‘Heartless’ killing of seals
A $5000 reward has been offered following the ‘‘heartless’’ killing of at least eight fur seals on the Kaikōura coast late last year.
The animals were shot dead in late October or early November 2021, while the deaths of another 11 are also being treated as suspicious.
The money is being offered for information leading to the conviction of whoever was responsible for the killings. The reward is on offer for one month only, until February 12.
The seals were slain at Ōhau Point, Half Moon Bay and Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) is appealing for information, specifically about the period on or between October 18 and November 10.
Seals are legally protected and DOC South Marlborough operations manager Phil Bradfield said the money was being offered as the department takes the issue ‘‘very seriously’’. ‘‘We’re asking the public to help us find and convict those responsible for this heartless shooting of seals,’’ he said.
‘‘The evidence we have indicates at least two firearms of different calibres were used to shoot the seals and it’s possible more than one person may have shot them.’’
Seals have been successfully reestablishing along the Kaikōura coastline after parts of their habitat were damaged during the 2016 earthquake.
Drone surveying in the Ōhau Point area in 2020 showed adult numbers remained similar to that seen during a helicopter count in 2017 and pup numbers even appeared to be increasing.
Fur seals are a common sight along State Highway 1 in North Canterbury, with people stopping to look from a range of sites, including at the O¯ hau Point viewing area.
The penalties for harassing, disturbing, injuring or killing a marine mammal under the Marine Mammals Protection Act are up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $250,000.
Nationally, DOC gets about three or four reports of deliberate attacks on marine mammals each year.