The activity has generated controversy, as it often involves the capture of young pups under one year old, just after weaning, facilitating their adaptation to captivity. In addition, the capture and transport process raises concerns about the welfare of the animals, as they must learn to feed on processed fish and rely on humans for their survival.
According to the National Directorate of Aquatic Resources (Dinara), strict protocols are followed to ensure the welfare of the animals. Supervision is carried out by private veterinarians and technicians from the institution, who are responsible for verifying that the sea lions remain in appropriate conditions.
However, Lourdes Casas, founder of the NGO Socobioma, questions the lack of transparency in the process. “There is no real follow-up on the final destination of the animals. They are supposed to go to oceanariums, but that information is not available,” she denounced in statements to the newspaper El País.
Sea lions. (Photo: Proyecto Patagonia Azul).
The export business
Historically, sea lions were exploited for their skin, fat, and meat, but the ban on hunting in 1991 led to a transformation of the business, focusing on the sale of live specimens.
Export figures have varied in recent years. Between 2012 and 2019, trade reached its peak in 2016, when 166 specimens were sold, of which 128 were sent to China. Other destinations include Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. However, activity dropped significantly in 2020 due to the pandemic and avian flu.
The price of each sea lion varies by gender: Dinara charges 87,000 pesos for each male and 118,000 pesos for each female. However, in the international market, specimens can be resold for up to $25,000, especially females, which have lower reproduction capacity in captivity.
In response to this situation, the inclusion of Isla de Lobos in the National System of Protected Areas sparked criticism from the mayor of Maldonado, who argues that this limits the area’s tourism potential. Meanwhile, the debate over the export of sea lions remains open, with questions about its impact on conservation and the actual economic benefit it brings to the country.
Sea lion hunting in Uruguay
In Uruguay, the capture of live sea lions is coordinated and supervised between April 1 and October 31 of each year. To do this, a series of requirements must be met. One of them is for the DINARA Directorate to authorize the capture and delivery order.
On the other hand, the total number of specimens in the requested batch must be paid for, as well as the capture expenses, and the Origin Certificate must be requested after making the payment through the Payment Gateway.
These points were established in Resolution 206/2024, which updated the document “Requirements for the acquisition, handling in captivity, and export of live sea lion specimens in Uruguay.” It is recommended to modify the procedure related to the sale of live specimens.
In Cabo Polonio National Park, in Rocha, a large colony of sea lions can be observed in their natural habitat.
Source: La Red 21.
