KI Penguin Centre operator John Ayliffe has called the meeting for March 22 at the Aurora Ozone Hotel at 7.30pm.

The meeting will be chaired by Deputy Mayor Peter Clements and Family First politician Robert Brokenshire has agreed to attend.

Invitations have been issued to the Member for Finniss Michael Pengilly, Opposition MP Vickie Chapman and representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Mr Ayliffe said he had called the public meeting after speaking to Cr Graeme Connell about giving the Kangaroo Island Council direction on the issue.

Mr Pengilly said this week that the NZ fur seal population was a state-wide issue and deserved state-wide attention.

“I have been following the fur seal issue for some time now, including a parliamentary Natural Resource Committee report into the matter. Reductions in numbers of Little Penguins on Granite Island and on Kangaroo Island were clearly identified in the report.

“Lately other areas of the state have become increasingly anxious about the effects of the impact of rapidly increasing fur seal numbers and what they may be doing to fish stocks.” He said a recent survey by DENR officers on fur seal numbers around Kangaroo Island, estimated a population of more than 40,000.

“Professional and recreational fishermen on Eyre Peninsula have this week raised the potential impact of the animals and their growth in numbers on the marine environment on the West Coast, including on rock lobster and tuna.

“What is becoming clear is that the department needs to take the matter seriously and consider a strategy for the future. Fish stocks are critical, and while the Government fools around with the marine parks and zoning debacle, fish life and particularly seals are no respecters of boundaries on maps,” Mr Pengilly said.

Aurora Ozone Hotel manager Andrew Duncan said the impact of seals on the Kingscote penguin colony was crucial to his business.

“Of the 14,000 people who take the Kingscote tour each year, one-quarter are from our hotel and those people are worth $2 million a year to our business in food and accommodation.

“If we see a decline in that number because of the lack of penguins, that could have a 5 per cent impact on our business, which is enough for international tour operators to take Kangaroo Island off their books, as a so-called declining destination.”