Ecobreves – CHILE: Campaign to Protect Sea Lions

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SANTIAGO, Oct 11 2010 (IPS) - The non-governmental Chilean Eco-Oceans Center is leading a national and international campaign against a proposal to authorize quotas to hunt sea lions (Otaria flavescens). “We are trying to confront the pressure from artisanal fishing sectors, government officials, some lawmakers and entrepreneurs from the Salmon Industry Association of Chile,” who want sea lion hunting as a way to eliminate interactions between the sea mammals and the fishing and aquaculture industries, Patricio Igor Melillanca, of Eco-Oceans, told Tierramérica.

In his opinion, “there is no scientific evidence to support a slaughter. Where this sort of approach has been taken to prevent interactions with fishing, the results have not been successful,” he said.

The measure is still under consideration by Chilean authorities. Legal protections of the species are in place until 2010.