Harvesters and industry representatives have gathered in St. John’s today as part of the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans’ study into the country’s seal population and its impact on fish stocks.

Senator Fabian Manning is leading a fact-finding mission to learn more about the seal population, the seal industry, and its role in ocean ecosystems.

He says they’re trying to get a handle on the growth of various seal populations, and its potential impact on fisheries like crab and cod.

He says seal management and the importance of the seal product industry are other important parts of the conversation.