Seals clubbed to death on Kaikoura coast

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EMMA DANGERFIELD

More seal pups are likely to die as a result of a brutal clubbing in Kaikoura, an expert says.

Twenty-three seals, including eight newborn pups, were clubbed to death in a "callous and cowardly" attack at the Ohau Point colony on the Kaikoura coast.

Some of the pups killed were just a few days old. The dead seals also included 13 females and two bulls.

Other live seals have injuries that suggest they were also struck.

The case has been passed on to police but DOC could also prosecute under the Marine Mammals Act. The penalties included a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, plus fines for each animal killed.

DOC has appealed for help in finding the seals' killer.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering up to $2500 in reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for clubbing the seals.

Wildlife management expert Dr Bruce Robertson, from the University of Otago, said most female seals were likely to have a pup at this time of year and the pups are totally dependent on them for survival.

"So if the mother is killed the pup will die. Also, females mate about a week after giving birth and hence have a developing embryo in the womb, i.e. next year's pup, which also would be killed," Robertson said.

"While 23 seals were killed [outright], the real number of deaths is likely to be greater."

He believed the total loss of life would be more like 49 fur seals, comprising of 13 females, 13 dependent pups, 13 developing embryos, plus the 8 pups and the 2 males already killed.

That did not take into account the future reproductive success of those seals.

"Given this colony is increasing in size, this loss of life is a small setback," he said.

"However, large mammal populations cannot sustain the repeated loss of breeding females. Consequently, any external influences can be detrimental."

SUSTAINED ATTACK

Department of Conservation South Marlborough area manager Dave Hayes said the condition of the dead seals suggested whoever was behind the attacks had carried it out over separate days.

"Some of the dead seals appear to have been killed a week ago; others look to have been killed around a week or so beforehand," he said.

"This is a callous and cowardly attack on seals, especially newborn pups, unable to defend themselves against someone striking them with a bat or similar club-like object.

"The smashed skulls of several dead seals we examined suggest they may have died in one forceful blow to the head indicating it was a person or persons of some strength who carried out the attacks."

Hayes said the person or people involved must have taken some kind of club. There would almost certainly be blood splatters on the attackers' clothing, he said.

A couple of the seals attacked were bulls, which were definitely big enough to injure a human if they chose to.

"The public are going to be really important. What we want to do is find the people responsible as soon as possible," DOC spokeswoman Trish Grant said.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said she was "beyond appalled" at the attack.

"This isn't just a random act of violence. To go around and club 23 seals to death over a number of days is very deliberate and you have to question the state of mind of someone who can carry out such a cruel and abhorrent attack."

New Zealand fur seals are protected by law and it is an offence to kill or harm them.

PLAYFUL PUPS A TOURIST ATTRACTION

Ohau Point is a popular tourist spot for viewing fur seals, visited by thousands of people each year along with the nearby Ohau Stream waterfall pool where visitors enjoy watching frolicking seal pups.

Hayes said: "It is deeply disappointing to see such a lack of respect and appreciation for these captivating marine mammals that are an important part of Kaikoura's internationally-renowned marine wildlife tourism. Last year Kaikoura received around 900,000 visitors and those in the local tourism industry tell us the seals are a significant draw card."

"The Ohau Stream waterfall pool has particularly become a major attraction being visited by around 5000 people a month in the eight months or so of the year seal pups from the Ohau Point colony gather there. People have great pleasure in seeing the young pups playfully cavorting at the pool. The eight young pups killed in this attack might have been among them in four to five months' time had they not been killed."

BAD LOOK FOR KAIKOURA, BAD LOOK FOR NEW ZEALAND

Kaikoura DOC biodiversity assets ranger Mike Morrissey found the seals when he visited the Ohau Point seal colony with researchers on Wednesday.

Morrissey said he noticed a couple of seals "didn't look too good from the way they were lying" and when he looked closer he realised they had been bashed to death.

It was definitely an attack from a human, because their skulls had been smashed, he said.

"It's really poor - I can't understand why people would go and do that," he said. "Their skulls were completely smashed. And some of these would probably have been pups which would have gone up to the waterfall for people to see in a few months time."

Kaikoura mayor Winston Gray was shocked and saddened by the news.

"This is just wanton vandalism and cruelty. How long did they take to die?" he said. "It's not a good look for Kaikoura or for New Zealand as a society."

Gray said he was sure someone would know something about the attacks and implored them to do the right thing and make contact with the police or DOC.

Kaikoura senior constable Andy Watson said the "tragic death" was being investigated by DOC.

"It has been bought to our attention but there is very little to go on at this stage. Nothing has come to our attention that would give us further avenues of inquiry," he said.

"This is a DOC run investigation in a DOC reserve. At this stage this is not a police matter. We have had the tragic death of a number of seals and DOC are investigating it and liaising with us."

Anyone with information about the seal attack and the person or persons responsible is asked to contact DOC's South Marlborough Area Office in Renwick, phone (03) 572 9100 or police.

HISTORY OF SEAL ATTACKS

- Last month a 20-year-old Southland man was jailed for four months for his role in an attack on a leopard seal in October last year. Fist-sized stones were thrown at the seal and it was dragged around a beach by its tail. Two other men were fined $5000 and $7000 respectively for their part in the attack.

- In July, Hayden John Ingram was sentenced to community work and fines after he ran over a seal pup at the Point Keen colony and beat an adult with a steel pole, killing both animals, in June. A youth has also been charged with cruelty and will be dealt with by the Youth Court.

- In 2005, three men, including All Black Andrew Hore, were each fined $2500 in relation to shooting at seals, killing one, on the Otago coast.

- Under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 there are penalties of up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to $250,000 for killing or harming fur seals or other marine mammal plus a further fine of up to $10,000 for every marine mammal the offence was committed against.

Centuries ago about two million fur seals lived around the New Zealand coast but in the early 1800s due to hunting of seals they were nearly wiped out. Seals were given full protection by the New Zealand government in 1849.

- with The Press

- The Marlborough Express