Ahipara man guilty of killing fur seal

Young fur seals, like this one on Ninety Mile Beach last August, often come ashore in winter, making them vulnerable to attacks by uncontrolled dogs. PHOTO / Ray Wiblin

A Far North man has admitted allowing his dogs to attack a fur seal pup, then killing the injured animal by smashing its head against a rock and taking it home to feed his chooks.

Greg Davan, a gardener from Ahipara, has pleaded guilty in the Kaikohe District Court to breaching the Dog Control Act and the Marine Mammals Protection Act.

According to the summary of facts, on August 12 last year two dogs were seen attacking a young female fur seal on the beach at Ahipara, leaving it seriously injured. The attack was witnessed by two Ahipara residents.

Davan eventually arrived at the scene and took the injured seal pup from the dogs. He then killed it by smashing its head against a rock and handed the body to a man on a horse.

Two Far North District Council animal control officers found the dead seal on the dog owner's property. They removed it as evidence and took statements from the dog owner and the complainant.

They also seized and impounded the dogs.

The dog owner admitted killing the seal so he could feed it to his chickens, the summary of facts stated.

Davan, who is in custody on other matters, is due be sentenced later this month.

The Dog Control Act makes it an offence to be the owner of a dog that attacks protected wildlife. It requires dog owners to take all reasonable steps to ensure their dogs do not attack wildlife and to take extra care in areas that provide sanctuary to protected animals.

In this case the dogs, though registered, were not under the owner's control, the summary of facts said.

The Far North District Council also sought a court order allowing the dogs to be destroyed. It was granted and the dogs were put down shortly afterwards.

The prosecution was taken by the Far North District Council and the Department of Conservation. DoC had not responded to Advocate enquiries by edition time yesterday.

The New Zealand fur seal was pushed to the brink of extinction by sealing in the 1700s and 1800s but has been fully protected by the Marine Mammals Protection Act since 1978. Its numbers are now increasing.

Newly weaned pups, aged 9 or 10 months, often come ashore in winter and hang around on Northland beaches or in harbours while they learn to survive on their own. They may also seek out land for a respite from storms at sea.

The Ahipara case comes as an Otago man faces charges of stabbing a sea lion pup to death and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The pup was found dead near Quarantine Pt in Otago Harbour in November.

The New Zealand sea lion is one of the world's rarest seal species and is classed as nationally critical. The dead pup was one of just 11 born on Otago Peninsula last year.