page_title: South American sea lion
section_title: Human interactions
hierarchical_section_title: South American sea lion / Human interactions
caption_attribution_description: English: South African sea lyon fur skin (Otaria flavescens (byronia)), infant fur, coloured. Fur skin collection, Bundes-Pelzfachschule, Frankfurt/Main, Germany Deutsch: Mähnenrobbe, Fell (Jugendkleid), (Otaria flavescens (byronia)), „Rockseal“, gefärbt. Aus der Fellsammlung der ehemaligen Bundes-Pelzfachschule (heute Frankfurter Schule für Bekleidung und Mode, Frankfurt/Main. Gesammelt unter Studiendirektor Ludwig Brauser. Derzeit eingelagert in den Räumen des Senckenbergmuseums, Frankfurt/Main.
context_page_description: The South American sea lion, also called the Southern Sea Lion and the Patagonian sea lion, is a sea lion found on the Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Chilean, Falkland Islands, Argentinean, Uruguayan, and Southern Brazilian coasts. It is the only member of the genus Otaria. Its scientific name was subject to controversy, with some taxonomists referring to it as Otaria flavescens and others referring to it as Otaria byronia. The former eventually won out, although that may still be overturned. Locally, it is known by several names, most commonly lobo marino /lobo marinho and león marino /leão marinho and the hair seal.
context_section_description: The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the sea and its animals. They often depicted South American sea lions in their art. Two statues of this species are the symbol of the city of Mar del Plata.
  Indigenous peoples of South America exploited this species for millennia and by Europeans around the 16th century. The hunting has since gone down and the species is no longer threatened. The species is protected in most of its range. Numerous reserves and protected areas at rookeries and haul-out sites exist for the sea lions. Despite this, protection regulations are not effectively enforced in much of animals' range.
  The overall population of sea lions is considered stable; the estimate is 265,000 animals. They are declining in the Falkland Islands, and in Argentina Patagonia, but are increasing in Chile and Uruguay. Many sea lions of the Peruvian population died in the 1997/1998 el Niño. They still are killed due to their habits of stealing fish and damaging fishing nets. Sea lions in the port of Mar del Plata have been found with toxic chemicals and heavy metals in their systems.
  This species is sometimes kept in captivity.
caption: Sea lion skins
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