New Zealand Sea Lion History

New Zealand sea lions were once distributed throughout mainland New Zealand.
By the nineteenth century, sea lions were wiped out on mainland New Zealand. They were hunted for food and their skin by the Moriori, Māori and Europeans.
In 1893, sealing of both sea lions and the New Zealand fur seal were prohibited by law in New Zealand.
In 1993, a sea lion and her pup were discovered at Taieri Mouth in Dunedin. The sea lion was named "Mum" and her pup was the first to be born on mainland New Zealand in over 150 years.
The mainland population remains small, with approximately 10 - 20 pups born annually. Sea lions are primarily located on the Auckland Islands. Their total population is approximately 12,000.

Please join me and 2300 others to protect sea lions for generations to come: sign my petition proposing vehicle restrictions on two beaches in The Catlins - https://www.change.org/ProtectNewZealandSeaLion.