Marine Mammals and Recreational Fishing Information page
This page is dedicated by Fishers For Conservation to 'Fishing with' hints on how to enjoy, co-exist, and fish around marine mammals such as dolphins, seals and whales.
Page contents (quick links): Background - The Need to Co-exist - Fishing with and around marine mammals - Hints: what to do around seals and sealions - Hints: what to do around dolphins - Further Information
Download the FFC Info sheet #5 Recreational Fishing and Marine Mammals
A Christmas Message from FFC:
This is a season to be jolly, not only because it is Christmas and full of good cheer for us...but also for the Australian Sea Lions. Their pupping season has started and will go on throughout the summer months. This means mothers will be a little more active as they go to sea to feed to keep the precious milk supply up for her young one .... which also means that this will bring her possibly close to boating areas, fishing activities and danger. It would be nice if we could keep in mind that if a mother does not make it back to her pup - her pup will die of starvation. This is a sad experience to witness as it will take approximately three weeks for the pup to die of starvation, not unlike watching human children suffering as we see it around the world - no other sea lion mother will care for or accept an abandoned pup, unless by some miracle a mother who has lost her own pup at the same time takes the abandoned pup under her flipper. This does happen, but very rarely. 
Approaching sea lions on the beach at this time is also a risk, bulls can be protective of their spouses and will see human as a threat to their domain. They are a force not to be reckoned with not only in the sea, but very much so on land as well. While they are not an aggressive race under normal circumstances, unless provoked, they will act to protect their own as they see it. It is a good time to respect the sea lions, keep distant and give them their right of way in their sea.
Dolphins too have their main run of new borns during summer months - it is always a thrill to see theyoung ones dance in the deep blue....if they approach your boat - or you approach them by boat, be mindful, shut down the engines, idle or drift. They will stay for as long as they want to, and then go...let them go. If you do it this way, you will be well rewarded by the dolphins themselves.
BACKGROUND:
All to often we hear the words “Our Fish”, “Our Ocean”, and this equation “The best Sea Lion – is a dead one”. Why? “Because they eat our fish” or “they chase our fish out of our patch”….. While we “All” would like to think the ocean is ours to do as we wish with, we must also think of those that live in it.
How often is it when we go fishing, by boat, beach or jetty, that we have the pleasure of seeing a dolphin at play or even riding the bow wave of a boat? How many of you with children in tow, will hear the words ”Look Mum, Dad a dolphin!” or simply the word “Dolphin!” or even “There’s a seal!” Enjoyable isn’t it. Little faces light up along with ours in awe of the sheer naturalness of it all and wishing we could join them.
Their world is not as safe as ours, they vie for food and their lives daily. Dolphins do it much harder than the sea lions or seals - they can’t get out of the water. They all are a part of the food chain, just as we are but in a different and more vulnerable way.
We have thought of them over time as just an animal. This they are not, they are far more complex than we will ever know, you only need to watch, listen and learn. They are families as we are. They have mothers, daughters, sons and uncles, aunties, grandma’s and grandad’s. They mourn their loss for many many days, sometimes weeks. They think, remember, feel pain, loss and hunger just as we do.
Dolphin families will stay together, with majority of them for the term of their lives. Sea lions and seals are much the same.
Personal experience has seen and can use as an example of just one mother dolphin with her daughter. These two have now been together, within the family fold for 6 years. It is very rare to see mother without her daughter being close by. And yet another personal experience has seen a mother, daughter, and then son/brother stay and grow together and all within the confines of this one dolphin family. An amazing life experience.
Perhaps anyone of you have had a similar experience – we would sincerely like to hear and publish the tale. Don’t be shy. It would be nice to share and tell the story.
“The loss of such a unique and charismatic species is a shocking tragedy. The Yangtze River dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over twenty million years ago. This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasizes that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet”. It will be first large aquatic mammal to disappear since the Caribbean monk seal in the 1950s …..Exerpts taken from news.mongabay.com 29th August 2007 relating to the impending extinction of the freshwater dolphin of China. Please view Monga Bay website for further information.
THE NEED TO CO-EXIST
Each and every platform of insect, human, and animal land or sea have a scale of the pecking order, in other words, for each to live there is a food chain. As a link of the chain disappears it leaves a gap, which in order creates a loss, making that gap fill by re-adaptation for survival. A simple and quick to mind example being, say…..if all the stingrays disappeared from a particular favourite fishing area, an adult sea lion, and humans too, would forage for something else to fill that void, which then in turn could put pressure on yet another underling of that particular chain – and so it goes on and moves further a field – until there is nothing left. Scary thought? It can happen, and actually it is happening now. Not just in Australia, but across the world.
We, as the greater survivor could adapt to the loss rapidly and if there were no fish left in the sea, we would survive anyway, but a sea lion could find it very difficult. His need would be to move further and further away from his home to survive when it is not necessary for him to do so.
A simple solution to benefit all, would be to share. As an example, out of a school of stingray, take only what is needed and then move on, leaving some for another day for us for our leisure, and some for the sea lion for survival. How many fish do we need for a feed?
Some of you will say, “It’s easy for them!”. Not so by any stretch of the imagination. We do it much easier with a baited hook. Bit like waiving a lollipop in the front of a child – we soon get their attention or a can of beer in front of your mate while sitting on a white sandy beach with a fishing rod in his hands. How relaxing is that!!
The experience of watching a bull sea lion chasing, catching, killing and then eating a stingray or a small shark is second to none – but – it has its sad side when a stingray or shark turns it around and gets the sea lion first. This is nature at its best, but at its saddest to see.
So you see, us as a predator far outways the balance of nature, we need to respect, live with, and look after what the world’s ocean’s have to offer.
Perhaps in this, someone, be it adult or child may also have a story to share – will be interesting to hear.
A bull sea lion in his prime years (12-15yrs approx) killed instantly by possibly a smooth or black stingray – photo taken 2005. Nature’s balance.
FISHING WITH AND AROUND MARINE MAMMALS
WE LOVE OUR FISHING, no matter why….whether it is simply to clear the woes of the day away, to eat, or for sport. But in this, we can co-exist with our fellow ocean dwellers, we just need to give them a little space and respect and be mindful that they totally rely on what is in the sea to live into the future.
Below are some handy hints – enlarge on them yourself with courtesy and common sense. Feel free to offer any hints that you may think is relevant to the cause.
It is often thought that if a sea lion, seal or dolphin comes into “our fishing patch” that it chases away our fish..! Our natural reaction is to chase the mammal away by running it over with the boat, throwing rocks, lashing out with oars or anchors, waving arms, cursing…..none of this helps you know.
FACT: The fish don’t go anywhere, they hide for awhile. Given time and a bit of burley, they will be back.
FACT: The sea lion, seal or dolphin may be in for an easy feed, if this is the case – it will catch a fish and go, but also it may be there because it wants to see you. They are as curious about us as we them.
FACT: Fishing close by a seal or sea lion colony is not quite the right thing to do and you are asking for trouble and a confrontation – remember that “game” word and curiosity? Hooks are like glittering enticing diamonds in the sea and those razor fish or cockles, fun things to play with and “what are they throwing that in the water for – think we will stay awhile and watch and play?”
HINTS - WHAT TO DO WITH SEA LIONS AND SEALS:
Pull your line out of the water, sit back, and relax in the sun, watch and enjoy, that’s what you are there for anyway. The mammal will get bored pretty quickly and will wander off on its own. The more noise you make, the longer it will stay, seriously thinking how stupid you are.
If the mariner enjoys your company longer than anticipated, pull anchor and move, come back to the spot an hour or so later – the fish will still be there. How easy is that. You arefishing! you should have plenty of time – leisure remember!
Whatever you do, don’t throw things at a seal or sea lion, they love a game of catch and fetch. Bit like throwing the ball for your dog or playing Frisbee with the kids. Fun times for the mammals, pure frustration for you.
Trawling…now there is some serious fun, seal, boat, motor bubbles, brightly coloured lures with tickly feathers, mmm…maybe one with a squid on, easy meal. Okay – dead sea lion or seal! Would take a few weeks of starvation but. Think about that one for a minute, the answer is yours to deal with.
And now for some serious no fun advice…if you happen to be going fishing on a beach, or pull up at an island in your boat and come across some seals or sea lions lazing in the sun, be sure not to approach or chase them off. They will be there for a reason – remember we can share – bypass around behind them, don’t get between them and the sea – the sea is their refuge. Seals and sea lions are not naturally aggressive, we get told that frequently, but not the reasons why. They are only aggressive because we have made them that way ourselves. At times they need to be aggressive for their own survival. Respect them as you do yourself.
HINTS - WHAT TO DO WITH DOLPHINS:
Dolphins are much like the seals and sea lions, probably a little more private though and needing much more respect, not as fun loving, only amongst themselves. Some of the above hints for the seals apply to the dolphins as well.
Some horror stories have come in about boats collecting dolphins across the bow. This is not an impressive tale to hear. If dolphins approach your boat as you are steaming along, simply slow right down. There really is no need to speed to keep the dolphins interest, they will only be interested as long as they want to be. The worst thing you can do is go around in circles, chase them and stop suddenly. Use common sense when dealing with these mammals. Put yourself in their position. What would you like?
If dolphins are feeding, best thing is to leave them be and give them a wide berth. Think of yourself if a seal comes into your patch? Same thing just a different principal.
The word “Feeding” brings to mind something quite serious which applies to both dolphins and seals. While we think it is nice to be able to chuck them a fish or two, and in this really, there is no right or wrong, its not fair to judge that as we don’t know, but, these mammals can become opportunistic, if they get used to being thrown a fish from boats, they will approach most boats – there is always that one human out there that will do serious harm to a friendly mammal. This is only a minority, but be fair to the mammals as they can suffer the serious consequence of our action in their innocence, and vice versa.
We are open to any hints, suggestions and stories. We are sure that the dolphins, seal, sea lions and fishermen, women and children will appreciate the input – we know we will. FFC supports fishing for the future by co-existence and caring for our oceans.
FURTHER INFORMATION
What to do if you see a stranded, injured or dead marine mammal in SA waters - link to PIRSA site
In SA Dolphins are protected from harassment and physical harm under provisions of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the Whale and Dolphin Regulations 2000.
