The FFAW has launched a petition calling on the federal government to take action to control seal populations that they say are threatening the viability of Newfoundland and Labrador’s inshore fisheries and coastal communities.
A sealer out of Fleur De Lys cut open the bellies of six seals last Friday revealing a heavy content of snow crab. However, DFO says cod—not seals—are the primary predator of crab.
There are about 8-million seals in Atlantic Canadian waters. The FFAW says an adult grey seal can consume about 2-million tonnes of prey each year, up to half of which is cod. Harp seals consume more forage fish such as capelin.
The amount harvested in the small commercial cod and capelin fisheries pales in comparison to the overwhelming volume potentially consumed as prey by seals, according to the union. They say the federal government has done nothing to control seals in the Atlantic and very little to publicly defend the seal hunt.
Brad Rideout, a seal harvester and processor, is challenging DFO to a documented verification exercise.
He will pay $100 per seal for 200 seals and is asking DFO to do the same. They will then publicly document the contents of the bellies.