Quantifying impacts of harbor seal Phoca vitulina predation on juvenile Coho

[IronNoggin]

Study released 14 Feb 2024


https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley....002/mcf2.10271

Conclusion

Marine mammal predation on juvenile Coho Salmon is potentially a very important factor limiting survival and recovery of Coho Salmon in the Strait of Georgia

[HappyJack]

Another wasted pile of money on a useless study, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to figure out that massive increases in predators negatively effects the prey populations. Same goes for ungulates as fish....

[ratherbefishin]

Another wasted pile of TAXPAYERS money on a useless study..When you increase preditors by 7000 % it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out they are going to eat..

[Livewire322]

I have no issue with my tax dollars going to studies, so long as they are actually used to inform management decisions… you know, that science/evidence based decision making that we all look for from our elected overlords.

[spreerider]

the problem is they will just listen to special interest groups and their "studies" instead because seals are cute and decades of anti seal hunting propaganda.

[ratherbefishin]

Correct…it’s ‘science based’ as long as it’s politically correct NOT just ‘science’

[IronNoggin]

Correct…it’s ‘science based’ as long as it’s politically correct NOT just ‘science’

Correct.

As a retired marine biologist, I did find their study model to be OK.
As a sitting Board Member of the Pacific Balance Pinniped Society, I also found it to be very relevant to what we are seeing off our West Coast.

While I do hear what some are saying about yet another study, the more of this ilk we drive down the throats of government, the greater the chances that something might eventually be done to address the problems.

To that end myself and our Director went to Ottawa this past fall to sit down with the Standing Commission on Fisheries and Oceans. We received a standing ovation, and were even well supported by the liberals on that Committee. Also we were greatly featured in their findings & recommendations paper. Unfortunately we all understand that until we see a change in this current overly woke government, nothing substantial will happen to correct the mater. On the positive side, it does appear that change is most likely in the wind...

Fingers Crossed...

Cheers,
Matt