PUP PRODUCTION OF THE NEW-ZEALAND FUR-SEAL ON OTAGO PENINSULA, NEW-ZEALAND

The New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) did not breed in Ota go, southeastern South Island, New Zealand from the 17th Century until the late 1970's. Here we report a recent dramatic increase in pup pro duction for Otago Peninsula, from 20-30 pups born in two rookeries in 1982/83 to a minimum (from a direct count) of 673 born at eleven disti nct rookeries during the 1993/94 breeding season. Adjustments for prec ensus mortality and for undercounting were calculated from one site an d applied to all rookeries. These adjustments raised the 1993/94 produ ction figure to an estimated 1136 +/- 98 pups. The implications of the se adjustments, and of making pup counts based on surveys, are discuss ed. Future monitoring of pup numbers should be carefully timed to coin cide with the end of the local pupping season.