Seals effects

[Airon]

Interesting article, perhaps already been posted before
From the Globe and Mail:Seals, sea lions devastating West Coast salmon runs - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/new...+/+etc.&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links

 

[Prfisher]

Thanks for posting the article. Perhaps it will start to change the minds of people who would condemn a cull.
The stats noted in the article are shocking to me. I knew from 50 years of observation that the seal / sea lion populations have increased wildly, but not to the extent quoted.
The Puntlege River example is particularly convincing. The dedicated folks working hard to rehabilitate rivers all over the province are fighting a losing battle if we don't take this matter seriously.

 

[Foxsea]

Along with a cull, encourage more transient killer whales to come in to Georgia Straight to clean up the seals. That would be a whale watching show to sign up for!

 

[Prairie Locked]

Along with a cull, encourage more transient killer whales to come in to Georgia Straight to clean up the seals. That would be a whale watching show to sign up for!

I think the transients are actually onto it. The frequency with which they are being seen from Seymore south is quite consistent. Part of the reason that Adventure Whale Watching no longer departs out of Sayward

 

[Stizzla]

Along with a cull, encourage more transient killer whales to come in to Georgia Straight to clean up the seals. That would be a whale watching show to sign up for!

If experts could train the few female resident orcas to feed on seals, the males and calves would follow. That would help with controlling the seal population, the orca’s lack of food source, and raise the salmon population. That’s money well spent.

 

[Rain City]

If experts could train the few female resident orcas to feed on seals, the males and calves would follow. That would help with controlling the seal population, the orca’s lack of food source, and raise the salmon population. That’s money well spent.

You think after that they could train them to jump over the breakwater in a super slow-mo, epic way (while listening to classic MJ) freeing them from the tyranny of the whale watchers?

 

[Stizzla]

You think after that they could train them to jump over the breakwater in a super slow-mo, epic way (while listening to classic MJ) freeing them from the tyranny of the whale watchers?

Let me know when that happens so I can stand under them with my fist to the sky!

 

[california]

If experts could train the few female resident orcas to feed on seals, the males and calves would follow. That would help with controlling the seal population, the orca’s lack of food source, and raise the salmon population. That’s money well spent.

Hopefully you are just joking, but this whole notion of residents becoming seal eaters comes up often on the forums. For anyone thinking it's serious maybe go read up about the evolution and biology of transient vs resident killer whales.

 

[Che]

 

[Foxsea]

Very interesting research that could be a solution to the seal problem.
Thanks for posting.

 

[barkerfam]

awesome video Che. Love real science!!

 

[california]

Very interesting video. Previous research on the Cowichan also showed that survival rates of naturally spawned smolts were much higher than hatchery smolts. From this video and that data it seems what we have done on the Cowichan and many other rivers is:

1. Channelled and dyked the estuaries to eliminate many of the shallow water rearing areas where smolts can acclimate to the salt water feed and avoid predation
2. Provided convenient haul outs for Seals to live close to the food source through log booms and perhaps breakwaters
3. Produced millions of hatchery smolts that are pushed out in to the estuary in predictable large pulses
4. Raised these smolts in tanks eating all the pellets they want making them less wary of predators and easy pickings for seals

The real answer as always is we as humans have created the problem by our messing with the estuary, and could improve it by removing the dykes and breakwaters, and not providing the nice seal haul outs right there at the mouth. The Cowichan has reduced hatchery smolt out put from 3 million chinook at the peak to about 800,000 now, as well as many other in river habitat improvements and summer water flow access. The result has been a significant increase in the run size, so it can be done, if there is a will and it seems there is much more that could be done from a habitat perspective. And It can be done without scapegoating one species for taking advantage of our destruction of the habitat.

 

[Che]

I'm surpized y'all haven't heard of this study. It is estimating 250'000-400'000 smolts are being eaten by seals per year in the Cowichan estuary alone. Any way you look at it, that has a serious and dramatic impact on returning runs. If only 1:50 of those smolts returned as adults to spawn, that's at least 5000 adult fish in one brood year, on one river. What do you think those kinds of returns would do to a salmon run?

Now it's not just seals that are affecting our salmon stocks. But people cannot deny the affect the seal population is having on Salmon stocks. In order to #Savethewhales we need to #Feedthewhales.

Look at the Vancouver Aquarium's 'marine mamal rescue program.' They get people to see cute cuddly wuddly baby seals abandoned by their salmon gobbling mothers to call in and rescue them, then solicit donations to help support the program and the Aquarium. People willingly chip in, because oh my goodness the seal pups are so damn cute. They know this, and its a cash cow for them. If you question them? My goodness, will there be hell to pay. This is one sacred cow you don't want to tip over.

 

[california]

I'm surpized y'all haven't heard of this study. It is estimating 250'000-400'000 smolts are being eaten by seals per year in the Cowichan estuary alone. Any way you look at it, that has a serious and dramatic impact on returning runs. If only 1:50 of those smolts returned as adults to spawn, that's at least 5000 adult fish in one brood year, on one river. What do you think those kinds of returns would do to a salmon run?

I and many are probably aware of the numbers of smolts eaten (information and the "86%" misinformation quote is on several other threads) , I found the research methods and the potential reasons for the predation interesting . Its too bad you as the poster apparently didn't get by one of the first slides showing how many are estimated to be eaten, and already decided the answer was to kill seals. The researchers are clearly not enamoured with that proposition, and are trying to answer why so long term solutions such as improving the estuary habitat and removing haul out sites could be employed without shooting tens thousands of seals every year, having them wash up on shores and beaches throughout the Strait.

 

[agentaqua]

I agree Che. BUT.... This is one sacred cow we need to discuss openly and honestly w/o being afraid of being villain-ized by the conservation community. They need to address their own ingrained biases - assuming they have the honesty to do that. In any event - We need to maturely and firmly keep on script about the impacts to the wild stocks.

 

[agentaqua]

I and many are probably aware of the numbers of smolts eaten (information and the "86%" misinformation quote is on several other threads) , I found the research methods and the potential reasons for the predation interesting . Its too bad you as the poster apparently didn't get by one of the first slides showing how many are estimated to be eaten, and already decided the answer was to kill seals. The researchers are clearly not enamoured with that proposition, and are trying to answer why so long term solutions such as improving the estuary habitat and removing haul out sites could be employed without shooting tens thousands of seals every year, having them wash up on shores and beaches throughout the Strait.

They sink pretty quickly california - and I don't think anyone is yet advocating for a unplanned and unfocused mass cull- just the problem ones at the choke points...

 

[Che]

Its too bad you as the poster apparently didn't get by one of the first slides showing how many are estimated to be eaten, and already decided the answer was to kill seals.

I says pardon me?

Where am I saying kill seals? You're putting words on the screen here my friend. I don't support the aquarium 'rescuing' seal pups. That doesn't equal killing seals, it means leaving them to die as nature intended.

 

[california]

I says pardon me?

Where am I saying kill seals? You're putting words on the screen here my friend. I don't support the aquarium 'rescuing' seal pups. That doesn't equal killing seals, it means leaving them to die as nature intended.

I do apologize if it wasn't your intent to advocate for a kill. I agree they shouldn't be rescuing a non endangered or threatened species, its just to sell tickets and get donations.

 

[Che]

It is just to sell tickets and donations. Back in the 90s, my sister worked at the Aquarium and clued right in to what their business model is.

Their only goal is to get enough money to continue doing what they're doing. Like all NGO's, they want to be self sustaining and have the ability to grow. And I'm not pooping on the Vancouver Aquarium here, like where else can you take your kids on a rainy november tuesday, but they have keyed in to this emotional connection people have with this and use it to gain donations.

But, the topic of a seal cull however is something that might need to be explored.

 

[Che]

1890 harvest of BC seals, almost 45 thousand,

Fur Seals not harbour seals. Fur Seals look like smaller sea lions.