Your analogy is off quite a bit. As someone who lives on the Pacific coast and have watched Seals for 40 years, just what ecological value does baby Seals possess? Just the opposite. Remember the media darling “Herschel” the name assigned by the US/Washington State Fisheries losers for a group of Seal/Sea Lions in Seattle years ago?
Here’s a sympathetic look at that issue, I will agree with the author, the Seals were only part of the problem. Seals destroyed returning stocks and not mentioned in the article are the Cormorants, another “protected” predator, that destroyed the juveniles as they ventured out to sea. https://hakaimagazine.com/features/herschel-the-very-hungry-sea-lion/
The California invaders have wreaked havoc for 40 years on the Pacific Northwest Salmon runs to the point fish managers inflict serious monetary damage to landowners and taxpayers who happen to live around Salmon bearing streams rather than dealing with the Seal/Cormorant predation.
And, have you ever hunted feral hogs? They’re very smart and dangerous not only environmentally like Seals but to the hunter hunting them.
I think McGruff’s post is spot on, sorry.
Nice attempt at diverting the thread.