WORKSHOP ON THE STATUS OF SOUTH A MERICAN SEA LIONS ALONG THE

DISTRIBUTION RANGE
Valparaíso, Chile, 15-17 June 2009
Organizing Committee
Doris Oliva, Enrique A. Crespo, Silvana L. Dans and Maritza Sepúlveda
INTRODUCTION AND JUSTIFICAT ION
The South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), is one of the specie s of marine mammals in
South America that interacts with all human activitie s, mainly fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.
On occasions is also affected by industrial activities an d oil extraction and transport. Its distribution
in South America ranges from Torres in southern Brazil (29º20´S; 49º43´W; Rosas et al. 1994) to
Zorritos (4ºS) in Perú (Riedman 1990), passing through Cape Horn i n the extreme south of the
continent.
Regarding abundance and population trend there is n o uniform information. One of t he most
studied areas is northern Patagonia in Argentina and with less quality central and southern
Patagonia (Crespo, 1988; Crespo & Pedraza, 1991; Dans et al., 2004; Reyes et al., 1999; Schiavini et
al., 2004). In the north the population was dramatically reduced for leather and oil between the 30 ´s
and the 50´s, when a population of about 180.000 individuals fell to less of 10.000 around Península
Valdés, one of the most exploited zones. Southern Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego and the
Falkland (Malvinas) Isla nds showed the same population fall, even those rookeries were less or not
exploited. During the 60´s a protected areas policy was developed in Chubut and the most
important rookeries were protected. The population did not show any sig n of recovery up to the
early 90´s (Crespo & Pedraza, 1991). At present this stock has increased up to 55.000 sea lions (Dans
et al., 2004; Grandi et al., 2008).
In Argentina sea lions interact with gillnet fisheries in Buenos Aires Province where individ ual
sea lions damage part of t he catch biting sharks in t he belly and consuming th e liver but where
does not get entangled (Corcuera et al., 1994; Crespo et al., 1994) The same behaviour is shown in
northern Patagonia where sea lions interact with longline fisheries in Golfo San Matías (R.
González, Pers.Comm.). In central Patagonia sea lions get entangled in trawling nets for hake and
shrimp and an estimated figure of 200-600 individuals are taken each year (Crespo et al., 1994,
1997). While sea lions increase at a rate of 5.7% annually (Dans et al., 2004) in Uruguay decline at a
rate of 4% (Paéz, 2005) showing a very local ef fect of mortality, on the other hand a separate
population dynamics may exist for this relative restricted zone. In Uruguay as in southern Bra zil
sea lions are shot by fishermen as a co nsequence of gear damage and because the re is a generalized
perception that the spec ies is a competitor for fishing resources.
As it was described for the Steller and the California sea lions, South American sea lions show
different rates of increase in different rookeries. Present information a bout genetic units in the
South-western Atlantic is partially contradictory. While some studies did not found genetic
differences between rookeries from Uruguay and Pen ínsula Valdés (Szapkievich et al. , 1999) and
between Península Valdés and the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (Freilich, 2004), more recent studies
found some degree of isolation (Túnez et al., 2006). Some individual males have been found
marked in Uruguay and Buenos Aires Province breeding in Península Valdés. Feeding studies
indicate that sea lions use different resources in Uruguay and Buenos Aires Province with respect
to Patagonia (Koen Alonso et al., 2000; Szteren, 2006; Szteren & Páez, 2002) leading to think that
presumably at least two ecological st ocks could exist within the same genetic stock with gene flow
based on male transport.
In the extended Chilean coast a population of around 140.000 individuals was estimated
(Venegas et al. 2001, Bartheld et al. 2007, Sepúlveda et al. 2007, Oliva et al. 2008). As in Argentina the
population trend is not u niform. While in nothern and central-southern Chile the popu lation is
increasing, in central Chile the population is stable and in the extreme sout h is declining. In Chile,
sea lions interact with artisanal fisher ies (Oporto et al. 1991, Rodríguez 2005, Sepúlveda et al. 2007),
 industrial fisheries (Hückstädt & Antezana, 2003) and salmon farms (Sepúlveda & Oliva 2005). In
general only operational interactions hav e been considered , recording predation o n fishing catches and
damage to fishing gear and aquaculture installations. However, even it is known that an important part of
diet includes importa nt commercial fish species (Aguayo & Maturana 1973, George-Nascimiento et al., 1985,
Sielfeld et al., 1997) the information about ecolo gical interactions is scarce (Arata & Hucke-Gaete, 2005). As a
result of these conflic ts and an attempt of diminishing interactions with artisanal fisheries and aquacult ure
activities, an Action Plan and Management of sea lions was deve loped in southern Chi le. However up to
date it has not been imple mented.
In Perú, the population was subject to uncontrolled exploitation during the first half of the XX century
mainly for its leather a nd fur (Tovar & Fuentes 1984). Exportations of fur betw een 1925 and 1946 raised
several thousand furs per year (Majluf & Trillmich, 1981). The first surveys were carried out during the 50´s
(Piazza 1959 cited by Tovar & Fuentes 1984). Later, between 1968 and 1979 the first national surveys
estimated a population of about 20000 individuals (Majluf & Trillmich, 1981). Since 1997 an annual record is
carried out with a standardized methodology, when 144087 individuals were estimated. This figure lowered
in the following year given an ENSO event in 97/98, recording 27991 individuals. In the last three na tional
censuses carried out in 2003, 2004 y 2005 the population was estimated in 75158, 59399 and 100220
individuals, showing a decline first and an increase later in the total number.
At the light of the argume nts exposed it seems important to join the sea lion specialists in the region in
order to discuss the sta tus of the sea lion popu lation in their own cou ntries, the most important problems
they suffer and the potential solutions and courses of action. The identification of vacancy areas in
knowledge will be welcom e and the clarification of c onservation and management policies at the national
and international level.
GENERAL OBJETIVES

· Assess the status of sea lion population in the distribution area (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Falkland
(Malvinas) Islands, Perú and Uruguay).
· Assess regional conflicts between sea lions a nd human activities (fisheries, aqua culture and
tourism).
· Assess about administration measures applied to the species and management plans per country.
· Assess about priority or vacancy areas in research for conservation and potential financial sources.
SPECIFIC OBJETIVES

· Assess population trends along the distribution range.

· Identify management u nits by means of genet ic markers, ecological stocks and movement s and
migration.
· Assess impact levels from abundance estimations, mortality rates and pred ation on salmon farms
and fishing gears.
PARTICIPANTS INVITED
Argentina: Enrique Crespo, Silvana Dans, Florencia Grandi, Diego Rodríguez, Claudio Campagna, Gisela Giardino,
Mariela Dassis
Brazil: Larissa Rosa de Oliveira
Chile: Walter Sielfeld, Doris Oliva, Maritza Sepúlveda, Layla Osmann, Anelio Aguayo, Héctor Pavéz, Roberto
Schlatter, René Duran, Alejand ra Urra, Constanza Weinbe rger, Jorge Acevedo, Francisco Ponce
Perú: Patricia Majluf
United Kingdom: David Thompson
Uruguay: Diana Szteren, Valentina Franco Trecu, Federico Riet Sapriza, Matías Feijoo

SUPPORTING AND FINANCING INSTITUTIONS

Zoo d´Amneville (France)
Yaqu-Pacha (Germany)
Dutch Zoo Conservation F und
Subsecretaría de Pesca, Government of Chile
Latin American Society f or the Study of Aquatic M ammals (SOLAMAQ)
Dirección de Investigación, Unive rsidad de Valparaíso

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