Fisheries develop

Most fisheries in southern Australia developed during the past 100 years. Seal numbers were low as a result of sealing. Early fishermen saw seals as competitors. They wanted to keep seal numbers low. A couple of times, large numbers of seals were killed to reduce their population. However, culling of seals has not occurred since the Australian Fur Seals became protected under wildlife regulations in the 1970s and 1980s.