Threats

Commercial sealing for its fur drove antarctic fur seals to the edge of extinction by the late 19th century. Antarctic fur seals survived the period of over-hunting in very small numbers. Antarctic fur seals have lost considerable genetic diversity due to the historical population bottleneck and are potentially at risk from disease outbreaks and environmental change.

Conservation

Antarctic fur seals are included in the ‘Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)’ Appendix II.

Source: IUCN