South American fur seal

South American fur seals

The South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis ) is a species of the Southern fur seals.

Features

The bulls are 190 cm long and can reach a weight of 200 kg. Females are 140 cm and 50 kg of very much smaller. While the cows have a light brown fur, this is black-gray in males with an eye-catching neck mane. The subspecies of the Falkland Islands is smaller than that of the South American mainland.

Dissemination

The South American Fur Seal is distributed into two subspecies: A. a The gracilis lives on the coasts of South America from Peru to Chile and from Argentina to southern Brazil. In contrast, A. australis is a prior on the coasts of the Falkland Islands.

These seals prefer rocky shores and are able to cope with rather steep slopes to get to their camps. Often they rest in burrows to escape the heat of the sun.

Stock development

The fur seals were killed along all coasts for centuries by seal hunters. For example, there were along the coast of Peru in the 1940s, only forty fur seals; since adopted by protective laws live there again 20,000 seals. 40,000 fur seals living along the Chilean coasts, Argentine coasts and 3,000 to 15,000 in the Falkland Islands; the healthiest, the colonies are but on the coasts of Uruguay, where they comprise more than 200,000 animals.

Danger situation and protection measures

The South American fur seal is managed by the World Conservation Union IUCN Red List of endangered species, but it is referred to as non- endangered ( "Least Concern" ).

In the Bonn Convention CMS, where the need for protection of migratory species is determined and shown, these seal species is performed in Appendix II. For the preservation of this kind is called therefore international cooperation in the protection activities as required.

The Washington Convention CITES recognizes the importance of trade in the species endangerment bill represents the South American fur seal, like all types of his species in Annex II and therefore requires global rules to trade.

Uruguay is the only country in South America, in which a controlled hunting is allowed on these fur seals; in all other South American countries this seal species is strictly protected.

The European Union lists the South American fur seal in the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation (EC ) No 338/97, Annex II, which protection obligations pass through certain trading restrictions on all members of the EU.

Therefore, this Fur Seal in the Federal Republic of Germany is referred to in the Federal Nature Conservation Act than under special protection to vice -border nature.