An animated film clip is the latest tool conservation groups are using to urge people to support campaigns seeking greater protection for New Zealand sea lions.
Conservation groups are lobbying the Government for further protection of the "nationally critical" species after research by the Department of Conservation and the University of Otago showed the number of pups on the Auckland Islands had halved since 1998 and if the decline continued the species could be extinct within 23 years.
WWF (World Wildlife Fund) has launched the animated film clip Speak out for Sea Lions on social media sites to encourage people to write to the Government calling for it to halt any moves towards easing the protection measures required in the squid fishery.
WWF New Zealand spokeswoman Jenny Riches said sea lions did not have a voice, "so it's up to all of us to speak out on their behalf to stop their extinction".
"New Zealanders can help our sea lions by asking the Government to tackle all the threats to the sea lions' existence, including fishing with nets," Ms Riches said.
The film was narrated by actor Miranda Harcourt. Musician Rhian Sheehan donated one of his compositions to the cause, and illustrator Nicolas Brun designed the graphics.
Forest and Bird also has an online petition calling for the Government to take immediate action to prevent the extinction of the species by placing sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1978 rather than the Fisheries Act and by altering the fishing method used by squid fisheries from trawling to jig fishing.
