People are reminded to be careful and considerate of Dunedin's beach wildlife, after an altercation between a dog and a fur seal.
A witness contacted the Otago Daily Times expressing concern about a dog ‘‘harassing'' a seal on St Clair Beach on Christmas Day.
The dog was reportedly off its lead and ‘‘nipping it [the seal] around its head'', the witness said. He thought the dog owner did not seem concerned.
Anyone charged under the Marine Mammals Protection Act with harassing, disturbing, injuring or killing a seal faces a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment, or a fine of up to $250,000. The dog could be destroyed.
Department of Conservation coastal biodiversity ranger Jim Fyfe said the incident was not reported to Doc but it was not just fur seals being harassed. Sea lions and penguins were also being threatened.
‘‘It can be very, very difficult once a dog has got the scent, to get it back. People need to be really, really vigilant,'' Mr Fyfe said.
‘‘The dogs can actually end up injured from these altercations [but] I think, on the whole, dog owners are sort of getting the message and keeping dogs away from wildlife on our beaches.''
It was tough to tell whether marine wildlife injured by a dog would die, but seals under 20kg, or sick or malnourished, had a low survival rate.
Doc had at least one call per month about altercations between dogs and wildlife, but encounters were more frequent at this time of year as sea lions prepared to give birth, Mr Fyfe said.
‘‘We would tell people to be especially vigilant with their dogs. This is a pretty special thing. These are nationally critical species [and] we're getting them coming back here now, which is a pretty exciting thing.''
‘‘Mum'' was the first sea lion in more than 150 years to give birth on the mainland, at Taieri Mouth in 1993. Previously, New Zealand sea lions only bred in the subantarctic, having been driven away by man.
Two sea lion pups had already been born on Dunedin beaches this season and a total of 10 were expected between now and January 20. Mr Fyfe did not want the locations of pups published for fear of people ‘‘flocking'' to the sites.
‘‘Keep your distance,'' Mr Fyfe said. ‘‘If they have got a pup around, give them space.''
Doc operations manager Annie Wallace said staff had been doing a lot of work with the Dunedin City Council and dog owners.
A leaflet had been sent out recently containing information about dog behaviour around wildlife, Ms Wallace said.
‘‘There's just that odd person around ... who doesn't know how their dog is going to be around marine mammals. If your dog shows any interest, put it on a lead.''
A DCC spokeswoman said dog owners should always have dogs under control.
‘‘It's important to take particular care when wildlife is present.''
She encouraged dog owners to be responsible and check the DCC website for details of where dogs were allowed and where they could be exercised off a lead.
