INCREASE IN THE ABUNDANCE OF NEW-ZEALAND FUR SEALS AT THE CATLINS, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW-ZEALAND

Distribution and abundance of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus for steri) were assessed along the 100 km of the Catlins coastline (46 deg rees 23' S, 169 degrees 46' E to 46 degrees 40 degrees S, 168 degrees 58'E), south-eastern tip of South Island, New Zealand. Our surveys beg an in 1978 but were irregular and mainly qualitative until comprehensi ve counts were made in four consecutive summers from 1993/94 to 1996/9 7. The only rookeries (breeding colonies) were at Nugget Point (46 deg rees 27'S, 169 degrees 49' E) where breeding began in 1979 or 1980. Fo ur annual direct counts of live pups indicated that the annual exponen tial rate of increase in pup numbers averaged 19% with a total of 310 pups in 1996/97. Nugget Point accounted for 60% of the total of almost 2000 seals more than 1-year old counted along the Catlins coast durin g a survey in January 1994. Elsewhere, only three haul-outs (non-breed ing colonies) held aggregations of at least 20 seals ashore per 100 m of shoreline in summer. We termed these locations ''major haul-outs'' and consider them to be probable sites for future rookeries because th ey satisfy the main environmental criteria favoured by breeders.