Increase in the abundance of New Zealand fur seals at the Catlins, South Island, New Zealand

Distribution and abundance of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsten) were assessed along the 100 km of the Catlins coastline (46° 23'S, 169° 46'E to 46° 40'S, 168° 58'E), south‐eastern tip of South Island, New Zealand Our surveys began in 1978 but were irregular and mainly qualitative until comprehensive counts were made in four consecutive summers from 1993/94 to 1996/97 The only rookeries (breeding colonies) were at Nugget Point (46° 27'S, 169° 49'E) where breeding began in 1979 or 1980 Four annual direct counts of live pups indicated that the annual exponential rate of increase m pup numbers averaged 19% with a total of 310 pups in 1996/97 Nugget Point accounted for 60% of the total of almost 2000 seals more than 1‐year old counted along the Catlins coast during a survey in January 1994 Elsewhere, only three haul‐outs (non‐breeding colonies) held aggregations of at least 20 seals ashore per 100 m of shoreline in summer We termed these locations “major haul‐outs” and consider them to be probable sites for future rookeries because they satisfy the main environmental criteria favoured by breeders

Keywords:

• Arctocephalus forsten New Zealand fur seal population status
• pup numbers
• Nugget Point

Notes

Box 31, Portobello, Dunedin, New Zealand

Department of Conservation, Owaka Field Centre, Owaka, New Zealand Present address Department of Conservation, Tuatapere Field Centre, Tuatapere, New Zealand