Sculpture on 10-year loan to Kaikōura to combat 'negative attitude' towards fur seals

Seals are often misunderstood in Kaikōura's marine environment, local artist Ben Foster says.

Foster is loaning his sculpture 'Kekeno' (New Zealand fur seal) to the Kaikōura District Council for 10 years, in a bid to raise awareness about respecting Kaikōura's marine environment.

''There's often a negative attitude towards seals and I want to change that.''

Kekeno was first designed in 2009 for an exhibition hosted by an art gallery in Auckland, with the theme to create a work which ''represented your environment'', Foster said.

He hopes the sculpture, installed in Kaikōura's West End on Thursday, November 5, becomes a focal point and reminds people to give wildlife some space.

Made out of marine-grade stainless steel, the sculpture ''literally reflects its environment''.

''I'm hoping it will help people to see themselves as part of the environment and not separate from it.''

Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said Foster's generosity in making the sculpture available to the community on a 10-year loan was ''absolutely incredible''.

''It touches on an area of environment close to his heart and hopefully it will raise some awareness.

''It will be a fantastic addition for people to enjoy, both visitors and locals alike.''

As a contemporary sculptor, Foster draws upon the physical landscape of his home, with his abstract figurative works mirroring the dramatic surroundings of the Kaikōura mountains and sea.

As a surfer, diver and climber, he enjoys interacting with the local environment and has a particular affinity for the seal.

''I hold the seals in high regard, so this was a beautiful representation of this environment for me personally.''

As a trustee of the Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust, Foster hopes to create awareness and inspire a sense of community guardianship in the region.

In a growing community focused on tourism, advocacy and sustainability are critical, Foster said.

Once hunted to near extinction, New Zealand fur seals have recovered from 10,000 individuals to 200,000 since legislation was passed to protect them in 1978.

But numbers are still only five to 10 percent of the historic population numbering two to three million nationwide.

The seals remain threatened by fisheries depletion, bycatch, boat strike, climate change, disease, marine debris and human disturbance.

Their scarcity means seals are misunderstood, Foster said.

"For decades post-fur sealing, seals no longer remained in the region.

''Pre the 1960s, local generations lived in an environment completely devoid of seals.

''So to some their gradual return may seem like a new species has turned up, or they're taking too many fish, when they have always belonged here and used to persist in far greater numbers."

At sites such as Point Kean on the Kaikōura Peninsula, seals are a visitor attraction, with encroachment being a daily occurrence.

While Department of Conservation guidelines require a viewing distance from seals of 20 metres, people are often observed approaching or disturbing seals to take photos.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.