With an estimated population of some 80K in the Gulf of Georgia waters, I think that when this harvesting program gets started that the long range plan is to selectively harvest many thousands of Seals and Sea Lions with the aim of bringing these out of control populations under control. This proposed harvesting program will be scientifically based and professionally managed.
The PBPS Group is on track to forever change our fishery for the better.
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wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Yeah I have no doubts First Nations will he able to harvest a bunch so should they choose too. I also have no doubt that their will be a removal in freshwater systems and at mouths of rivers.
I don't see a full scale harvest by the white man happening tho.
Like one of the Members of Parliament said, It's clear that seals need to be removed but what does the public on the west coast want?
I don't see a full scale harvest by the white man happening tho.
Like one of the Members of Parliament said, It's clear that seals need to be removed but what does the public on the west coast want?
california
Well-Known Member
Irrespective if what the public wants, which is unlikely to be large scale removals as it will negatively impact Biggs whales, the bigger issue is what are they going to do with large numbers of animals? If they take some small scale removals at river mouths they might be able to sell some pelts at high prices to interested fishermen, basically making a donation. Maybe some native elders will eat some of the meat if it doesnt test too toxic. But otherwise the market for seal products is flooded, most of the industrialized world doesnt allow their sale, and Asia has not shown any interest in eating the meat. There are plenty of pelts from the east coast, Greenland, the arctic and other indigenous harvests, and if the price ever got better lots of unused quota to supply more.
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Derby
Crew Member
what is correct number of re-movables so that we have a balance for salmon & whales alike? I'm not against a management program that is controlled and a balance is struck....
I know that Ken Pearce and his group have done a lot of research on the marketing of the seal products and they have processing plants and a distribution network already set up to process and distribute the seal products etc. This by any business standards is going to be a huge and complicated undertaking. The bulk of the harvesting is going to be done by FN and there are now over 100 FN Fraser River and Coastal Bands and counting in the PBPS group. The scale of this undertaking is going to surprise a lot of the armchair quarterbacks. It is all about saving our Salmon Fishery for future generations and it is going to happen.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
No doubt what Ken has done is nothing short of miraculous. It is a perfect example of what one person, making one phone call can do. I know from talking to him in person that he does have help behind the scenes from scientists like Brian Riddell and Andrew Trites. I think many of the "armchair quarterbacks" are already surprised at the progress.
Also tho from talking to individuals in DFO, First Nations on the Fraser River have been allowed to harvest seals, just none of them applied for permits when pushed by DFO to do so. The preferred method by FN's on the Fraser has been to just shoot seals when they approach their gillnets. DFO does not press charges against First Nations that kill seals in this manor. Once they did however put out a notice about firearm safety because bullets being fired at seals were bouncing off the water towards recreational fishermen on the banks. I also know that DFO on the fraser has been called out to euthanize seals that were bleeding to death on rocks after being shot at. This was before the days when everyone carried a phone in their pocket.
As California mention this will all depend on how much the seal is worth at the end of the day. If they can manage to get a 100 bucks for a seal I bet will see a decent FN harvest, If seals are relatively worthless I can't see FN going out of their way and taking all the political flack for worthless seals.
here is hoping for a surprise
All the off the grid bopping off of seals over the years has not even made a small dent in the exploding seal populations. This is an uncontrolled crisis of monumental proportions that has been allowed to grow unchecked by the DFO. Roy Jones Jr., Chief of the Haida Nation, has been fighting the DFO on this issue for the past 30 years and has not gotten to first base. One or two people does not an army make but there is now a ground swell of hundreds of concerned folks that are now coming out of the shadows to support this long overdo movement.
Fishmyster
Well-Known Member
If the seals only knew what was going on beyond the waterline!!!
You could say the same thing about the turkeys, chickens, beef, lamb, pigs etc that are slaughtered every single day and yet nobody says boo about them? Ever visited a slaughter house? What is so special about a seal or sea lion being put down that is destroying our fishery? Why should they receive any special protection?
Fishmyster
Well-Known Member
You got me wrong. If seal hunting was allowed GOS I would go above and beyond the call of duty to get my share!!
I asked Ken Pearce for a breakdown on the value of each seal harvested and here is what he came back with: 1. Oil from Seals: Highest Omega 3 fatty acid in the world. Selling for $75.00 a gallon about 2.5 gallons per 40 pound seal = about $187.00 a seal.
2. Pelts.....In prime condition in the Fall and Winter...$75.00 to over $500.00 or an average of about $200.00 per pelt.
3. Meat from seals when approved by CFIA. Toxicity tests are being conducted as we speak. ..$5.00 per pound times average of 40 pounds of meat per seal = $200.00 per seal.
4.Guts and bones:...$1.00 a pound for crab and prawn bait......Average of $20.00 pounds per seal or $20.00 per seal.
Therefore the total value of a seal in today's market for a 40 pound seal = about $600.00
California Sea Lions average about 500 pounds and Steller Sea Lions average about 1500 pounds so when you do the math on the value of these animals the value of each animal is substantial.
2. Pelts.....In prime condition in the Fall and Winter...$75.00 to over $500.00 or an average of about $200.00 per pelt.
3. Meat from seals when approved by CFIA. Toxicity tests are being conducted as we speak. ..$5.00 per pound times average of 40 pounds of meat per seal = $200.00 per seal.
4.Guts and bones:...$1.00 a pound for crab and prawn bait......Average of $20.00 pounds per seal or $20.00 per seal.
Therefore the total value of a seal in today's market for a 40 pound seal = about $600.00
California Sea Lions average about 500 pounds and Steller Sea Lions average about 1500 pounds so when you do the math on the value of these animals the value of each animal is substantial.
SpringFever552
Well-Known Member
That will be a secret...dont want the protesters at the front gates.
I'll be surprised if this goes full out commercial harvest..$600 per seal??..nuts
If it turns out at the end of the day that seals have zero market value and who knows at this stage of the game, what the actual market value of a seal is going to be? Are you than suggesting that this mission be abandoned and we save the seals rather than save the Salmon? If that turns out to be the case than how should we go about trying to solve this problem or do just let our Salmon Fishery slowly disappear? There are no easy answers, but, doing nothing to try and solve this problem, which has been the MO of the DFO for the past 40 years doesn't seem to be working? You have to wonder why the DFO has not addressed this problem long before now and I am not too sure, even today, what the DFO's position is on this issue?
california
Well-Known Member
What absolute made up nonsense. East coast sealers get about $30 per pelt, IF they are in pristine condition (ie no bullet holes which is why they club them on the ice). There is almost no market for the meat, the small market is for flippers (flipper pie) and a few restaurants in montreal and other places on the east cost that serve some specialty dishes and they ONLY use the loin of young seals. and from a tiny proportion of the seals killed. The rest of the meat is not used, it goes to reduction, is left on the ice, or landfills. Omega 3s are not cheap to extract, and are plentiful from other sources such as bait fish. Guts and bones at $1 per lb, give me a break, by-products are plentiful from the beef, pork and poultry industry for pennies per pound.
California this is good information. I know that the PBPS group are looking at marketing the seal products in the Asian market rather than the Canadian market. Give Ken Pearce a call at 1-604-839-7756 or email him at kpearce1@telus.net and he will be glad to share their marketing plans with you.
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