For this reason, pup counts have been undertaken at the four breeding colonies on the Auckland Islands since 19953. The number of sea lion pups born at the Auckland Islands in the 11 years between 1998 and 2009 declined by 50% (Figure 2).
During the 2014 monitoring survey, 1,575 sea lion pups were estimated to have been born at the Auckland Islands. This was the third lowest pup count since 1995. In response to concern at this low pup count and the declining trend, the Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Primary Industries requested that the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) work to develop a New Zealand sea lion Threat Management Plan (TMP).
Status of sea lions Before humans reached New Zealand, sea lions were found around the entire New Zealand coast. Hunting sea lions for food by Māori and then commercial hunting by sealers in the 1800s for pelts, meat and oil, significantly reduced the population and distribution. Hunting was banned in 1893. By the 20th century, sea lions were only found on Campbell Island/Motu Ihupiku and the Auckland islands in the subantarctic region. In the 1990s, sea lion population growth led to a small number of sea lions breeding on Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Otago coast. Sea lions also began to breed in the Catlins area in Southland in 2006, however the majority of sea lions pups (98%) are born either on Campbell Island (30%) or the Auckland Islands (68%).
The marine environment around the Auckland Islands was protected for marine mammals in 1993 when the area out to 12 nautical miles became a marine mammal sanctuary. In 2003, the value of the wider marine ecosystem was recognised with the area covered by the marine mammal sanctuary also becoming a marine reserve. In 1997, the New Zealand sea lion was gazetted as a threatened species under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978. In terms of current status, New Zealand sea lions have been assessed under two threat classification systems – the New Zealand Threat Classification System (Townsend et al, 2008), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2010). In 2010, the New Zealand Threat Classification System listed the New Zealand sea lion as ‘Nationally Critical’ based on the rate of decline prior to 2010 (Baker et al, 2010). This status was confirmed in the most recent review of the threat status of marine mammals in 2013. In 2015, the IUCN updated the Red List status of New Zealand sea lions, listing them as ‘Endangered’ (they were previously listed as ‘Vulnerable’) on the basis of a projected ongoing decline in pup production of 4% per year at the largest breeding colonies on the Auckland Islands (Chilvers, 2015).
3 Please note that a breeding season spans two calendar years. In this TMP, the second year will be used - for example a
reference to 2015 will refer to the 2014/15 breeding season.
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 11
Recent population trend Preliminary results for the most recent Auckland Islands pup count (conducted in January 2016) have recorded an estimated 1,727 sea lion pups a 10% increase from the previous year. Counts at the Campbell Island breeding colony have been infrequent due to the difficulty and cost of getting researchers to the island and due to methodological differences between counts it is difficult to infer population trends, however, sea lion pup count numbers have increased over time (Figure 2). Annual sea lion pup counts by researchers began on the Dunedin coast in 1994, the Catlins coast in 2006, and Stewart Island/Rakiura in 2011. The number of sea lion pups recorded each year also appears to be increasing at these breeding sites (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Annual pup census estimates of the main breeding populations of NZ sea lions. (Adapted from Roberts and Doonan, 2016.)
12 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
TMP objective and scope The objective of the TMP is to:
Promote the recovery and ensure the long-term viability of the New Zealand sea lion population.
The TMP will be reviewed every 5 years to evaluate progress towards achieving this objective and the four goals which are outlined below. The scope of the plan includes all key threats to the sea lion population and all known breeding sites.
Trigger points will enable review of the TMP within the 5-year period if required. An example of a trigger point is an Auckland Islands sea lion pup count that is below 1,501.
TMP goals
1. Population goals Long term, by 2036, the overall population is above the 2015 estimate of 11,800 sea lions and is increasing.
Short term, by 2021 and every 5 years thereafter, the overall sea lion population is on track to achieving the 20-year goal.
The breeding site-specific goals are:
• To reverse the declining trend in sea lion pup numbers born each year at the Auckland Islands, and
• Ensure that the number of sea lion pups born on the Otago coast, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku continues to increase.
The sea lion population will be monitored to evaluate progress against these goals using the following population indicators at breeding sites.
At the Auckland Islands, Otago coast, and Stewart Island/Rakiura:
• Pup counts
• Pup survival (modelled based on tag re-sights)
• Adult female sea lion survival (modelled based on tag re-sights).
2. Partnership goal The Crown works in partnership with Ngāi Tahu on issues involving sea lions.
DOC and MPI will enable whānau, hapū, and iwi to fulfil their kaitiakitanga responsibilities towards sea lions by working closely together, meeting regularly, and keeping each other updated on sea lion issues.
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 13
3. Research and monitoring goal:
A structured research and monitoring programme is implemented to inform and target management actions to achieve the objective of the TMP.
Research and monitoring aligns with the goals of the TMP.
Researchers and Government collaborate on sea lion-related projects to ensure that management is fully informed with the best available data.
Research and monitoring used to inform management is subject to robust review.
4. Community goal: Communities and stakeholders are involved and engaged in the conservation of sea lions.
Public understanding of sea lions, their importance and threats to their population, improves.
Public involvement in the conservation of sea lions increases through readily available community engagement opportunities.
DOC will engage with local authorities (district and regional councils) to protect breeding sea lions. Public understanding and involvement will be monitored over the 20-year term of the TMP.
Proposed Threat Management Plan actions The background document outlines the current knowledge on sea lions, the TMP process and the results of a robust information gathering and risk assessment phase. Based on the results of the risk assessment this draft Threat Management Plan was developed for consultation.
The risk assessment (Roberts and Doonan, 2016) found that no single threat is responsible for the decline in the number of sea lion pups born at the main breeding sites on the Auckland Islands, and proposes that an integrated response is required to address the range of key threats identified. It also acknowledges the need for monitoring across all the subpopulations and breeding sites. The TMP proposes a national programme consisting of four projects, and a regional programme also consisting of four projects. Agencies believe this to be the base plan of core work that will make progress towards achieving the goals of the TMP. DOC and MPI recognise that there is the potential for more work to be included within the national and regional programmes that would expedite progress and increase certainty in achieving the goals. Therefore, the TMP proposes a list of prioritised research that can be incorporated into the plan in the future as resources allow.
National programme Actions were identified that could be taken on a national level to help improve knowledge and awareness of sea lions at all sites. The national programme proposal is outlined in Table 1. It consists of four projects: population monitoring, the establishment of the New Zealand sea lion Forum, an awareness campaign, and disease research. These projects are also explained briefly below.
Tabl
e 1:
Nat
iona
l Pro
gram
me
Proj
ect
TMP
Goa
l O
bjec
tives
Br
eedi
ng L
ocat
ion
16
/17
17/1
8 18
/19
19/2
0 20
/21
Mea
sure
able
out
com
e
Agen
cy R
espo
nsib
le
Mon
itorin
g
I. Po
pula
tion
III
. Res
earc
h an
d M
onito
ring
1. M
onito
r the
pop
ulat
ion
to m
easu
re
agai
nst T
MP
popu
latio
n go
al
2. F
ill in
form
atio
n ga
ps o
n po
pula
tion
for l
ess s
tudi
ed b
reed
ing
sites
3.
Fill
info
rmat
ion
gaps
on
thre
ats,
e.g
. po
tent
ial o
verla
p w
ith se
a lio
ns a
nd
rate
of i
ncid
ence
of l
esse
r kno
wn
thre
ats
Auck
land
Isla
nds
✓*
✓*
✓*
✓
✓
1. U
pdat
ed p
up c
ount
s for
mea
surin
g ag
ains
t TM
P po
pula
tion
goal
2.
Tag
resig
hts u
ploa
ded
into
dem
ogra
phic
da
taba
se fo
r ana
lysis
of d
emog
raph
ic ra
tes
3. O
ppor
tuni
ties f
or a
dditi
onal
mon
itorin
g ar
e re
port
ed o
n th
e N
ZSL
(New
Zea
land
sea
lion)
Fo
rum
DOC/
MPI
Cam
pbel
l Isla
nd
✓
DOC/
MPI
Stew
art I
sland
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
DO
C/M
PI
Sout
h Is
land
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
DO
C/M
PI
New
Zea
land
sea
lion
Foru
m
I. Po
pula
tion
II.
Par
tner
ship
III
. Res
earc
h
and
Mon
itorin
g
1. M
onito
r the
impl
emen
tatio
n of
the
Thre
at M
anag
emen
t Pla
n,
2.
Adv
ise o
n re
sear
ch a
nd
man
agem
ent p
riorit
ies a
s mor
e in
form
atio
n be
com
es a
vaila
ble
as a
pa
rt o
f the
pla
n,
3.
Fac
ilita
te c
olla
bora
tive
initi
ativ
es to
he
lp re
cove
r NZS
L
Nat
iona
l ✓
**
✓
✓
✓
✓
1. F
orum
is e
stab
lishe
d
2. R
esea
rch
and
mon
itorin
g of
NZS
L ar
e pr
esen
ted
to th
e Fo
rum
ann
ually
3.
Res
earc
h in
itiat
ives
prio
ritise
d by
the
Foru
m
are
inco
rpor
ated
into
the
Plan
as f
undi
ng a
nd
reso
urce
s bec
ome
avai
labl
e 4.
Info
rmat
ion
is di
ssem
inat
ed in
to th
e co
mm
unity
DOC/
MPI
Enga
gem
ent
Cam
paig
n
II. P
artn
ersh
ip
IV. C
omm
unity
1.
Rai
se a
war
enes
s with
the
gene
ral
publ
ic a
bout
NZS
L an
d w
hat t
hey
can
do to
mak
e a
diffe
renc
e 2.
Edu
cate
the
publ
ic a
bout
beh
avio
ur
arou
nd N
ZSL
3. F
acili
tate
com
mun
ity g
roup
s,
scho
ols,
inte
rest
ed p
artie
s to
colla
bora
te o
n lo
cal m
onito
ring
proj
ects
4.
Red
uce
the
impa
ct o
f hum
an
inte
ract
ions
on
NZS
L 5.
Red
uce
the
likel
ihoo
d of
mor
talit
ies
rela
ted
to d
elib
erat
e hu
man
act
ions
at
Stew
art I
sland
and
Sou
th Is
land
Nat
iona
l ✓
**
✓**
✓
✓
✓
1.
Impr
oved
pub
lic u
nder
stan
ding
of N
ZSL
2. P
ublic
are
aw
are
of h
ow to
beh
ave
safe
ly
arou
nd N
ZSL
3.
Dec
line
in in
cide
nts o
r mor
talit
y to
NZS
L as
a
resu
lt of
hum
an in
tera
ctio
ns
DOC
Nat
iona
l Res
earc
h Pr
iorit
y –
Kleb
siella
pn
eum
onia
e
III. R
esea
rch
an
d M
onito
ring
1.
Sup
port
rese
arch
to u
nder
take
a ri
sk
fact
or a
naly
sis o
n Kl
ebsie
lla
pneu
mon
iae
to u
nder
stan
d w
hat
fact
ors m
ake
pups
mor
e su
scep
tible
to
infe
ctio
n an
d m
orta
lity
2. D
eter
min
e pr
esen
ce o
f the
dise
ase
at d
iffer
ent l
ocat
ions
, pre
vale
nce
and
tota
l mor
talit
y,
3. Id
entif
icat
ion
of in
fect
ious
stra
in,
4. Id
entif
icat
ion
of so
urce
s and
vec
tors
Nat
iona
l ✓
✓
✓
1.
Pro
gres
s rep
orts
are
del
iver
ed to
the
NZS
L Fo
rum
for f
eedb
ack
2. Id
entif
icat
ion
of a
ctio
ns to
dea
l with
dise
ase
DOC/
MPI
*= T
he m
onito
ring
take
s pla
ce a
s a p
art o
f the
dise
ase
rese
arch
on
Kleb
siella
pne
umon
iae
**
= M
ore
inve
stm
ent r
equi
red
at se
t up,
and
then
late
r yea
rs a
re m
aint
enan
ce a
nd w
ould
requ
ire le
ss re
sour
cing
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 15
1. Population monitoring In order to measure progress against the TMP population goal, monitoring of the sea lion population is necessary. Table 1 proposes a monitoring schedule for the four locations over the 5-year cycle of the plan. Monitoring may not be feasible or necessary at all locations every year. To ensure information is available for the review of the plan at the end of a 5-year cycle, the final year will include all locations. The table represents the most frequent monitoring that can be completed with current resourcing, however, should cost sharing or partnership arrangements arise, the proposed monitoring plan could be expanded. The first three years of monitoring at the Auckland Islands is proposed as a part of a wider research project (see project 4. Disease research), therefore the field season would be planned around the research project and monitoring could be undertaken as a part of that work. For years where there is no research project proposed, the monitoring expedition may be reduced in length unless there are synergies that would allow an extended field season.
2. New Zealand sea lion forum Research continues to be required to inform decisions on the management of sea lions and to monitor the population to assess how effective TMP actions are. DOC and MPI propose to establish a jointly facilitated New Zealand Sea Lion Forum (the ‘Forum’) where iwi, researchers, government officials and stakeholders would come together to prioritise research and monitoring actions under the TMP and facilitate partnerships to achieve the goals of TMP. The Forum would provide transparency on research and monitoring requirements for sea lions, would assess progress towards achievement of the TMP goals, and prioritise and progress recommended future actions or research. It is proposed that the Forum terms of reference could be based on those for the National Plan of Action Seabirds Advisory Group.
All key stakeholder groups will be invited to join the Forum in order to contribute to the process, be part of future reviews of the TMP, and respond to new information as required. Outputs from the Forum will guide sea lion research priorities and inform managers if there is a need to revisit TMP management actions. It is proposed that the Forum will review the implementation of the 5-year TMP sea lion research and monitoring plan and prioritise upcoming research and management needs. Where research and management needs are identified as priorities, the Forum will leverage their respective relationships in order to facilitate progress towards them, including by collaborative funding and resourcing models or in-kind support.
There has been a considerable amount of research on sea lions from different researchers. In order to make the data more easily accessible for gaps analyses and future research, a central research repository of sea lion data will be established. Data would be housed securely and made accessible to sea lion researchers.
3. National engagement campaign A national engagement campaign is proposed to ensure that communities are involved and engaged in the conservation of sea lions. Officials will work in partnership with Ngāi Tahu to enable them to fulfill their kaitiakitanga responsibilities through this campaign. This project will aim to raise the New Zealand public’s awareness of the threats to sea lions and also educate communities in areas frequented by sea lions, such as the Otago coast and Stewart Island/Rakiura. The primary objective of the campaign will be to minimise human impacts on sea lions at public locations where sea lions breed and/or haul out.
16 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
4. Disease research The sea lion risk assessment (Roberts and Doonan 2016), estimated that the top natural threat to sea lions on the Auckland Islands is the bacterial disease Klebsiella pneumoniae. There are no proven methods for treating or preventing this disease in sea lions. Research is the first step in addressing this threat and determining whether there are feasible actions which may mitigate the impact of disease on the population.
Monitoring at the Auckland Islands covering the full breeding season (from birth to sea lion pups leaving the breeding site) is essential. This monitoring would include a range of sampling to gather information on a number of relevant factors including:
Prevalence of disease
Total mortality from disease
Identification of the strain of Klebsiella
Identification of the source and vectors of Klebsiella
In addition, a case-control study, undertaken in conjunction with Massey University, supported by DOC and MPI, will examine what factors make pups more susceptible to Klebsiella, to be able to provide advice on realistic treatment or management options.
Information from this study and outputs of research already underway would be reported back to the Forum. The Forum could then identify and facilitate options for management interventions (including future research) for the remainder of the period of the TMP.
Actions related to Klebsiella have so far focussed on the Auckland Islands subpopulation; however, the disease is likely to be present in other sea lion subpopulations. Opportunistic sampling at other locations will be facilitated for inclusion into the wider research programme on disease to examine the presence and extent of the disease.
Regional programme The risk assessment identified a number of threats that were either specific to a location or that varied between locations. For this reason a regional programme is proposed to accommodate the site-specific nature of some of the key threats. The regional programme would comprise four main projects to research, monitor and mitigate the following four threats; pups drowning/starving in holes, male sea lion aggression, direct human interactions, and the effects of fishing. These projects and their associated actions over a 5-year timeline are outlined in Table 2.
Tabl
e 2: R
egio
nal P
rogr
amm
e
Th
reat
fo
cuse
d pr
ojec
t TM
P Go
al
Proj
ect O
bjec
tives
Br
eedi
ng
loca
tion
16
/17
17/18
18
/19
19/20
20
/21
Prio
rity
Meas
urea
ble o
utco
me
Agen
cy
Resp
onsib
le
1
Pups
drow
ning
in ho
les –
Redu
cing t
he
occu
rrenc
e
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Redu
ce th
e mor
tality
of pu
ps fr
om dr
ownin
g or
star
ving a
fter f
alling
into
holes
Au
cklan
d Isl
ands
, Ca
mpbe
ll Isl
and1
Conti
nue t
he P
lanks
for
Pups
initia
tive /
cons
ider
expa
nsion
/ Map
ping o
f ho
les
Conti
nue t
he P
lanks
for
Pups
initia
tive /
Ma
pping
of ho
les
Asse
ss if
other
op
tions
(fen
cing
etc.)
are n
eede
d an
d wor
k with
re
levan
t par
ties t
o de
velop
a pla
n
Imple
ment
new
optio
ns or
main
tain
Plan
ks fo
r Pup
s ini
tiativ
e
Maint
enan
ce an
d mo
nitor
H
1. Mo
nitor
ing re
ports
a re
ducti
on in
sea l
ion pu
p mo
rtality
caus
ed by
sta
rvatio
n or d
rown
ing in
ho
les
DOC
2
Huma
n int
erac
tions
- Su
banta
rctic
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Redu
ce th
e cha
nce o
f tran
smiss
ion of
dis
ease
s thr
ough
impr
oved
perm
it and
qu
aran
tine p
roce
dure
s 2.
Redu
ce th
e ind
irect
impa
ct of
touris
m on
Ne
w Ze
aland
sea l
ions
Auck
land
Islan
ds,
Camp
bell
Islan
d
Wor
k with
DOC
Op
erati
ons a
nd
Perm
ission
s staf
f to
imple
ment
impr
oved
qu
aran
tine a
nd/or
pr
oced
ures
and m
onito
r the
outco
mes
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce an
d mo
nitor
H
1. A
revie
w of
the cu
rrent
proc
edur
es is
comp
leted
2.
New
proc
edur
es ar
e im
pleme
nted
3. Re
sults
are r
epor
ted
back
to th
e NZS
L For
um
DOC
2
Huma
n int
erac
tions
– Be
ach
mana
geme
nt
I. Pop
ulatio
n II.
Partn
ersh
ip
IV. C
ommu
nity
1. Co
mbine
with
the n
ation
al aw
aren
ess
camp
aign t
o red
uce t
he in
direc
t impa
ct of
huma
n inte
racti
ons (
touris
m, do
gs, v
ehicl
es) o
n a g
rowi
ng po
pulat
ion of
NZS
L 2.
Redu
ce m
ortal
ity to
sea l
ions f
rom
huma
n int
erac
tions
(dog
s, ve
hicles
, deli
bera
te,
pollu
tion,
boat
inter
actio
ns an
d enta
nglem
ent)
3. Im
prov
e coll
abor
ation
with
loca
l com
munit
ies
to pr
otect
and m
anag
e inte
racti
ons w
ith N
ZSL
in co
astal
comm
unitie
s
Otag
o coa
st,
Stew
art
Islan
d
Wor
k with
iwi, l
ocal
gove
rnme
nt an
d co
mmun
ity gr
oups
to
deve
lop a
beac
h ma
nage
ment
sche
me fo
r pr
iority
beac
hes f
or
NZSL
- thi
s cou
ld inc
lude
statut
ory a
nd no
n-sta
tutor
y mea
sure
s
Imple
ment
beac
h ma
nage
ment
sche
me
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce an
d mo
nitor
H
1. Nu
mber
of in
ciden
ts im
pacti
ng N
ew Z
ealan
d sea
lio
ns on
the S
outh
Islan
d an
d Stew
art Is
land i
s re
duce
d.
2. En
gage
ment
of co
mmun
ities h
as
incre
ased
.
DOC/
Coun
cil
2
Huma
n int
erac
tions
– Inc
ident
resp
onse
ca
pacit
y
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Redu
ce th
e inc
idenc
e of m
ortal
ity re
lated
to
entan
gleme
nt, ve
hicle
collis
ions,
and o
ther
huma
n ind
uced
injur
ies th
roug
h imp
rove
d re
spon
se ca
pacit
y
Otag
o coa
st,
Stew
art
Islan
d
Wor
k with
loca
l staf
f and
ve
ts to
asse
ss re
spon
se
capa
city a
nd m
ake
reco
mmen
datio
ns fo
r fut
ure
Begin
a pr
oces
s for
im
pleme
nting
re
comm
enda
tions
Conti
nue p
roce
ss
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce an
d mo
nitor
M
1. DO
C’s p
olicy
on se
a lion
int
erve
ntion
s rea
sses
sed;
2.
Train
ing an
d res
pons
e pr
ogra
mme i
s imp
lemen
ted
DOC
2
Huma
n int
erac
tions
– Mo
nitor
ing
incide
nt oc
curre
nce
II. Pa
rtner
ship
III.
Res
earch
/ Mo
nitor
ing
IV. C
ommu
nity
1. Un
derst
and t
he im
pacts
of hu
man
inter
actio
ns on
grow
ing N
ZSL b
reed
ing si
tes
2. De
velop
a me
ans o
f mon
itorin
g pro
gres
s at
these
sites
3.
Impr
ove c
ollab
orati
on w
ith lo
cal c
ommu
nities
to
colle
ct da
ta on
inter
actio
ns w
ith N
ZSL i
n co
astal
comm
unitie
s
Otag
o coa
st
Wor
k with
loca
l co
mmun
ity gr
oups
/ sc
hools
to se
t up a
mo
nitor
ing/re
sear
ch
prog
ramm
e on t
he O
tago
coas
t (*N
ote sy
nerg
y wi
th Ma
le Ag
gres
sion
proje
ct be
low)
Imple
ment
monit
oring
pr
ogra
mme
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
M 1.H
uman
impa
cts on
br
eedin
g will
be m
onito
red
and i
nvolv
e coll
abor
ation
wi
th co
mmun
ities a
nd
inter
ested
partie
s (e.g
. iwi,
unive
rsitie
s, re
sear
ch
agen
cies)
2.
Resu
lts an
d re
comm
enda
tions
are
repo
rted b
ack t
o the
NZS
L Fo
rum
DOC
3
Male
aggr
essio
n –
Crea
ting a
safe
have
n for
fem
ales a
nd
pups
III. R
esea
rch /
Monit
oring
1.
Unde
rstan
d the
role
of ma
le ag
gres
sion i
n fem
ale an
d pup
mor
tality
thro
ugh m
onito
ring o
f be
havio
ur
2. De
velop
actio
ns to
redu
ce th
e imp
act o
f ma
le ag
gres
sion o
n fem
ale an
d pup
mor
tality
Otag
o coa
st,
Futur
e ap
plica
bility
to
Auck
land
Islan
ds,
Camp
bell
Islan
d
Wor
k with
loca
l co
mmun
ity gr
oups
/ sc
hools
to se
t up a
mo
nitor
ing/re
sear
ch
prog
ramm
e on t
he O
tago
coas
t to un
derst
and t
he
role
of ma
le ag
gres
sion
and r
ecom
mend
mi
tigati
on (*
Note
syne
rgy
with
Huma
n Inte
racti
ons
proje
ct ab
ove)
Imple
ment
monit
oring
pr
ogra
mme
Asse
ss an
d dev
elop
actio
ns if
need
ed (e
.g.
trans
locati
on, u
se of
de
coys
, hab
itat
resto
ratio
n)2
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
Maint
enan
ce
M 1.
Effec
ts of
male
aggr
essio
n on t
he S
outh
Islan
d of N
ew Z
ealan
d are
qu
antifi
ed
2. De
velop
ment
of a r
ange
of
suita
ble op
erati
onal
tools
for fe
male
prote
ction
and
pup s
urviv
al an
d mini
misin
g ma
le ag
gres
sion
3. Re
sults
and p
otenti
al ac
tions
are r
epor
ted to
the
NZSL
For
um
DOC
1 Cou
nts a
t Cam
pbel
l Isla
nd w
ill p
iggy
bac
k on
oth
er re
sear
ch o
ppor
tuni
ties
2 Tran
sloca
tion
(eith
er sh
ort o
r lon
g di
stan
ce, o
f the
agg
ress
ive
mal
e, o
r a fe
mal
e/pu
p pa
ir) h
as b
een
raise
d as
a p
oten
tial a
ctio
n to
miti
gate
mal
e ag
gres
sion.
The
use
of d
ecoy
s and
hab
itat r
esto
ratio
n ha
ve b
een
sugg
este
d as
a m
eans
of e
ncou
ragi
ng fe
mal
es to
pup
at s
afe
loca
tions
and
/or t
o en
cour
age
prob
lem
mal
es o
ut o
f an
area
.
16 • Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan
4. Disease research The sea lion risk assessment (Roberts and Doonan 2016), estimated that the top natural threat to sea lions on the Auckland Islands is the bacterial disease Klebsiella pneumoniae. There are no proven methods for treating or preventing this disease in sea lions. Research is the first step in addressing this threat and determining whether there are feasible actions which may mitigate the impact of disease on the population.
Monitoring at the Auckland Islands covering the full breeding season (from birth to sea lion pups leaving the breeding site) is essential. This monitoring would include a range of sampling to gather information on a number of relevant factors including:
Prevalence of disease
Total mortality from disease
Identification of the strain of Klebsiella
Identification of the source and vectors of Klebsiella
In addition, a case-control study, undertaken in conjunction with Massey University, supported by DOC and MPI, will examine what factors make pups more susceptible to Klebsiella, to be able to provide advice on realistic treatment or management options.
Information from this study and outputs of research already underway would be reported back to the Forum. The Forum could then identify and facilitate options for management interventions (including future research) for the remainder of the period of the TMP.
Actions related to Klebsiella have so far focussed on the Auckland Islands subpopulation; however, the disease is likely to be present in other sea lion subpopulations. Opportunistic sampling at other locations will be facilitated for inclusion into the wider research programme on disease to examine the presence and extent of the disease.
Regional programme The risk assessment identified a number of threats that were either specific to a location or that varied between locations. For this reason a regional programme is proposed to accommodate the site-specific nature of some of the key threats. The regional programme would comprise four main projects to research, monitor and mitigate the following four threats; pups drowning/starving in holes, male sea lion aggression, direct human interactions, and the effects of fishing. These projects and their associated actions over a 5-year timeline are outlined in Table 2.
4
Effec
ts of
fishin
g
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Monit
or se
a lion
captu
res i
n the
Cam
pbell
Isl
and S
outhe
rn B
lue W
hiting
Tra
wl fis
hery
2.
Minim
ise in
ciden
tal ca
pture
s of s
ea lio
ns in
ar
ea S
BW 6I
Camp
bell
Islan
d Co
llabo
rativ
ely de
velop
an
d imp
lemen
t a S
BW 6I
Op
erati
onal
Plan
for
2016
-202
0
Imple
ment
the
oper
ation
al pla
n Im
pleme
nt the
op
erati
onal
plan
Imple
ment
the
oper
ation
al pla
n Co
llabo
rativ
ely re
view
the S
BW 6I
Op
erati
onal
Plan
and
upda
te for
2021
-202
5
H 1.
Vess
els de
mons
trate
over
90%
adhe
renc
e to t
he
SBW
6I O
pera
tiona
l Plan
2.
Incide
ntal c
aptur
es of
se
a lion
s doe
s not
incre
ase
MPI
4
Effec
ts of
fishin
g
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Monit
or se
a lion
captu
res i
n the
Auc
kland
Isl
ands
Squ
id Tr
awl fi
sher
y 2.
Minim
ise in
ciden
tal ca
pture
s of s
ea lio
ns in
ar
ea S
QU 6T
Auck
land
Islan
ds
Revie
w the
curre
nt SQ
U 6T
Ope
ratio
nal P
lan an
d ma
nage
ment
meas
ures
. Co
llabo
rativ
ely de
velop
an
d imp
lemen
t SQU
6T
Oper
ation
al Pl
an fo
r 20
16-2
020
Imple
ment
the
oper
ation
al pla
n Im
pleme
nt the
op
erati
onal
plan
Imple
ment
the
oper
ation
al pla
n Re
view
the S
QU 6T
Op
erati
onal
Plan
and
mana
geme
nt me
asur
es.
Prod
uce a
new
SQU
6T O
pera
tiona
l Plan
for
2021
-202
5
H 1.
Vess
els de
mons
trate
over
90%
adhe
renc
e to t
he
SQU
6T O
pera
tiona
l Plan
2.
Incide
ntal c
aptur
es of
se
a lion
s doe
s not
incre
ase
MPI
4
Effec
ts of
fishin
g
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Monit
or an
d qua
ntify
sea l
ion ca
pture
s in t
he
Auck
land I
sland
s Sca
mpi T
rawl
fishe
ry
2. Mi
nimise
incid
ental
captu
res o
f sea
lions
in
area
SCI
6A
Auck
land
Islan
ds
Colla
bora
tively
deve
lop
and i
mplem
ent a
SCI
6A
Oper
ation
al Pl
an fo
r 20
17-2
021
Imple
ment
the
oper
ation
al pla
n Im
pleme
nt the
op
erati
onal
plan
Imple
ment
the
oper
ation
al pla
n Co
llabo
rativ
ely re
view
the S
CI 6A
Op
erati
onal
Plan
and
upda
te for
2021
-202
5
H 1.
Infor
matio
n is a
vaila
ble
to qu
antify
incid
ental
ca
pture
s of s
ea lio
ns in
SCI
6A
2.
Vess
els de
mons
trate
over
80%
adhe
renc
e to t
he
SCI 6
A Op
erati
onal
Plan
MPI
4
Effec
ts of
fishin
g
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Monit
or an
d qua
ntify
sea l
ion ca
pture
s in
Stew
art Is
land t
rawl
and s
et ne
t fish
ing
2. Mi
nimise
incid
ental
captu
res o
f sea
lions
ar
ound
Stew
art Is
land
Stew
art
Islan
d Ta
rget
incre
ased
ob
serve
r cov
erag
e
Targ
et inc
reas
ed
obse
rver c
over
age
Deve
lop an
d imp
lemen
t be
st pr
actic
e guid
eline
s
Monit
or in
terac
tions
wi
th se
a lion
s Mo
nitor
inter
actio
ns
with
sea l
ions
Quan
tify in
ciden
tal
captu
res o
f sea
lions
ar
ound
Stew
art Is
land
M 1.
Infor
matio
n is a
vaila
ble
to qu
antify
incid
ental
ca
pture
s of s
ea lio
ns
arou
nd S
tewar
t Islan
d 2.
Fishe
rs ar
e awa
re of
and
imple
ment
best
prac
tice t
o mi
nimise
captu
res
MPI
4
Effec
ts of
fishin
g
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Monit
or an
d qua
ntify
sea l
ion ca
pture
s in
trawl
and s
et ne
t fish
eries
off th
e Otag
o coa
st
2. Mi
nimise
incid
ental
captu
res o
f sea
lions
off
the O
tago c
oast
Otag
o coa
st Ta
rget
incre
ased
ob
serve
r cov
erag
e
Targ
et inc
reas
ed
obse
rver c
over
age
Deve
lop an
d imp
lemen
t be
st pr
actic
e guid
eline
s
Monit
or in
terac
tions
wi
th se
a lion
s Mo
nitor
inter
actio
ns
with
sea l
ions
Quan
tify in
ciden
tal
captu
res o
f sea
lions
off
the O
tago c
oast
M 1.
Infor
matio
n is a
vaila
ble
to qu
antify
incid
ental
ca
pture
s of s
ea lio
ns of
f the
Otag
o coa
st 2.
Fishe
rs ar
e awa
re of
and
imple
ment
best
prac
tice t
o mi
nimise
captu
res
MPI
4
Effec
ts of
fishin
g
I. Pop
ulatio
n 1.
Unde
rstan
d the
costs
/bene
fits of
restr
icting
fis
hing i
n sea
lion f
orag
ing ar
eas
2. De
termi
ne if
addit
ional
fishe
ries r
estric
tions
ar
e app
ropr
iate
All a
reas
Un
derst
and p
otenti
al im
pacts
Re
view
if fish
ing
restr
iction
s are
requ
ired
If req
uired
, im
pleme
nt ma
nage
ment
meas
ures
Evalu
ation
Ev
aluati
on
M Re
view
and e
valua
tion
MPI
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 19
References Baker, C.S.; Chilvers, B.L.; Constantine, R.; DuFresne, S.; Mattlin, R.H.; van Helden, A.; Hitchmough, R. 2010: Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia), 2009. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 44: 101–115.
Chilvers, B.L. 2015: Phocarctos hookeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T17026A1306343. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T17026A1306343.en . Downloaded on 08 October 2015.
IUCN 2010: IUCN red list of threatened species. Version 2010.4. http://www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 1 June 2011.
Roberts, J.; Doonan, I. 2016: Quantitative risk assessment of threats to New Zealand sea lions. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 166. Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington. 111 p.
Townsend, A.J.; de Lange, P.J.; Duffy, C.A.J.; Miskelly, C.M.; Molloy, J.; Norton, D. 2008: New Zealand Threat Classification System manual. Department of Conservation, Wellington.
Other research priorities We are aware that there is more work that could be done in a range of areas. Table 3 details what DOC and MPI view to be priority research projects that could be incorporated into the overall TMP over the life cycle of the TMP, as resources are secured. The national and regional programmes are believed to be the base plan that, when implemented would mitigate some of the key threats, inform future management actions, and begin to slow the decline in the sea lion population. Expansion of the monitoring or inclusion of any of these initiatives would increase the certainty and timeliness of achieving the goals of the TMP.
Indicative costs have been included for these projects. In some cases the range of costs is wide, e.g. $10,000–$100,000, depending on whether the project is able to take advantage of parallel work streams, thereby reducing the cost, or is run as a standalone project, resulting in more cost.
Tabl
e 3:
Res
earc
h Pr
iorit
ies
Thre
at
Bree
ding
Lo
catio
n Pr
iorit
y Pr
ojec
t In
dica
tive
cost
Ex
pect
ed o
utco
me
Not
es
Dise
ase
All
H An
alys
is of
env
ironm
enta
l &
necr
opsy
sam
ples
from
pre
viou
s fie
ld se
ason
, and
opp
ortu
nist
ic
sam
plin
g
$150
,000
Im
prov
ed u
nder
stan
ding
of v
ecto
rs fo
r tr
ansm
issio
n of
Kle
bsie
lla, a
nd
whe
ther
or n
ot sp
ecifi
c ha
bita
ts a
re
high
er ri
sk to
sea
lion
pups
. Re
sults
of t
he re
sear
ch w
ould
lead
to
reco
mm
enda
tions
to re
duce
the
likel
ihoo
d of
pup
s bec
omin
g in
fect
ed.
Sam
ples
hav
e al
read
y be
en a
nd w
ill
cont
inue
to b
e co
llect
ed a
t the
Au
ckla
nd Is
land
s, b
ut a
dditi
onal
sa
mpl
es w
ill b
e co
llect
ed
oppo
rtun
istic
ally
from
oth
er si
tes t
hat
can
be a
naly
sed
and
feed
into
the
larg
er n
atio
nal p
roje
ct. T
he c
ost w
ill b
e de
pend
ent o
n #
of sa
mpl
es. C
an b
e sp
read
ove
r sev
eral
yea
rs.
Dise
ase
All -
em
phas
is Au
ckla
nd
Isla
nds
H An
alys
is of
hist
oric
nec
rops
y sa
mpl
es
$150
,000
Im
prov
ed d
ata
on th
e pr
eval
ence
of
Kleb
siella
in th
e po
pula
tion
over
tim
e.
Know
ledg
e of
how
long
it h
as b
een
in
the
popu
latio
n, a
nd it
’s v
irule
nce
thro
ugh
time.
Re
sults
of t
he re
sear
ch w
ould
hel
p in
form
wha
t sor
t of m
anag
emen
t ac
tions
will
hav
e th
e m
ost e
ffect
.
Up
to $
150,
000;
cou
ld b
e su
b-sa
mpl
ed/a
naly
sed
over
seve
ral y
ears
to
redu
ce c
ost
Dise
ase
All
M
Desk
top
revi
ew o
f ava
ilabl
e kn
owle
dge
& re
late
d in
form
atio
n ga
ps fo
r Kle
bsie
lla (&
oth
er
dise
ase)
<$50
,000
Ga
ps a
naly
sis to
info
rm re
sear
ch
prio
ritie
s mov
ing
forw
ard.
Co
st c
ould
var
y w
idel
y de
pend
ing
on
whe
ther
it's
done
by
stud
ent,
or
cont
ract
or
Dise
ase
All
M
Epid
emio
logi
cal m
odel
ling
/ ge
netic
inve
stig
atio
n / m
olec
ular
te
chni
ques
$100
,000
Es
timat
es o
f ann
ual e
pide
mic
rate
s to
unde
rsta
nd th
e im
pact
of K
lebs
iella
ov
er ti
me.
Ev
alua
tion
of th
e or
igin
of K
lebs
iella
an
d its
exp
ansio
n in
the
popu
latio
n.
Rela
tes t
o th
e an
alys
is of
hist
oric
sa
mpl
es a
bove
.
Roug
hly
$100
,000
eac
h; p
roje
cts c
an
be d
ivid
ed in
to sm
alle
r par
ts/d
one
by
MSc
or P
hD st
uden
ts/d
one
over
m
ultip
le y
ears
Dise
ase
Auck
land
Is
land
s L
Inve
stig
ate
effe
ctiv
enes
s of
hook
wor
m tr
eatm
ent
$10,
000
- $10
0,00
0 Tr
eatm
ent o
f pup
s for
hoo
kwor
m
coul
d im
prov
e re
silie
nce
agai
nst o
ther
di
seas
es, h
owev
er, t
here
are
man
y ca
veat
s and
this
shou
ld b
e tr
ialle
d an
d as
sess
ed o
n a
smal
l sca
le b
efor
e fu
ll im
plem
enta
tion
is co
nsid
ered
.
If un
dert
aken
alo
ngsid
e ot
her w
ork
the
cost
will
be
min
imal
, if i
ts o
wn
proj
ect
the
cost
will
be
high
.
Dise
ase
All
L Tr
eatm
ent a
nd v
acci
ne
deve
lopm
ent
>$1,
000,
000
Not
reco
mm
ende
d at
this
time.
N
ot re
com
men
ded
at th
is po
int i
n tim
e as
ver
y co
stly
to d
evel
op a
nd w
ould
ta
ke a
num
ber o
f yea
rs, n
o gu
aran
tees
th
at it
wou
ld w
ork,
and
cou
ld re
sult
in
com
plic
atio
ns (e
.g. K
lebs
iella
dev
elop
s re
sista
nce
to v
acci
ne)
Chan
ges i
n fo
od
reso
urce
s
All
H Fe
mal
e nu
triti
onal
stre
ss p
roje
ct
$500
,000
U
nder
stan
ding
fem
ale
fora
ging
be
havi
our,
cond
ition
, and
die
t be
twee
n lo
catio
ns, s
easo
ns, a
nd y
ears
. Th
is w
ould
info
rm th
e le
vel o
f nu
triti
onal
stre
ss e
xper
ienc
ed a
t the
di
ffere
nt lo
catio
ns a
nd in
form
whe
re
man
agem
ent m
easu
res m
ight
be
take
n.
Idea
lly th
is w
ould
be
unde
rtak
en a
t m
ultip
le lo
catio
ns c
oncu
rren
tly fo
r m
ultip
le se
ason
s.
Chan
ges i
n fo
od
reso
urce
s
All -
em
phas
is on
Au
ckla
nd
Isla
nds
H An
alys
is of
opp
ortu
nist
ic &
hist
oric
di
et sa
mpl
ing
(sca
t & re
gurg
itate
s)
$100
,000
U
nder
stan
ding
sea
lion
diet
ove
r tim
e.
Info
rmat
ion
on sh
ifts i
n pr
imar
y pr
ey
that
may
indi
cate
tim
es o
f nut
ritio
nal
stre
ss.
Coul
d pr
ovid
e m
onito
ring
indi
cato
rs
that
trig
ger i
ncre
ased
man
agem
ent
Up
to $
100,
000;
cou
ld b
e su
b-sa
mpl
ed/a
naly
sed
over
seve
ral y
ears
to
redu
ce c
ost
Chan
ges i
n fo
od
reso
urce
s
Auck
land
Is
land
s M
Es
timat
ing
chan
ges i
n N
ZSL
diet
s us
ing
Baye
sian
mod
ellin
g $5
0,00
0 Da
ta w
ill b
e m
odel
led
to d
eter
min
e w
heth
er th
e po
pula
tion
decl
ine
and
chan
ges i
n se
a lio
n pu
p su
rviv
al a
t the
Au
ckla
nd Is
land
s wer
e re
late
d to
ch
ange
s in
sea
lion
diet
. Th
e st
udy
will
also
allo
w im
prov
ed
quan
tific
atio
n of
unc
erta
inty
in d
iet
anal
ysis
usin
g di
fferin
g m
etho
ds.
The
first
step
of t
his p
roje
ct is
to
com
plet
e an
alys
is of
cur
rent
ly
unpr
oces
sed
blub
ber s
ampl
es fr
om
1997
– 2
011.
Chan
ges i
n fo
od
reso
urce
s
All
M
Stab
le is
otop
e an
alys
is
$50,
000
Exam
inat
ion
of b
ody
cond
ition
in tw
o gr
oups
of f
emal
es (b
enth
ic a
nd
mes
opel
agic
). Im
prov
ed u
nder
stan
ding
of
envi
ronm
enta
l cha
nges
that
are
st
ress
ing
the
popu
latio
n ov
er th
e la
st
deca
de.
Sta
ble
Isot
ope
Anal
ysis
of sk
in
sam
ples
pre
viou
sly c
olle
cted
, as w
ell
as th
ose
mor
e re
cent
ly c
olle
cted
from
th
e Ta
ngar
oa su
rvey
.
Chan
ges i
n fo
od
reso
urce
s
All
M
Fatt
y ac
id si
gnat
ure
anal
ysis
$50,
000
Info
rmat
ion
on th
e in
fluen
ce o
f ch
ange
s in
sea
lion
diet
on
pup
surv
ival
.
The
fatt
y ac
id si
gnat
ures
of f
emal
e se
a lio
ns w
ill b
e m
odel
led
to e
stim
ate
thei
r di
et to
det
erm
ine
the
exte
nt to
whi
ch
chan
ges i
n ob
serv
ed p
up w
eigh
t are
as
soci
ated
with
the
estim
ated
die
t of
thei
r mot
hers
Mal
e ag
gres
sion
Au
ckla
nd
Isla
nds,
Ca
mpb
ell
Isla
nd
L M
onito
ring
aggr
essiv
e m
ale
beha
viou
r $1
0,00
0-$1
00,0
00
Info
rmat
ion
on th
e le
vel o
f im
pact
of
aggr
essiv
e m
ale
beha
viou
r on
fem
ale
sea
lions
and
pup
s.
Info
rmat
ion
wou
ld in
form
pot
entia
l ac
tions
if it
was
dee
med
a si
gnifi
cant
en
ough
issu
e.
Cost
min
imal
if m
onito
red
by
indi
vidu
als w
ho a
re a
lread
y at
the
stud
y lo
catio
ns c
ondu
ctin
g re
late
d or
un
rela
ted
wor
k, m
ain
cost
is in
ana
lysis
an
d re
port
ing
of th
e da
ta
Mal
e ag
gres
sion
Stew
art
Isla
nd,
Ota
go
Coas
t
M
Colo
ny fo
rmat
ion
$5
0,00
0-$1
00,0
00
Und
erst
andi
ng w
hat i
nflu
ence
s the
sh
ift fr
om d
isper
sed
pupp
ing
to
colo
nial
pup
ping
(e.g
. # o
f fem
ales
, pa
rtic
ular
hab
itat r
equi
rem
ents
).
Deve
lopi
ng re
com
men
ded
actio
ns to
be
use
d as
pre
vent
ativ
e m
anag
emen
t fo
r a ra
nge
of th
reat
s lik
e m
ale
aggr
essio
n.
Cost
hig
her d
ue to
logi
stic
s of g
ettin
g to
Por
t Peg
asus
, also
it m
ight
requ
ire a
ra
nge
of m
etho
ds d
ue to
the
disp
erse
d na
ture
of t
he b
reed
ing
loca
tion.
Poor
ha
bita
t/pu
ps
drow
ning
in
hole
s
Cam
pbel
l Is
land
M
Tr
ialli
ng sh
ort d
istan
ce
tran
sloca
tion
to m
ore
suita
ble
habi
tat
>$50
0,00
0 De
velo
pmen
t of a
pot
entia
l too
l for
en
cour
agin
g pu
ppin
g to
shift
from
a
less
des
irabl
e ha
bita
t to
a m
ore
desir
able
hab
itat.
Cons
ider
able
logi
stic
al, e
thic
s and
sa
fety
con
stra
ints
invo
lved
. If t
his w
ere
to b
e em
ploy
ed a
s a to
ol, i
t nee
ds to
be
tria
lled
on a
smal
l sca
le to
ass
ess
risks
and
ben
efits
Und
erst
andi
ng ri
sk to
N
ZSL
Stew
art
Isla
nd
H M
onito
ring
of th
e SI
pop
ulat
ion
to
unde
rsta
nd it
’s d
ynam
ics,
maj
or
thre
ats,
and
ove
rlap
with
thos
e th
reat
s
$200
,000
-$30
0,00
0 Kn
owle
dge
of w
here
pup
ping
occ
urs i
n St
ewar
t Isla
nd, e
.g. a
re th
ere
othe
r ar
eas i
mpo
rtan
t for
sea
lions
out
side
of P
ort P
egas
us?
Kn
owle
dge
of th
e m
ajor
thre
ats t
o se
a lio
ns a
nd th
e ra
te o
f ove
rlap
betw
een
the
thre
ats a
nd th
e se
a lio
ns.
Reco
mm
ende
d po
tent
ial a
ctio
ns
resu
lting
from
the
rese
arch
.
Larg
e ar
ea w
ith lo
gist
ical
con
stra
ints
an
d m
inim
al k
now
ledg
e ab
out t
his
bree
ding
site
, the
refo
re a
robu
st
mon
itorin
g pr
ogra
mm
e sh
ould
be
deve
lope
d ut
ilisin
g ap
prop
riate
/sui
tabl
e m
etho
ds.
Effe
cts o
f fis
hing
Au
ckla
nd
Isla
nds,
Ca
mpb
ell
Isla
nd
H SL
ED e
ffica
cy /
estim
atin
g cr
yptic
m
orta
lity
$500
,000
Re
duce
unc
erta
inty
aro
und
the
inte
ract
ion
rate
and
surv
ival
of s
ea
lions
that
exi
t SLE
Ds.
Bett
er e
stim
ates
for c
rypt
ic m
orta
lity
and
ther
efor
e a
bett
er u
nder
stan
ding
of
the
effe
cts o
f fish
ing
on se
a lio
ns.
Cost
dep
ende
nt o
n th
e te
chno
logy
us
ed to
det
erm
ine
SLED
effi
cacy
. Ca
mer
as a
nd ta
ggin
g re
com
men
ded.
Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries NZ sea lion Threat Management Plan • 23
Next steps The submission period is open for six weeks.
DOC and MPI welcome written submissions on the New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka Threat Management Plan. The deadline for all submissions is:
Friday 5 pm, 5 August 2016
Please make sure you include the following information in your submission:
• the title of this consultation document
• your name and title
• your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation)
• your contact details (e.g. phone number, address and email).
You can use the following questions to help in drafting a submission.
Do you agree with the objective of the TMP?
Will the four goals achieve the objective? If not, why not?
Are there any other goals you think should be included in the TMP?
Do you agree with the four projects of the national programme and the proposed monitoring plan?
Do you have any suggestions on the scope of the New Zealand sea lion forum or the disease research?
Do you agree with the four projects of the regional programme?
Do you have any other suggestions for addressing the threats?
Do you agree with the additional research priorities?
Are there other projects that you think are a higher priority?
What are your overall thoughts on the proposed Threat Management Plan?
