Exploitation and extinction Japanese sea lion

sea lion (right) , fur seal, wakan sansai zue (around 1712)

many bones of japanese sea lion have been excavated shell middens jōmon period in japan while 18th-century encyclopedia, wakan sansai zue, describes meat not tasty , used render oil oil lamps. valuable oil extracted skin, internal organs used make expensive oriental medicine, , whiskers , leather used pipe cleaners , leather goods, respectively. @ turn of 20th century, captured use in circuses.

harvest records japanese commercial fishermen in 1900s show many 3,200 sea lions harvested @ turn of century, , overhunting caused harvest numbers fall drastically 300 sea lions 1915 , few dozen sea lions 1930s. japanese commercial harvest of japanese sea lions ended in 1940s when species became virtually extinct. in total, japanese trawlers harvested many 16,500 sea lions, enough cause extinction. submarine warfare during world war ii believed have contributed habitat destruction. recent sightings of z. japonicus 1970s, last confirmed record being juvenile specimen captured in 1974 off coast of rebun island, northern hokkaido.there few unconfirmed sightings in 1983 , 1985. last credible documentation made in 1951 on liancourt rocks reporting 50 60 animals. in case, 1 of recent marine mammal extinctions occur, alongside caribbean monk seal went extinct @ around same time.