Ecosystem Services 3.3
A population monitoring and research program to assist management of the Australian sea lion population at Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island.
| ID Number | Project Number | Manager | Start Date | End Date | Total Project Funds ($) |
| SVE-5453H | RD03/0183 | Goldsworthy, Simon | 17-Jul-2006 | 31-Aug-2006 | 8,000 |
Executive Summary
Seals are the premier tourism attraction on Kangaroo Island and they underpin a regional multimillion dollar tourism industry. Its centrepiece is the Australian sea lion population at Seal Bay Conservation Park.
Monitoring of the trends in abundance of the population has been undertaken by the Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH) for over 30 years. Analyses of these data and the methodological basis of the surveys were not reviewed until recently, and determined that the population had been in decline for at least 20 years. This decline is continuing.
This report aims to provide stakeholders’ with details of the monitoring and research program required to support the sustainable use of the Australian sea lion population at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island. The report covers five topics including: a historical summary of research and monitoring of the sea lion colony; an evaluation of the current status of the population; a detailed appraisal of the ongoing management needs of the sea lion population in terms of population status, trends and demography, as well as targeted research programs; what an ongoing population management program should comprise of and what it would cost; and potential funding sources to support such a program.
The report recommends that sustainable use of the Australian sea lion population at Seal Bay should underpin the broader management objectives of the Seal Bay Conservation Park if it is to remain a sustainable tourism destination. A population monitoring and research program should be implemented that includes: 1) long-term monitoring of pup production, pup mortality and vital demographic rates, and 2) targeted projects that address specific data gaps and management needs. This program requires strong scientific leadership and management to ensure that results and methodologies are regularly reported upon and reviewed. Access restrictions, which presently impede monitoring and research activities at Seal Bay need to be reviewed.
For the population monitoring and research program to be effective, long-term recurrent funding will need to be secured. Options for cost-recovery from visitor fees and tourism operator licence fees should be investigated because alternate sources of funding are unlikely to be adequate to meet the real costs of population monitoring and research. Donations and sponsorships options should be investigated to supplement the costs of population monitoring and targeted research programs.