Seal shooters suitably slapped

Forest and Bird is pleased that the three Otago seal killers were convicted in Dunedin yesterday.

Three Otago farmers pleaded guilty to charges under the Marine Mammal Protection Act after killing a fur seal on the Otago Peninsula in June. They were all convicted and fined $2,500 each. Two were required to give a $1,000 donation to the Department of Conservation as well.

Forest and Bird’s Southern Conservation Officer Sue Maturin says that while the fines were not huge they are significant enough to send a strong message that shooting marine mammals is not acceptable.

”Unfortunately the shooting of seals is far too prevalent here in the South. However this is the first conviction for deliberately killing a marine mammal that is fully protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1978,” Sue Maturin said.

“We hope it will not be necessary to convict any more seal shooters. Dunedin is known as New Zealand’s wildlife capital and we don’t want to also be notorious as a city of seal killers,” she said.

ENDS

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