Seal populations continue to explode off New England

You know what this means, sharks can't be far behind.

Don't forget the other inevitability of an exploding seal population ... the presence of their notorious predator, the great white shark.

Time to start hunting them. If you close your eyes, you'll think you're eating chicken.

i think that, as usual, the environmentalists are willing to interfere with nature when it suites them. somehow, environmentalists have come to the warped conclusion that they are here not only to protect nature, but to define it as well. this is obviously dangerous.

with more seals comes more seal predators. The sightings of Great White sharks has increased dramatically as well, and it is only a matter of time before swimmers become imperiled by these creatures. i can only hope their first meal is that of a tasty environmentalist.

jake

How do they taste?

Getting overpopulated just like beavers and coyotes, bring back the trapping. Seal slippers anyone?

As a surf fishing fanatic, I hate the seals because they chase to bait fish away and thus drive the blues and stripers away. If the population is up then there is no reason not to open seal hunting again.

Seals should continue to be protected in my opinion. The problem is overfishing by the fishing industry. People are eating too much fish. To blame seals for a lack of fish is ridiculous. We can survive on other sources of food including a vegetarian diet, they cannot. Seals provide a psychological benefit to people also. To just know that they are increasing in population is a wonderful boost to me.

If people like to have seal poop and stench on the beaches this it is good approach to do nothing. Grey seals are nuisance and a problem for beachgoers and even more for fisherman. There are too many grey seals now and if not controlled there will be more, much more.
Not so happy (with grey seals) fisherman

I love seeing the seals whenever I can. It's great when you see their head pop up, they look around, and then dive back down. I've even seen them in Boston Harbor near the Garden. They aren't hurting anybody so should just be left alone. I

If the seal population increases, the likelihood of of seeing more White sharks increases. I think that will get more attention than the seals eating too much fish.

I think this is not good news, especially for the beach goers in the summertime. Anyone of these environmentalist idiots ever stop to think that this is going to change the make-up of the fish population and introduce vast numbers of Great Whites. It'll be like living off the coast of the Great Barrier reef or the tip of Africa-they should cull 50% of these before it's too late-that's why I'm headed to a Lake this summer-watch-someone will get eaten-Jaws 09.

if there are more than 100,000 of them? uh... killing 10 to 15% of them can't really be that bad, could it? That's a lot of fur, blubber and meat and revenue for the state from the licenses. ok, now you can blast me for being cruel. Did you eat meat today? I didn't.

NOTE TO THE AUTHOR...
SEALS ARE STILL A PEST!!!

they ravage the coastal fisheries off the backside of cape cod. Have you tried to catch a fish off nauset beach, or race point, or Balston beach lately? i doubt it. because there is no point. the seals swim up and down the beaches, looking for fishermen carrying rods and then stalk the area until you catch a fish, or leave. if you are lucky enough to hook into a striped bass or a bluefish, they fish will soon be torn apart or you will lose all of you line to the seals. also, there have been times when you will only reel back a head of a fish. fun times.

but they are sooo cute aren't they???

Doesn't an exploding seal population mean an eventual increase in the shark (great white) population? Aren't seals the favorite meal of great whites? My first reaction to the news of an exploding seal population was to think that sooner or later an increase in the seal population will mean a corresponding increase in the predators which feed upon them. "Not that there's anything wrong with that" as they say, but still something to consider.

Too many sharks have been killed off!!! SHARKS EAT SEALS!!!
Ecology 101 and they refuse to see it.
The ballance of the ocean is all messed up, are we surprised? You know who is eating too much fish? HUMANS!!!
I"m sick of the lack of common sense with this subject.
But hey...keep killing those big apex predators for sport....it's obviously not chaning anything in the ocean....

I think there should be a hunting season.
The Seals are killing the Striped Bass population.
Stripers bring more money into the state (if that is your reasoning) than Seals.
Nature has checks and balances.
The Seals need to be balanced / thinned to save the Fish populations.

In all honesty, Seals = Beach Rats in my way of thinking.

see www.benyami.org. Go to FISHING ECOLOGY and look for "Our gentle fishing
partners".

You may also find there a lot of other stuff, which would help you in your future articles. Be well, MB-Y

The over abundance of seals is decimating the amount of fish off of the coast of Canada and America. They target species that are consumed by humans (cod,haddock,bass,etc.) as well as the forage (herrings,makeral,menhadden,etc.) these and many other species depend upon. Perhaps when they have exhausted the amount of desirable fish for human consumption we will have to develope a taste for seal meat (probably taste like chicken or perhaps plover) if they don't throw the whole food chain out of whack first.

The seals on Cape Cod are becoming a nuisance for fisherman, and there is a risk that they will harm the fishing industry (both commercial and recreational). Fishing is a big industry on the Cape, and it drives a lot of the local revenue. If people become discouraged because seals are attacking fish as they are being caught, then less people will fish. Less fishermen = less revenue for the Cape towns.

On the flip side, the seals have every right to be there, and some of them are federally protected. Nature has it's own way of controlling populations (great white sharks, disease, lack of food). The question for the future is this: What will be the long term effect of a rapidly growing seal population?

We just need some more great white sharks in the area. That would help.

I love to watch the seals in Chatham harbor, and all the way down to Monomoy. But I noticed over the last two years, that the fish have disappeared in Pleasant Bay and that is because the seals are eating them all. Last summer I took my daughter on my little boat to see the 500 or so seals between the mouth of the Harbor and Strong Island, When we went to go out in to the ocean the fog had sealed the inlet, so we fished the rest of the day in Pleasent Bay. We didn't even get a single bite. We saw no fish. I am a pretty good fisherman but the last 4 times fishing the bay we had the same results.. So it seems its time to thin the seal herd,

The seals have decimated the populations of flounder,skates,sculpins,summer flounder on Cape Cod.Pleasant Bay in Eastern Cape Cod the flounder population is nil.

"Exploding seal population" is an understatement.
It's just one more in a series of ecological disasters that we, the New England fisherman/woman are FORCED to deal with.
First it was the overfishing of the *****(Feel free to enter any one of the number of species that have declined over the past 20+ years)
Then it was the influx of cormorants to inland waters, which is a whole different problem in itself.
Now it's the seals. When will this idiocy end? I understand the need for protection of the creatures that make up our particular ecosystem, but to neglect our on rights in the process is rediculous. I guess the "powers that be" won't be truly happy until the next population growth in our coastal waters turns out to be the great white shark, here because of the seals they feed on.
Maybe after a few (hundred) swimmers are attacked they will actually do something that should have been done a long time ago: control the seal population growth!

More seals = Sharks. Big ones. We're gonna need a bigger boat.

Isn't it ironic that NOAA has no number on just "how many seals there are in New England", when they profess to know how many of any commercially viable species of fish are available and what commercial fishings' impact is on those species. I think this speaks for their agenda.

I worked and volunteered for several years at the New England Aquarium, and became a huge fan of the Aquarium's resident harbor seals. They are interesting, clever animals, and they play an important role in marine ecosystems. All seal species should certainly should be afforded adequate protection, respect and space. It is a good point that more research is needed to find out exactly why and how the populations are growing; it would be terrible to lift protective legislation before we can be certain that populations can remain healthy and stable. As with any wild animal population, well funded research, good management and stewardship, and a commitment to finding solutions for co-existing animal and human populations are absolutley necessary!

We're seeing many more than usual down here in Narragansett Bay. The population needs to be controlled but as long as they are protected that won't happen - especially now because people are earning a living off them by running seal watching tours. It is a mistake to let someone earn a living giving tours because they won't stand for population control. Seals have no known natural predators in our area and they are having an adverse impact on fisheries - both lobster and finfish. Our only hope is that some sort of virus infects the poplulation to control their numbers naturally.

I suppose they are like deer, raccoons, coyotes, .etc.. If the populations get too large I would guess we would have to manage them.

I chase fish alongside them in the Merrimack. So far they haven't had a major impact, but a further increase in the population certainly would.

Hey Beth -
Thanks for the seal information. As you know, many marine mammal species are efficient predators on fish species that are important to commercial and recreational fishermen (or to the prey species they depend upon), and as their populations increase, their predation is going to become increasingly important in holding back the "recovery" of those fisheries.
I thought it important to let your readers know that this wasn't just an issue with seals. Whale and dolphin predation is an increasing concern as well, as most of their populations are also increasing.
While I'm not suggesting that anything be done to slow the growth of these marine mammal populations, their impacts on the fish stocks should definitely be taken into consideration when fishery management plans are being written, and most importantly, when blame is apportioned for there not being enough fish. I think that's particularly important in New England
Nils Stolpe
FishNet USA

Yes their protection should continue. In my view,all animals should be protected ..always..... This is not our planet alone, it is theirs too.

What do Ithink? Hmmm, I think that we need to get a few more killer whales and great whites in the area to thin the herd. It would certainly liven things up at the beaches, eh?

Seriously though, seals are too plentiful in some areas. In Nantucket Sound they stael the fish right out of the fishermens traps in the spring. In the fall they are in the harbors chasing the bait and displacing the blues and bass who are the normal predators there at the time.

Time to rewrite the regs that protect them
I think we have too many seals and the regulations protecting them should be revisited

The seal population off Cape Cod has run amok. There are far too many "cute" seals and far too few predators. More than some fishermen say the animals are eating too many fish. These seals, unchecked, are eating far too many local fish and driving away much of the economic reason for thousands of anglers and their families to vacation on Cape Cod. Of course this won't be a problem 'til the Smiths from the New States no longer come to Cape Cod because these cute seals scared the bleep out of little Sally while on the beach. Paraphrasing Mayor Vaughn "But, as you see, it’s a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Seals, as you know, means "Cute""

If any of you tree huggers think the seal population is not a problem and that overfishing is causing a decline in the amounts of fish around the Cape then you best go look at the facts by standing on any outer Cape beach and see what the seals are doing to the fish populations out there yourself. Man has unfortunately again stuck his hand into something which they don't fully grasp. By protecting these animals it is reducing the amount of bait, also smaller spawning class fish including stripers and bluefish, it's bringing in larger predators not normally seen in levels we have seen since they started protecting them. They come here because of the amount of food! The problem is going to get worse and worse!

Anne,

"Seals provide a psychological benefit to people also"........yes they are a great food and blubber source for Native North American people. Other than that they are just big Sea Slugs.

And yes I belong to PETA....People eating Tasty Animals.

We control Deer, Coyotes, and other predators to keep them in more manageable....and healthy numbers. This same reasoning is why we should treat the seal population the same.....They were protected for the reason that their numbers were suffering....that is no longer the case and they need to have the protectve status removed and their numbers controlled.

The number of seals on the outer cape right now is insane. As many have noted, we messed things up by killing virtually all of them, and now have overcompensated by letting them breed like lemmings until they've overrun everything. Their populations need to be managed back down to more reasonable levels as quickly as possible, before there are no fish left and great whites start whacking people.

Sorry, but overfishing by man did not wipe out the flounder and other fish in Pleasant Bay, the seals did and that's a fact. I like to preserve the enviroment just as much as the next guy but when we as humans interfere and give the seals free reign, they take full advantage. Their numbers around the Cape are way too high in my opinion, They never leave for the summer since they have no enemies and are protected. It's bad enough the bird people want fishermen off the beach, the seals ruin the fishing most times as well. BRING BACK THE BOUNTY!

Time to call our Aussie allies and bring in some Great Whites! www.rentashark.com

too many people are forgetting that the natural world belongs to the animals. Man is the one who always interferes and upsets the balance. Fishermen should find a different line of work if they do not like the present situation. They over fished for too long and now the balance needs time to restore itself. I say leave the seals in peace and send the fishermen, ametuer and professional packing. The sea and its beauty should be around always and if that means removing fish from the diet so be it. There is no need for hunting and killing wildlife. If that is how some people lneed to amuse themselves then they must be very disturbed individuals.

Time to put a bag limit on them. Just like Deer.

"To just know that they are increasing in population is a wonderful boost to me.”
What a weird and distorted sense of appreciation.

I don't see the problem. Get a bunch of beach balls and start playing with them.

Interesting how things managed to be OK and took care of themselves before people were around to complain about them. Seals came and ate all the fish, then the sharks came and ate all the seals, and then the sharks went looking somewhere else because the seals were less plentiful, and eventually the fish came back, and then the seals came back and the cycle continued for a few thousand years or so and then people showed up and killed all the seals because they liked the look of their skins, and then someone saw it on the news and got sad at the sight of the big puppy eyes and the blood, and here we are in 2009 and we think there are just too darn many seals and my beach smells like seal poop.
Now WE'RE complaining because WE think things should work differently than they have for the last gazillion years because we have our precious McMansions by the water and we want to go catch fish and the seals are stealing them off our hooks and....wait a minute...is that a Great White shark in the water????

911 operator: "911. What is your emergency?"
Caller: "Ahhh. They just spotted a huge shark off of the beach here."
911 operator: "OK ma'am. Where are you located?"
Caller: "Ahhh. We were down by the jetty, but we had to move because there were too many seals and it smelled like seal poop. There are way too many seals... you know?"
911 operator: "(Laughs) OK ma'am we'll call the harbormaster."
Caller: "Ahhh. OK.....There are way too many sharks...you know? I mean...I paid a fortune for parking here and we had to walk like...10 miles... to find a spot where there weren't any seals and now there's too many sharks? I mean... can't there be something done about this? I pay taxes, you know? Oh and these seagulls. I mean...they're nasty...there's just too many of them. They actually stole a french fry from my son and he was crying and...by the way, can you do something about the snack bar here? I had to stand in line with like 100 people...there's too many people here...you know?...and it's too hot...I hate this beach now."
911 operator: "Ahhh OK ma'am, we've called the harbormaster...anything else?"
Caller: " Ummm. No. I actually have to run. I have to go pick up one of those cute little seal stuffed animals for my daughter. They're adorable."

The seals and the sharks would laugh their .... off if they knew how nuts people are.

The seals have increase exponentially to such a degree that close in-shore and near shore fishing is being decimated. Both recreational and commercial in-shore fishermen have suffered greatly from the unfettered population explosion of seals. Hundreds, if not a thousand or more can be seen sunning themselves on certain Massachusetts beaches, such as Monomoy Island. It is at the point that we need protection from the seals.

The explosion of the seal population is getting serious to our ecology! They are eating our game and food fish and cleaning out the supply real fast. There are fewer flounder and groundfish than 10 years ago and they are also attacking the bass population. They are poluting the area they live with their waste. The waste drops to the ocean floor and the groundfish eat it. Consequently we are finding fish loaded with worms and diseased.
The seal is the favorite food of the Great awhite shark - wait til we get a human attacked. They will not be so cute when that happens, and it will!

With more seals comes more seal problems, i.e. sharks, dung covered beaches. When will the killer whales appear? They need thinned before the bigger predators show up to your beach party. I will not swim, fish or enjoy the beach with the "cute little seals" and their plague of problems. My vacation plans will be going inland in the future where i don't ever have to worry about personal safety, thank you very much.

Are we sure this isn't just because of the explosive growth of seals due to global warming? How could anyone put their life/livelihood above that of the seals? We should respect the seals, learn to love them and respect them. Why do people have to fish? Why do people have to live and "play' on cape cod? Why can't they move to south boston and help bring our fair city back to where it needs to be instead of complaining about seals?

The cute kitten fish are getting eaten cute seals ,,, Why ???

The seals have wiped out a great fishery in Pleasant Bay and along the backside beaches. The population needs to be regulated. There already exists a White shark population off of Chatham but in order for these predators to make any dent in the population their numbers would need to be much, much higher. It is ashame to see a Cape pastime (fishing) ruined by these animals.

Remeber the good ole' days of the seal hunts out there? How I long for yesteruear to return.

We'll see how great they are when the great whites figure out where they are. Don't think anybody will bring their kids to the beaches any more when that happens. Seals are like the seagulls of the ocean. I can't believe somebody would write something like this.
How about I put a family of pit bulls on your lawn and you tell me how "beneficial" they are for your grass????

I cannot believe what I am reading. With shark populations declining worldwide by more than 80%, you people are complaining about the abundance in seals attracting and sustaining more sharks?

Usually people make the excuse that a species has no predators and so must be culled. It is obvious from this article that there is no shortage of predators for these seals. Leave nature alone, people.

That water does not belong to humans nor does the fish or the beaches. We share this earth with other species. Get over it.

The impact of the population growth of seals to our waters cause many problems. The outer beaches of Cape Cod are being ravaged by these creatures. The local fisherman are feeling in there wallet, and the recreation fisherman are comlplaining that they cant compete with the seals. I dont think we will be invaided by White Sharks like some people are stating. But what will happen is these cute little buggers will start washing up on beaches beacause they starved to death or infested with disease. It is leagal to harvest them in Canada. The problem is there is little market to support the hunters. Perhaps we can rename Cape Cod to Cape Seal.

What is the appropriate seal / sea lion population? Should it be the number that would be there if there were no humans? Should we kill everything that we cant prove has direct benefit to humans? Do animals with intelligence / personality deserve a break?

I dont know the answers.

No one has mentioned the impact the seals have had on local businesses around the Cape. People aren't willing to drive all the way out to Nauset, Truro, and P-town anymore because the fishing is so poor. As a result local businesses like breakfast joints and motels are taking a hit. I don't know anyone who buys a beach sticker anymore because it just isn't worth it to spend that kind of money only to reel in half a fish.

Thanks to Anonymous #44...Nature never needed to be managed before OUR population exploded. So who manages the human population? We're the only ones causing damage to this planet that it may not be able to recover from. Let the seals bask, let the sharks eat.

BTW, since when are 100,000 seals a great number? Look at the almost 7 BILLION humans out there and you know exactly why we have problems. And my advise to those pesky complaining fishermen: You have done so much damage to our oceans in your greed, and you keep on doing it. Get a real job where you don't destroy whole ecosystems just to make a buck.

They should no longer be protected...it's obvious they no longer are in danger. Mankind has screwed up the circle of life by protecting species for too long (take the beaver trapping ban for example...it was put into effect until the dams started flooding suburban home development and then they were killed like rats instead of trapped in a controlled fashion).
It's the fish that are in danger right now. Something that really belongs in your article is that seals eat 5-8% of their body weight per day, so 10 thousand seals will eat 350 *thousand* pounds of fish *PER DAY* :
http://travel.blogdig.net/archives/articles/December2008 16/How_many_pounds_of_fish_does_a_seal_per_day_.html

Your article says there are 100000 seals so that would be 10 times that number...

Are these comments for real??? Seals are a sign of a healthy ecosystem as are sharks. Culling seals makes no sense, let nature cull them. If they're really overpopulated then they'll die from a lack of habitat space or food resources. We don't need to butt in. What we

For those who are saying that we need to let nature take its course should remember that We, Man, Are also a natural predator of this planet. So by passing laws to protect a species from us you are interfering with our natural rights to compete for the same food source.

Nobody is condoning wiping out an entire species.....but they do need to be regulated so that we can successfully co-exist with them.

56,57,58
Maybe none of you understand just how important commercial and recreational fishing is to the local economy. Not to mention tourism, all of which could potentially be desimated by a furthur increase of this species. I'd venture to guess that all of you would complain plenty if the economy took an even deeper dive....
Species, especially in the marine environment, need to be properly managed to ensure that ecosystems remain at balanced levels. Period.

YOU ARE NATURE!
Just because a person chooses not to take part in the natural cycle of life on the planet, and rely on someone else to grow, harvest and kill their food for them and package it up in nice neat packages on store shelves, doesn't mean they aren't still just a filthy stinking animal too. Let the fisherman eat the seals, then at least someone will probably take a viable interest in them. Otherwise they're a nuisance to most and a benefit to few. A seal has no more right to the beach than I do. But I have no more right to a poop free beach than a seal has a right to poop there. A seal has a right to eat me, I should have a right to eat the seal too!

Seals eat 6-8% of their body weight in fish *per day* and they average 500 lbs for adults. You can do a quick Google to find cites on this.
This means that 10000 seals will each 35000 pounds of fish *per day* and we've hunted their predators so much that seals are overpopulated. I hope someone remembers what happened when we banned beaver trapping. Their population grew so large that suburban housing developments were flooded. The same people that wanted them saved ended up getting them declared rodents and killed mercilessly...funny how cute because pestilence when there are so many of them...

The fact that the seals have come into human range proves that they are moving away from critical overpopulation elsewhere. Not to control their population is to condemn them to the "state of nature"--starvation, malnutrition, and infections caused by changing food species will balance them in ways you may not want to see. It's a natural environment, but it's not what I think of as environmentalism.

For those of you too young to have seen one, their pelts make a lovely coat.

i think seals are already a problem. they eat alot! what will an increased, uncontrolled population do to an already overburdened fishery?say goodbye to a marine success story, the striped bass,cod (which already shows an increase in parasites from seal excrement!)and any other species they can catch! they are,and should be seen as a threat to local marine ecology! thank you!

seals eat 15% of thier body weight a day that is alot of fish,lobster.We eat cows why not seals?

I also agree that the seals need to be culled. I have a friend who lives by Nauset Harbor. This was the first summer since 1964 that he was not able to catch one bluefish or striper from the outer beaches. Also, another friend who lives on Nauset Marsh did not catch one striper in the marsh for the first time since the early 90's. Fishing in Pleasant Bay is now almost non existent.

I appreciate nature but because there is no natural balance due to the lack of predators, man will have to step in just as he does to protect the plovers.

Here's an idea. If we're predators too, then why don't we truly predate on anything that competes for the same food source? I'm at the supermarket and the guy in front of me is racing me to grab the last filet mignon off the rack and I'm really jonesing for a nice steak. Why don't I just whack him and take the steak? Or maybe I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and let him "co-exist" with me and just crush his knee caps so he can't walk out with my steak. He gets to breathe for another day and I get to have my dinner. On second thought, he might be around the next time I'm in there and I really need to keep things in my favor. If this guy keeps going for my steak, something must be out of balance and I'm the expert and I decide what's balanced. Hey, I'm a predator after all and he's going for my filet. No problem. I'm going to try that and I'll let you know how it works out.

Humans are a virus. You don't eat whales, even though a couple of species are no longer endangered, do you? You don't eat eagles, do you? This is why we need to control and suppress our fellow species, otherwise mayhem would break lose.

#56
Send a bunch of people out swimming off the south tip of North beach and it will just be a matter of time before nature 'manages' them!:)
#57 A little bitter are we? Did a fisherman kill your dog or something?
I bet what you do for a living has some negative impact on something.
I agree that some forms of commercial fishing are damaging to the environment and not all fisherman are honest or play by the rules but most are hard working, honest fellow citizens that are feeding people just like farmers. shopping at Walmart hurts our environment too!As does driving your car! Ect. Show respect!

Honestly, what is WRONG with some of you people?

To the recreational fisherman:

I have zero sympathy. Your fishing is a pastime and not for survival. Just because you're not getting any bites where you did last year in front of your summer home doesn't mean it's time to start clubbing seals.

To the commercial fisherman:

You're miles offshore where seal populations don't even factor into your haul.

To those concerned about the local Cape economy:

Not all people vacation on the Cape just for the fishing. It's absolutely no reason to blame the seals. If anything, the seals have and will boost tourism.

To the nuts that think seals and seagulls are a nuisance:

Two words: swimming pool. The beach is nature. It's not a themepark or your fenced in backyard. If you don't like the natural environment then may I suggest a summer vacation at WaterCountry?

To those worried about sharks:

Don't get me started on the statistical improbabilities of a shark attack. Shark populations have declined over 80% due to human actions. 80%!!! If the seal population can help to restore the shark population and thus the natural balance of the marine ecosystem, the fishing industry, and the local economy, will benefit tremendously. The presence of an apex predator is indicative of a healthy ecosystem.

Finally, to those who think humans must "control" nature:

Really?

It sounds like we are at the cross roads! The question now becomes: Do we kill the seals and waste the products (cull) or harvest them and use the products (commercialize)? The first gives no value to the resource (poor animal welfare), the second ensures that the resource has value (good animal welfare) and thus is respected, while being utilized for net ecosystem and economic benefit!

Check out www.sealsandsealing.net for more information.

I love to watch seals. I love to eat seals. They taste delicious and provide some of the most nutritious meat you can find.

"Saving" one species without acknowledging that species' role in the broader eco-system creates longer lasting damage than any hunting and ultimately puts the welfare of the romanticized animal in jeopardy.

Remember what Dave Barry said: "Nature is anything you'd kill if it got into your house."

Or in more dignified words, "The entire history of civilization is but a chronicle of man's struggle against nature."

For those doing calculations about the amount of fish consumed by seals, remember that seals do not generally swallow fish whole, but rather, take a bite out of a fish which is trying very hard to escape. So if a seal is consuming x pounds of fish a day, it is likely to be killing 2x pounds of live fish.

Or, in more dignified words, "The entire history of civilization is but a chronicle of man's struggle against nature."

71,

From the statments the you made above it is clear that you know NOTHING about commercial or recreational fishing.

Many people reject the idea that humans can help to return an ecosystem to balance. With the use of scientific information from scientists and biologists, however, we can help nature to balance the ecosystem (through hunting) before seals suffer far more painful deaths through starvation and disease.

Here in Maine, we are beginning to see grey seals during the summer. The population in Canada is exploding - I heard at a conference two years ago that there were 60,000 pups born on Sable Island in one year. Part of the Cod worm's life cycle is in the gut of a grey seal, so beside eating them, they are destroying the marketability of Cod. The average daily food requirement of a grey seal is 11 pounds a day.

The harbor seal population is so dense in Casco Bay, the regularly break into our lobster traps to grab a snack. They love bait, and especially soft shelled lobster.

Currently, data suggesting that the “boom” in seal populations is causing a decline in fish stocks does not exist. Although anecdotal accounts are numerous, scientific evidence should demonstrate this correlation before governmental policies are changed and seal culls are reinstated. The argument that a seal cull should be reinstated as a means for generating revenue is weak. Seal culls were created to provide sustenance for fisherman in eastern Canada after the fish stocks were nearly decimated, however, the seal hunt has not been profitable. International bans and protests have driven down the price of seal pelts, providing hunters with approximately $1,000 CAN a year (far from a living wage). The idea of using seals as an alternative source of nutrition is equally unsupported as seal meat is often contaminated with fat soluble toxins that accumulate in the food chain and biomagnify. Studies have correlated incidence of cancer in seal eating communities with toxins found in seal blubber. Additionally, Canadian studies also suggest that current seal hunting practices are inhumane. A recent study claimed that 42% of seals that had been clubbed and skinned were still conscious when skinned. Finally, for those you suffering with galeophobia, there have only been 63 fatal Great White shark attacks world wide in the past 131 year.

I think I'm begining to see the point lets not interfere with nature what gives us the right to kill other creatures. Shouldn't we all just co-exist? I'm sick of humans interfering with the natural course of nature. So I say it's time for someone to stand up for the other living creatures that can't stand up for themselves! Lets start with those that are not considered as cute as seals................ I say lets stand up for bacteria...no more antibiotics. Who's with me? Humans are part of nature just as much as the bacteria and viruses yet we went and interfered and now look whats happened overpopulation. I think everything in moderation, thin the heard.

Seals are growing in numbers all around New England and surely once the sharks realize it they will follow. The problem with that is, the sharks will not only get the seals but more than likely they will have run ins with swimmers and fisherman. When that happens the pro seal people will want the sharks killed and they will claim the seals have nothing to do with the shark problem. An over population of seals will cause problems within the herd(?) due to disease starvation and other factors. You can see this now with the deer population. The deer have become over populated in some areas due to many things including human activity. But when you bring back coyotes to help thin the herd people get all upset about having a coyote around which might hurt someone or thing. Wake up, everything has is place in this world but population control what ever form it takes need to be done for the good of all.

78,

Been fishing recreationally off Chatham every summer for 25 years. Haven't been shutout yet, even with the seals, so, I wouldn't go so far as to say I know "nothing".

The seal population on Cape Cod is totally out of control. They are consuming over 100,000,000 lbs. of fish per year and they do not discriminate. They are also exhibiting learned behavior by following fishermen up the beach so they can take their catch right off the hook!
It is well past time for implementation of a plan to manage these pests. A well-planned hunt could help to control the seal population and restore the balance of nature to the level at which it belongs. If nothing is done, the future of our fisheries is bleak.

I was so surprised that people make so much noise and fuss over a beach that was once belonged to nature. They are here long before the first European set foot in the Western Hemisphere. We, human beings, have over-populated the entire planet and we do not want to share with other living animals and organisms. It is a shame. In this case, why not cull the human population? Sound ridiculous and cruel and yet we often do it to another living animals....sigh. Move out of the place and live in a closer community and don't take the whole beach. It is just my two-cent worth.

Overfishing combined with the increased seal population is the reason for the depeleted fishing stocks, But it is mainly overfishing...some of us are just too arrogant to admit it. We are the most wasteful critters on the planet. Maybe we need to thin our herd