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Wait on, back up a sec, you do realise the seals, despite the common name, are a native species which was nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1800s and has still not recovered to the previous population level? My understanding (reconfirmed by mr google) is that their diet is primarily mass schooling fish and squid species found off the continental shelf like arrow squid, slimies and tunas, probably because they are more plentiful and easier prey than more dispersed shallower water species. Put simply the seals are not the problem and my money would be on the primary cause for inshore

All good points and no I’m not offended in any way but don’t compare me to that wanker in the USA .My concern is with the decrease in natural predators namely the great white what’s to say in the next 20 years that population doesn’t get out of control.I remember a time when carp weren’t a problem in the Murray river but with the demise of a natural predator with the Murray cod being fished out the rest is history.Although I’m a fisherman my passion is not fish I just love catching them to eat my passion is birds.How long before the fairy penguins are extinct here in SA and the devastation the

The thing with that argument is fishing around KI is rated as very good still. I'd be taking anything a pro fisher told me with a bag of salt, and the neighbour fished Vincent area at Xmas and bagged out on most fish including squid. I'm not saying fur seal numbers don't need to be considered but we need to learn to fit within the world instead of thinking it belongs to us entirely. I'd rather the Gov focuses on removing long lines.