Great white sharks not the only threat gray seals bring

Capr Cod Times ^ | Jul 18, 2020 | By Peter Howell

[Capt. Tom]

July is here and “Jaws” reruns herald the return of white sharks to our waters, attracted by our ever-growing gray seal population. Over the winter, gray seals have — thanks in large measure to the protection afforded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act — further augmented their numbers. The “gray seal buffet” is once again open for business.

But this season is, of course, unlike any in recent times. For the Cape and Islands, the coronavirus poses a far greater threat to the safety of its beachgoers and well-being of its economy than white sharks. But those threats are not necessarily unrelated.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act is distinctive in that it not only protects all marine mammals, it protects them in perpetuity, regardless of their numbers and impact on co-existing species, including humans. Let me hasten to acknowledge that the act was necessary and appropriate when it was passed almost 50 years ago and remains so in most respects.

Because it protects marine mammals permanently, it in effect relies on nature to take its course in controlling marine mammal populations and finding an appropriate balance among competing and coexisting marine species.snip...

And finally, research in recent years has found that a significant percentage of seals on Muskeget have antibodies linked to an avian strain of influenza and a smaller, but still significant, percentage had an active form of the virus, likely owing to population density.

The regulators responsible for administering the Marine Mammal Protection Act are understandably preoccupied with saving the most threatened species.....snip But that is no excuse for ignoring the demonstrable proliferation of species such as gray seals or condoning a law that compounds that proliferation by protecting the species in perpetuity, regardless of the threats to public health and safety posed by that ever-growing population.

[Bob434]

[[What’s wrong with an increasing seal population?]]

There aren’t enough seal clubs around?

[Red Badger]

It was only a matter of time.

Been watching shark week shows on National Geographic Channel (Disney) all weekend..................

[PapaBear3625]

If increasing the fish supply just causes an increase in seal population, who eat the fish leaving less for fishermen, and also causes an increase in the shark population, then it is a net negative for the people.

We need to remove their protected status. I wonder how seal steaks taste?

[blueunicorn6]

What happens if we really start harvesting the Great White Sharks?

A dead shark can’t attack any humans.

[PapaBear3625]

If we harvest the sharks, then the seal population explodes.

We need to start harvesting the seals, but the Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits that. We need to repeal the Act, which has outlived its usefulness.

[blueunicorn6]

Fewer seals mean more fish for the fishermen.

I understand that.

I understand that fishermen put food on their tables for their families by catching fish.

I just don’t think that the argument that seals are causing Great White Sharks to attack humans is a good argument.

[Capt. Tom]

FYI, there is also a fairly large population of seals living on and around the Isle Of Shoals. Seal Island in the Isle of Shoals(6 miles off the NH/ME coast) is a federally protected island. No humans can step foot on the island. Sooner or later the great whites will find that food source.

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Andrea Bogomolni, chairwoman of the steering committee for the Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium, said that shark-bitten seals have been found during the course of a 10-year study on New Hampshire’s Isle of Shoals.
Tagged great whites were also detected on acoustic receivers at seal haul-outs on the islands. She said great white shark teeth were being found on Old Orchard Beach.