TY - JOUR
T1 - Population trends of New Zealand fur seals in the Rakiura region based on long-term population surveys and traditional ecological knowledge
AU - Watson, D
AU - Beaven, B
AU - Bradshaw, Corey
PY - 2015/1/2
Y1 - 2015/1/2
N2 - We estimated population abundance of New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) pups on Bench Island off Stewart Island, New Zealand seven times between 1996 and 2012. Overall, there was a 29% increase in pup abundance from 1996 to 2012 at the Main Beach colony, corresponding to a mean annual growth rate of 1.6% and a doubling time of approximately 40 years. At the Sprat Point colony, there was an overall increase of 29% between 2003 and 2012 corresponding to a mean annual growth rate of 2.9% and a doubling time of approximately 25 years. The area occupied by both colonies has also increased. In 2006, we surveyed East Beach and counted a total of 201 pups. We obtained traditional ecological knowledge of fur seal distribution and breeding status from local Ma¯ori for 46 locations around Stewart Island, 36 of which have not been surveyed since Wilson in 1971-1974; this supports an expansion of fur seal presence and breeding areas in the region in the last 41 years.
AB - We estimated population abundance of New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) pups on Bench Island off Stewart Island, New Zealand seven times between 1996 and 2012. Overall, there was a 29% increase in pup abundance from 1996 to 2012 at the Main Beach colony, corresponding to a mean annual growth rate of 1.6% and a doubling time of approximately 40 years. At the Sprat Point colony, there was an overall increase of 29% between 2003 and 2012 corresponding to a mean annual growth rate of 2.9% and a doubling time of approximately 25 years. The area occupied by both colonies has also increased. In 2006, we surveyed East Beach and counted a total of 201 pups. We obtained traditional ecological knowledge of fur seal distribution and breeding status from local Ma¯ori for 46 locations around Stewart Island, 36 of which have not been surveyed since Wilson in 1971-1974; this supports an expansion of fur seal presence and breeding areas in the region in the last 41 years.
KW - abundance
KW - Arctocephalus forsteri
KW - Bench Island
KW - mark-recapture
KW - Rakiura
KW - traditional ecological knowledge
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84924862847&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00288330.2014.953184
DO - 10.1080/00288330.2014.953184
M3 - Article
VL - 49
SP - 106
EP - 118
JO - New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research
JF - New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research
SN - 0028-8330
IS - 1
ER -