Charity warns sealions at risk from increased kill

Chris Carter said the increase in allowable kill was not prudent. Picture / Hawkes Bay Today.

The number of sealions the Government is allowing the squid fishing industry to kill is threatening the population, Forest and Bird has said.

The charity has launched a petition urging the Government to reduce the death toll close to zero.

This season, Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton increased the allowable kill by 52 per cent - from 97 to 150 sealions - at the industry's request.

Details released to Forest and Bird under the Official Information Act show the number of sealion pups born from 2005 to 2006 fell to the lowest point since robust monitoring began.

The organisation also obtained correspondence from Conservation Minister Chris Carter to Jim Anderton expressing concern about the rise in the allowable kill, in the face of declining pup production by the threatened species.

Mr Carter told Jim Anderton the increase was not prudent from a conservation perspective and said there was no information to justify the increase in allowable kill.

Mr Carter refused to comment today and a spokesman said he was not allowed to discuss decisions after they are made by other government ministers.

The Green Party has called for an urgent review of the decision.

MP Metiria Turei said it was crucial decisions of that sort were made on real scientific evidence and that economic considerations should not take priority over the survival of an endangered species.

- NEWSTALK ZB