Shark nets pushing sea lions to the brink of extinction

The Advertiser on 3rd December had a little piece about shark nets pushing sea lions to the brink of extinction. The short article read “Nets intended for sharks trap & kill about 300 sea lions in SA every year and the species appears headed for extinction. Just 14,000 Australian sea lions remain & 85% live in SA. On the West Coast, breeding has started at 3 colonies, but the pups face a series of threats. Fishing nets, lines & lobster pots top the list in a recent report by SARDI to the federal Government. The Wilderness Society is campaigning against nets used to trap sharks by their gills. Marine campaigner Shen Dycer said sea lion feeding grounds & areas fished by gillnets “almost completely overlap in SA”.”