As the algal bloom persists along parts of the South Australian coast, work has begun to increase the resilience of our precious sea lion populations.
The inoculation of pups, control of feral cats and installation of shelters are all part of a plan being delivered through a partnership between the state and federal governments to protect the iconic species.
More than 80 per cent of the Australian sea lion population, which is estimated to number fewer than 12,000 animals, lives in South Australian waters.
The $1.4 million program will address key threats and boost the recovery of Australian sea lions. The plan includes:
- Inoculating sea lion pups with ivermectin, which decreases their susceptibility to hookworms and significantly improves their survival.
- Controlling feral cats to reduce the impact of diseases like toxoplasmosis on sea lions.
- Installing pup shelters at seven high-risk sites, including Seal Bay, to enhance pup survival by reducing heat stress and the effects of adult male aggression.
Sea lion colonies in the Spencer Gulf account for over one-third of the South Australian population.
Historically hunted for their fur, Australian sea lions have not recovered from harvesting, and their numbers have dropped by more than 60 per cent over the past 40 years.
Australian sea lions only reach breeding maturity at 12 years old and breed every 18 months.
A recent survey of the sea lion population at The Pages Islands, east of Kangaroo Island, has recorded a mortality event amongst seal pups of 34 per cent.
While it is not uncommon for sea lion pups to die during this vulnerable stage of life, the mortality rate is significantly higher than the average across recent breeding seasons.
The Pages colony breeding season overlapped with the peak of the algal bloom in Investigator Strait.
It is believed the higher mortality rate is most likely linked to nutritional stress in adult females.
Further testing will be conducted to determine the cause.
Some of The Pages Australian sea lion population are known to forage in shallow waters off Investigator Strait and lower Gulf St Vincent, and the remainder in deeper continental shelf waters.
There are no reports of unusual deaths at the Australian sea lion colony at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island.
Australian sea lions are a species of conservation concern and listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
They are protected and listed as vulnerable in South Australia under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
For further updates on the algal bloom, click here.
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