Catlins sea lion killings and reward

The story so far

The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust is offering a reward for information leading to a conviction over the deaths of three sea lions in the Catlins, including a mother and her pup.^{9, 12 Jul 2025} The reward started at $5,000 and was raised to $12,000, then to $50,000 after an anonymous benefactor enabled the increase.^{9, 12 Jul 2025} A Southland man has been fined $400 for harassing a sea lion at Tautuku Beach in January.^{24 Jul 2025} Residents reported seeing motorists and trail bike riders taunting the sea lion over two consecutive days on the south Otago coast.^{24 Jul 2025}

Latest

The reward now stands at $50,000 for information about the Catlins sea lion deaths.^{12 Jul 2025}

Key moments

1. 9 Jul 2025Trust raises reward to $12,000 after three sea lion deaths
2. 12 Jul 2025Anonymous benefactor enables reward increase to $50,000
3. 24 Jul 2025Southland man fined $400 for harassing sea lion at Tautuku Beach

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.