Entanglement Of Pinnipeds At Marion Island, Southern Ocean: 1991-2001

Abstract

Some 101 fur seals Arctocephalus spp. and five southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina were recorded entangled in anthropogenic debris over ten years at Marion Island, Southern Ocean. Approximately 67% of materials causing entanglement originated in the fishing industry. Polypropylene packaging straps were the most common entangling material, followed by trawl netting. Longline hooks embedded in animals, fishing line and portions of plastic were only encountered after the inception in 1996 of longline fishing in the waters around Marion Island. The incidence of entanglement of Arctocephalus spp. during the 1996-2001 longline fisheries period increased by more than 50% over that of the 1991-1996 pre-longline fisheries period. An estimated 0.24% of the populations of fur seals were entangled. The numbers of entangled M. leonina are very low. Longline fishing has had a direct, albeit small, impact on the pinniped populations