Tag Archives: harbour seal
Newfoundland: A Discussion of the Impact of Seals on Cod Stocks
Those in the industry feel more needs to be done to track the impact seal predation is having on cod stocks in the province. The latest DFO modelling shows 3Ps cod deep in the critical zone, prompting meagre quotas to be cut in half.,, “Most fear if we don’t do anything” Sullivan says, “it’ll be the story of what’s going on with the neighbouring cod stock.” He says scientists working in the Gulf of St. Lawrence noted a few years ago that fishing or no fishing, seals were going to devour all the cod and the species could become extinct. >click to read< 09:10
The facts about pinnipeds
Recent studies estimate the harbour seal population to be 80,000 in Lower Mainland waters. Harbour seals eat 10-18 pounds of food each day. At an average of 15 pounds, they consume 1.2 million pounds a day, or 438 million pounds a year. Add to that: thousands of California sea lions who migrate to the area annually to prey on our salmon runs and who weigh two to three times as much as a harbour seal and likely eat 30-60 pounds a day. Add to that: pinnipeds prefer the guts of fish, often leaving the edible carcass. Add to that: their reproductive rate is in excess of 12 per cent annually. These facts then beg the following questions: Bruce Smith, Halfmoon Bay>click to read<13:48
