Movements of fur seals following relocation from fish farms

Abstract

Abstract The movement patterns of Australian and New Zealand fur seals trapped on salmon farms in south‐east Tasmania and relocated hundreds of kilometres away, were monitored using satellite telemetry. Australian fur seals released 470 km away by sea returned to farms after an average of 8.5±4.4 days (n=9 trips) and those released at 140 km returned after 3.2±0.8 days (n=4 trips). New Zealand fur seals (n=5 trips) averaged a return time of 6.8±1.2 days from 300 km. When in south‐east Tasmania, both seal species undertook short trips to sea (mean 2.6 days) from haul‐out sites (minimum distance from farms 21 km) with 33% (1.8 days) of this time spent within 5 km of farms. Mean haul‐out duration was 1.1 days. In summer, Australian fur seals repeatedly travelled between northern Bass Strait islands and southern Tasmanian waters following the Tasmanian east coast. Seals did not visit farms during this time. Southern Tasmanian waters are important foraging grounds for fur seals and potential exists for a substantial number of seals to visit nearby fish farms. Farms provide predictable food resources from penned and escaped salmon, and wild fish attracted to the area. Australian fur seals trapped at Tasmanian salmon farms regularly visited breeding colonies on islands in Victoria. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.