© Natalia Paso Viola
The South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) is a member of the Otariidae family, alongside the South American sea lion. This species is found in both the Pacific Ocean, from Peru to Cape Horn, and in the Atlantic, from Uruguay to the southernmost tip of Argentina. South American fur seals are vigorous swimmers, inhabiting coastal waters and adjacent seas, always within the continental shelf. On land, whether for establishing breeding colonies or using the sites as resting areas during the non-breeding season, they prefer coastal features exposed to the waves, typically rocky areas.
Species status tables, by year.
Select the year to display the status tables.
2021
CITATION CONSERVATION STATUS (IUCN criteria) Global Least Concern, 2016 1 Regional – Patagonian Sea Least Concern, 2016 13 Argentina Least Concern, 2019 2 POPULATION SIZE (Individuals) Global 99,000 1 Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) 25,000 2 Isla Malvinas 36,425 pups 12 South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) No breeding colonies POPULATION TREND Global Increasing 1 Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) Increasing 2 Isla Malvinas Increasing 12 South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) No breeding colonies CURRENT SITUATION IN ARGENTINA Total Number of Registered Colonies in Argentina 32 3 to 11 Number of Protected Colonies in Argentina 21 3 to 11, 15 Number of Colonies with Increasing Population Trends 32 1 Number of Colonies with Decreasing Population Trends 0 Number of Colonies with Stable Population Trends 0 Number of Colonies with Unknown Population Trends 0
Marine Protected Areas with the presence of the species
- Islote Lobos National Park and National Reserve
- Cabo Blanco Intangible Nature Reserve
- Patagonia Austral Interjurisdictional Coastal Marine Park
- Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park
- Isla de los Estados y Archipiélago de Año Nuevo Provincial Reserve
Marine areas of intensive use by the species
- Movements along the Beagle Channel, between islets of both the Atlantic and Pacific.
- Surroundings of the Falkland Islands.
- Sub-Antarctic waters around Burdwood Bank and south of the Beagle Channel.
- Rocky reefs offshore from Punta Mogotes, with no use of nearby coastal areas and no dispersion to adjacent soft benthic substrate.
- Slope area off the Province of Buenos Aires.
Marine Protected Areas within areas of intensive use by the species
- Islote Lobos National Park and National Reserve
- Patagonia Austral Interjurisdictional Coastal Marine Park
- Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park
- Yaganes Marine Protected Area
- Namuncurá – Banco Burdwood I Marine Protected Area
- Namuncurá – Banco Burdwood II Marine Protected Area
REFERENCES:
- Cárdenas-Alayza, S., Oliveira, L. & Crespo, E. 2016. Arctocephalus australis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T2055A45223529. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T2055A45223529.en
- Vales, D. G.; Mandiola, A.; Romero, M. A.; Svendsen, G.; Túnez, J. I.; Negrete, J.; Grandi, M. F. (2019). Arctocephalus australis. En: SAyDS–SAREM (eds.) Categorización 2019 de los mamíferos de Argentina según su riesgo de extinción. Lista Roja de los mamíferos de Argentina.
- Carrara, I.S. (1952). Lobos marinos, pingüinos y guaneras de las costas del litoral marítimo e Islas adyacentes de la República Argentina. Universidad de La Plata, La Plata.
- Crespo, E.A., Schiavini, A.C.M., García, N.A., Franco‐Trecu, V., Goodall, R.N.P., Rodríguez, D., Morgante, J.S., Oliveira, L.R. de. (2015). Status, population trend and genetic structure of South American fur seals, Arctocephalus australis, in southwestern Atlantic waters. Marine Mammal Science 31, 866–890.
- Milano, V.N., Grandi, M.F., Schiavini, A.C.M., Crespo, E.A. (2020). Recovery of South American fur seals from Fuegian Archipelago (Argentina). Marine Mammal Science 36, 1022–1032.
- Parera, A., Schiavini, A., Frere, E. (1997). Relevamiento ecológico de la Isla de los Estados. Observaciones sobre su estado de conservación y sugerencias de manejo, Boletín Técnico de la Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina 38. Available in http:// www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/.
- Crespo, E., Lewis, M., Campagna, C. (2007). Mamíferos marinos: pinnípedos y cetáceos. El Mar Argentino y sus recursos pesqueros, INIDEP special publication 5, 127–150.
- Cardenas, S., Oliveira, L., Crespo, E. (2016). Arctocephalus australis (South American fur seal). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
- Svendsen, G., Dans, S., González, R., Romero, M., Crespo, E. (2013). Occurrence of South American fur seals Arctocephalus australis (Zimmermann, 1783) in San Matías Gulf, Patagonia, Argentina. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 41, 576–583.
- Bartés, S., Svendsen, G., Romero, M.A., Gonzalez, R. (2020). Decrease in the occurrence of the South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) in San Matías Gulf after a sudden episode of reoccupation. Mastozoología neotropical 27, 001–006.
- Dassis, M., Farenga, M., Bastida, R., Rodríguez, D. (2012). At-sea behavior of South American fur seals: Influence of coastal hydrographic conditions and physiological implication. Mammalian Biology 77, 47–52.
- Baylis, A.M.M., Orben, R.A., Arkhipkin, A.A., Barton, J., Brownell, R.L., Staniland, I.J., Brickle, P. (2019). Re-evaluating the population size of South American fur seals and conservation implications. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29, 1988–1995.
- Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea, 2019. Report of the IUCN Regional Red List First Workshop for Species of the Patagonian Sea – 2016: Marine Mammals. V. Falabella & C. Campagna (Eds). http://marpatagonico.org/publicaciones/
- DNC/APN (Dirección Nacional de Conservación/Administración de Parques Nacionales) (2017). Sistema Nacional de Áreas Marinas Protegidas (Ley Nº 27.037): Justificación técnica para la creación de seis áreas Marinas Protegidas. Documento Técnico de la Dirección Nacional de Conservación (APN/MAyDS), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. 52 pp.
- WCS Argentina Database – Marine Program
- Falabella, V., Campagna, C., y Croxall, J. (Eds). (2009). Atlas del Mar Patagónico. Especies y Espacios. Buenos Aires, Wildlife Conservation Society y BirdLife International. http://www.atlas-marpatagonico.org