Six baby seals found decapitated at Canterbury bay

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Six fur seals were found by a tourism operator on Monday. (File photo)

Six decapitated fur seals have been found near Christchurch.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the 11-month-old seals were found by a tourism operator floating in the tidal wash at Scenery Nook, a remote bay in Banks Peninsula, on Monday.

When DOC visited the bay there was no sign of the seals heads. A police spokeswoman said police were aware of the incident and would assist in the investigation.

The bodies were found at Scenery Nook, on the southern end of Banks Peninsula.

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DOC Mahaanui operations manager Andy Thompson said the deaths were cruel and senseless.

'Due to the disturbing, brutal and violent nature of this crime against defenseless seal pups, it has been reported to the police.'

Black Cat Cruises chief executive Paul Milligan said a member of staff spotted the seals while on a harbour cruise on Tuesday and alerted DOC.

The bodies of six baby seals have been found at a bay in Banks Peninsula, near Christchurch.

'Unfortunately there were members of the public on board … it's not something they wanted to see and certainly not something we would usually come across. It's pretty upsetting for everyone.'

He understood other operators had already come across the seals earlier in the day. DOC appealed for any sightings of boats in the area since late last week.

Three of the seals have been buried by DOC rangers, while the other three have been sent to Massey University for a necropsy (autopsy).

'While the necropsy will determine the exact cause of death, we believe it's incredibly unlikely sharks would have bitten the heads off six seals but left the bodies untouched,' Thompson said.

Fur seals are the most common seals in New Zealand, with a population of more than 200,000, and are protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. It is a criminal offence to harass, disturb or harm them, but there have been several cases of people injuring or killing seals after becoming frustrated over low fish numbers in the ocean. Anyone charged with killing a marine mammal faces a maximum penalty of two years in jail or a maximum fine of $250,000.

'Antagonism towards seals is often due to the misplaced belief that seals are eating large amounts of fish species valued for human consumption,' he said.

'That isn't the case. Research shows 90 per cent of Banks Peninsula fur seal diet is made up of lantern fish, which are not sought after in fishing.'

In August, 41 dead fur seals – one mum and 40 pups – were found in Te Oka Bay, near Christchurch, by a couple out walking. Foul play was ruled out and officials believed they may have died after being washed up by high seas.

In 2005, three Otago farmers, including former All Black Andrew Hore, were convicted and fined for killing a protected fur seal on the Otago coast. They were each fined $2500, plus court and solicitors' costs. It was the first time anyone in New Zealand had been charged for the deliberate killing of a marine mammal.