Bloody Seals

[scotslad]

Is it coincidence that the burgeoning Seal population over recent years seems to correspond with the decline in Salmon and Sea-trout populations?

 

Anglers have had to shoulder most of the restrictions on harvesting Migratory fish....when they are plainly not responsible for the ongoing decline! But I suppose it's easier for those in authority to take the easy option, in order to be seen to be doing something......rather than identify the real cause/causes.....and do something effective about that!

 

Manage the Seal population and bring back the Salmon runs!...........It seems logical and has to be worth a trial?

 

It won't be just as simple as that, that most things in nature.

In scotlland esp the west coast a lot is blamed on fish farming and sea lice too, but there is some major problems out to sea as well with there feeding grounds.

Evn recently the sea temps risen slightly in the traditional salmon feeding grounds allowing other fish to feed further north were in past salmon had it all to themselves.

 

 

But seals and deep sea fishermen are hardly chasing the same fish or even fishing in the same areas so is a complete waste of time comparing them as have no relevance to each other.

Seals will be having a bigger impact on ur coastal fishing not deep sea, small boats going out at wknds, boys fishing of piers, rocks etc.

Some sea fishing comps are nw just a wash out due to lack of fish being caught compared to a few decades ago.

 

 

Controlling seals is the exact same as controlling foxes, crows or any other predator (including badgers and some BoP's) when they're number's get too high or in some specfic circumstances they can and will have a massive effect on prey numbers and will happily eat themselves out of prey.

No one is talking about wiping them out just reducing numbers to allow there prey to become sustainable agin

There the fish ppulations that seals will be having an effect on and esp at local levels, also migratory fish are also really vulnerable esp if trying to go up river during low water and are trapped in the estuary low lying pools, very easy pickings for seals which could decimate the stock