A Tasmanian ‘seal influencer’ fined $1,200 for allegedly disturbing local icon Neil the Seal has launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover his hefty penalty.
Jason Howlett, who runs a popular TikTok page dedicated to the 600kg southern elephant seal, claims he was simply observing Neil from a distance when he was slapped with the fine.
Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service issued Howlett with two separate charges, $808 for disturbing wildlife on reserve land and $404 for trespassing on reserve land with restricted access.
“I have nothing but respect for Neil’s boundaries and have educated the general public in doing so,” Howlett said on a GoFundMe page he set up to cover the fine.
“I have never disclosed his location on my TikTok as they are saying I do. I have never tried to make money out of Neil this whole entire time.”
The incident is understood to have occurred on November 30th at a southern Tasmanian beach where Neil had settled.
Howlett filmed the encounter and shared it on his TikTok, which has amassed over 1.1 million followers.
“I have had great pleasure into taking the videos for you all and showing you his journey until the other day when Tasmanian parks and wildlife came to my personal address and issued me with a $1212 infringement notice,” he said.
“[The fine was] for being on reserve land and disturbing wildlife & littering by giving Neil a your beloved Traffic cones to play with to try and keep out of [mischief].”
Parks and Wildlife say they are collaborating with various government agencies, including police and local government, to monitor the seal and human behaviour.
“If people do happen to come across the seal, please do not share its location. People ‘visiting’ this seal creates safety risks for the seal and humans, can cause traffic issues, disrupt nearby residents and affect the seal’s long-term behaviour and survival,” a spokesperson said.
“Anyone who comes across the seal should stay at least 20m away and keep dogs leashed and at least 50m away”.
