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Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)

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Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea)

The Australian sea lion is Australia's only endemic sea lion with over 80% of the population found in South Australia. Sea lions were harvested in the late 1700s and early 1800s with their populations reduced to very low numbers. It is estimated that there are currently between 10 000 and 12 000 animals. This small population makes these mammals a threatened species in all of its range.

It is listed as 'rare' under South Australian legislation and has 'special protected species' status in Western Australia. Nationally, it is listed as a threatened species (vulnerable) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

A draft recovery plan for the Australian sea lion was released for public comment in April 2010 and is due for full release in 2011.

• More about sea lions in Australian waters

Protection of the Australian sea lion

The Great Australian Bight Marine Park contributes to the protection of the Australian sea lion via a one nautical mile Sanctuary Zone followed by a two nautical mile Conservation Zone adjacent to the cliffs in State waters, and a Marine Mammal Protection Zone in Commonwealth Waters that extends from three nautical miles to approximately 12 nautical miles offshore.

Access to the Sanctuary Zone is not permitted and the Conservation Zone and Marine Mammal Protection Zone are closed to all vessel access from 01 May to 31 October each year. Recent Fisheries regulatory measures to further improve protection for Australian sea lions has been the introduction of a year-round ban on gillnet fishing within 4 nautical miles of the coastal cliffs along the length of the Park from the SA/WA border to Twin Rocks at the Head of Bight.

• More about activities allowed in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)

Australian studies

Investigating the impacts of fisheries on Australian sea lion colonies

In 2007 the Great Australian Bight Marine Park Steering Committee commissioned a study by the South Australian Research and Development Institute into the effectiveness of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park in protecting the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) from by-catch mortality in shark gillnets. The final report of the study was completed in mid 2009 and, following peer review in January 2010, was released for public dissemination.

• Effectiveness of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park in protecting the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) from by-catch mortality in shark gillnets

Foraging range and feeding behaviour

In 2005-06 the department worked with the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) on a project to determine the foraging range and behaviour of the Australian sea lion. The project utilised GPS tracking transmitters glued to the backs of five female sea lions selected from colonies at the base of the Bunda Cliffs in the Marine Park. The operation was undertaken with animal ethics approval, and ensured that the GPS transmitters caused no harm to the sea lions, falling off during the next moult.

The trackers recorded the positions of the animals as they foraged for food on the seafloor. Data was transmitted to a satellite system each time the animal broke the surface of the water and was downloaded by SARDI as required. Information collected from the tracking data showed that the five females foraged in different areas in a south to south west direction from the colony. Three of the females foraged up to 180 km away from their colonies, while another remained relatively close to the colony. The project data indicated that the females fed in different locations and did not go any further than the 100m depth contour.

• Satellite tracking data 2006 (PDF - 141 KB)

The information gathered during the project has been used to contribute towards Australian sea lion management strategies and has helped to determine the level of interaction of the species with industries, such as commercial fishing, that may pose a risk to Australian sea lions in the region and is being used to assist with the effective management of the Marine Park.

Australian sea lions do not have an annual breeding cycle like any other mammal. They breed every 17 months (spread over a 5 month period), so one year they're breeding in summer and the following breeding period will be winter. Sea lion colonies also have an asynchronous breeding cycle, meaning that various colonies are breeding at different times of the year. Therefore, sea lion colonies are all breeding at different times, for example one colony may be at the peak of its breeding cycle while another has no breeding activity. In comparison, New Zealand fur seals breed for a 1 month period every November.

References:
McKenzie J, Goldsworthy SD, Shaughnessy PD, McIntosh R (2005). Understanding the impediments to the growth of Australian sea lion populations. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide, 107pp. SARDI Publication Number RD04/0171.

Shaughnessy, PD, Dennis, TE. and Seager, P.G. (2005). Status of Australian sea lions, Neophoca cinerea, and New Zealand fur seals, Arctocephalus forsteri, on Eyre Peninsula and the Far West Coast of South Australia. Wildlife Research, 32: 85-101.