New Zealand fur seals, Arctocephalus forsteri, are the only marine
mammal found regularly ashore on accessible sections of the New
Zealand coastline and are therefore the target of both land and
sea-based tourism. The time that fur seals come ashore to breed
(Nov-Feb) coincides with the peak tourist season making it important
that we understand the implications of tourist/seal interactions
on the behaviour as well as the reproductive success of the species.
Three study sites were chosen to reflect a spectrum of visitor
density, type of tourism, and anticipated fur seal sensitivity.
Two experimental sites, the Kaikoura coastline and Tonga Island
in Abel Tasman National Park both attract a large number of tourists
for viewing by boat, and kayak, and by land in Kaikoura. A control
site, Whakamoa, on the Banks Peninsula, which receives no tourist
traffic, was used to compare responses of seals to various approach
types. Data were collected during the Austral summer season 1999/2000
and 2000/2001. Behaviour was observed using focal animal and instantaneous
scan sampling, while attributes of tourist approaches were tested
experimentally via controlled approaches. Approaches were broken
into land, kayak and boat approaches, and the following factors
were manipulated: distance, noise, frequency of approach, and
size of group approaching.
In the first field season (1999-2000), focal animal observations
were carried out on 277 individual seals representing five different
gender/age classes: adult male, adult female, sub-adult male,
juvenile and pup. In the second field season (2000-2001), focal
animal data were collected on 124 mother/pup pairs. Over both
field seasons 162 hours of instantaneous scan data were collected.
Experimentally controlled approaches by land, kayak, and boat
were also undertaken during both seasons and data collected on
the responses of 3525 seals. The responses of fur seals to tourist
approaches were recorded during both seasons on land and at sea
in boats and kayaks (n=3699 seals approached). Further data were
collected on 327 seals approached by a commercial guided walk
and on 33 commercial swim-with-seal programmes in the second field
season. Finally, a mark-recapture experiment was carried out at
Ohau Point and Tonga Island breeding colonies both seasons (n=167
pups sampled) to assess pup productivity and condition at these
sites.
The
results from our observational studies indicate that fur seals
are changing their behaviour in response to tourist activities.
Focal animal and instantaneous scan data collected on all gender/age
groups suggests that there are significant differences in the
behavioural repertoire of seals based on site and gender/age differences.
In general, fur seals at sites experiencing high visitor numbers
respond less frequently and less dramatically to disturbances
than seals where visitor numbers are low (p<0.0001), data that
together suggest that habituation has and continues to occur.
The
results from our controlled approach experiments show that fur
seals respond more strongly to land-based approaches than sea-based
approaches (p<0.001). As predicted from our observational research
fur seal responses to different approaches varied between sites
with a higher frequency of avoidance responses being observed
at the control site (p<0.005).
Results
from our observations of guided walks show that fur seal responses
varied significantly based on the approach distance and the size
of the approaching group. The responses of seals to the guided
walk were also compared to responses of seal approached by tourists
without a guide; the presence of a guide reduced the number of
avoidance responses by as much as 15%. No significant difference
was found in fur seal responses to swims organised by different
companies, however several behaviours were observed to increase
the likelihood of seals avoiding the swimmers.
Fur
seal responses vary based on a large number of factors, but our
data clearly illustrate that fur seals may habituate over time
in areas of high tourist activity. Our data suggest that current
management guidelines are not preventing negative impacts in tourist/seal
interactions and to lessen the overall impact of ecotourism activities
on fur seals we suggest a major revision of these guidelines.
We are currently preparing a management document for the Department
of Conservation. Chief among our recommendations are revisions
to the current minimum approach distance and the implementation
of a long-term monitoring program to assess the possible impacts
of tourism on the reproductive success of the species.
