The Tasmanian government has released a management plan for Neil the Seal, setting out how authorities will protect him and the public when he comes ashore in southern Tasmania.
It comes as the government also moves to trademark the name ‘Neil the Seal’ after recent cases of fraudulent ‘Neil the Seal’ merchandise being sold online.
Neil is a male southern elephant seal born in southern Tasmania in October 2020 who returns twice a year to rest and moult.
Alongside the plan, an Interim Protection Order made under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 now requires people to stay at least 30m from southern elephant seals hauling out along southern Tasmania’s coast.
The order also requires dogs to be kept under control and away from seals, restricts parking close to them and sets separation distances for vessels and drones.
Environment minister Guy Barnett said Neil had become “a much-loved Tasmanian icon”.
“We know Tasmanians love Neil and enjoy following his adventures, but Neil is a threatened species and wild animal, so it is important we all do our part to keep him safe,” he said.
“Neil is a large, wild animal and as his behaviour changes it is even more important people keep their distance.”
According to the plan, prepared by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, leaving Neil undisturbed and managing the site around him is the preferred approach.
If risks increase, options escalate to fencing, road closures and “hazing”, which uses deterrents to make him move.
Enrichment objects designed to draw his attention away from cars and infrastructure may also be used and the department has commissioned a custom-made device after earlier ones failed to hold his interest.
Relocation, used in 2023 when Neil was sedated and moved from Kingston Beach, would now be considered only in “exceptional circumstances” because of his size, the plan says.
The document lists H5 bird flu, first detected in Tasmania in August, as a risk to resident elephant seals and notes no vaccine is approved for them in Australia.
Brand Tasmania has also applied to trademark “Neil the Seal”, with the plan citing evidence of individuals and businesses seeking to “commercially exploit his name and identity”.
The application, lodged with IP Australia on July 2, is still being examined and covers goods ranging from clothing, toys and stationery to chocolate, ice cream, beer, wine and gin.
Existing laws only restrict unlicensed commercial photography on reserved land, which the plan says does not cover every way Neil could be exploited.
A stewardship framework developed by Brand Tasmania would set principles for commercial use of his name, including alignment with animal welfare, conservation messaging and the Tasmanian brand.
The plan says the aim is “not to prevent Tasmanians and others from celebrating Neil” and a local artist producing a small run of prints need not be treated the same way as a major corporation developing a national product.
Registration would also give the state a clearer basis for licensing approved uses and taking action against unauthorised ones, the document says.
Barnett said the best thing people could do was “give Neil space, follow signage and directions from authorities, keep dogs under control and enjoy observing him from a safe distance”.
The plan may also guide the management of other resident elephant seals in Tasmania.
