I made my comments about seals based on what I consider fairly obvious evidence. We started protecting seals and sea lions in 1970, a graph showing the decline of salmon stocks is a mirror image of the explosion of the protected seal population. Our government has closely monitored our salmon spawns, releases, survival rates, ocean conditions and yet despite heroic efforts and investment our salmon stocks declined. Had the oceans warmed to the point where they could no longer support salmon survival, they’d all be gone, everywhere, that hasn’t happened. If habitat destruction was solely to blame entire runs would be extinct. Didn’t happen, barring something catastrophic like a mining disaster etc. DFO closely monitors our catch numbers, has for 40 years now. Yet we were left dumbfounded as to why we kept sending millions and millions of smolts out the tailpipe and only getting thousands back. We know fishermen didn’t take them. That’s a fact. If mother nature was killing them they’d all be dead everywhere that didn’t happen we’ve had good years and bad years I don’t think mother nature in a warming ocean works that way, the oceans can support life or it can’t. We know it can, certain runs are just fine. That wreaks of predation. Our salmon aren’t dying they’re being killed and we know it’s not BC’s fishermen doing it. The solution is starring us right in the face! I know 10-15 years ago fishing up in Campbell River, you dropped your gear out past the lighthouse and immediately you picked up 2-3 seals, they followed you until u fed them your first spring. This happened for years there. I know, small sample size, but my story was very very common on the coast. I’ve been fishing up there for 25 years, I lose 3-5 Springs every year to seals. I’m not alone