JDog Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 Certainly not but nevertheless one of the great UK wildlife sights, Grey seals and their new born pups on the Lincolnshire coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-dot Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 I thought Canadian Club was a drink till i went there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 I have watched them being born in the Orkneys (about 25 years ago). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krugerandsmith Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 1 hour ago, JDog said: Certainly not but nevertheless one of the great UK wildlife sights, Grey seals and their new born pups on the Lincolnshire coast. Thought you were talking about the suckable ones from Lowestoft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprackles Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 Rats of the sea. I'd like to visit Donna Nook with a Hakapik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 Love seeing them, inquisitive creatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 We used to visit Donna nook once a year to see the seal pups, one the of the coldest places I have ever been. Quite a sight though the kids loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 We have thousands of them and it seems they're spreading further round the coastlines. We've them at several sites now and over 2000 pups were born at one of them last year. I wouldn't mind if we had a few less. Every time nature tries to carry out its course and naturally control numbers they're rescued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonepark Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 12 hours ago, Sprackles said: Rats of the sea. I'd like to visit Donna Nook with a Hakapik 55 minutes ago, yod dropper said: We have thousands of them and it seems they're spreading further round the coastlines. We've them at several sites now and over 2000 pups were born at one of them last year. I wouldn't mind if we had a few less. Every time nature tries to carry out its course and naturally control numbers they're rescued. The seals aren't the problem, it's the 300,000,000 (300 million) humans in europe that is destroying the fish stocks. There are only 300,000 grey seals worldwide, of which 150,000 live in europe. A healthy seal population is a sign of a healthy fish stock population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 39 minutes ago, Stonepark said: The seals aren't the problem, it's the 300,000,000 (300 million) humans in europe that is destroying the fish stocks. There are only 300,000 grey seals worldwide, of which 150,000 live in europe. A healthy seal population is a sign of a healthy fish stock population. Absaloutly spot on, it' always easier to blame something/someone else rather than look at home. We do that alot as a race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 54 minutes ago, Stonepark said: The seals aren't the problem, it's the 300,000,000 (300 million) humans in europe that is destroying the fish stocks. There are only 300,000 grey seals worldwide, of which 150,000 live in europe. A healthy seal population is a sign of a healthy fish stock population. Bear in mind we've just had a road completed where they'll be building another 37,000 homes around it, many of those people will wish to go to the coast. We've fairly recently lost a beach to the seals and it's getting a bit crowded. One of the bait diggers had his coat sleeve ripped by a seal whilst he was tending his crab traps, he was lucky not to get knocked over. I don't think it will be too long before we have a seal/ human incident. It isn't so much the fish as the space two rapidly growing populations have to live in. There are similar issues with foxes, badgers and other animals. Such as pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 1 hour ago, yod dropper said: Bear in mind we've just had a road completed where they'll be building another 37,000 homes around it, many of those people will wish to go to the coast. We've fairly recently lost a beach to the seals and it's getting a bit crowded. One of the bait diggers had his coat sleeve ripped by a seal whilst he was tending his crab traps, he was lucky not to get knocked over. I don't think it will be too long before we have a seal/ human incident. It isn't so much the fish as the space two rapidly growing populations have to live in. There are similar issues with foxes, badgers and other animals. Such as pigeons. So who' "fault" is it, the modest population of seals or the massively over crowed parts of the UK, over populated by humans, if we're not careful there'll be nothing left to see for future generations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 (edited) 39 minutes ago, 12gauge82 said: So who' "fault" is it, the modest population of seals or the massively over crowed parts of the UK, over populated by humans, if we're not careful there'll be nothing left to see for future generations. Well, I'd advocate culling seals before people. Just like we do with other animals. If it came to, the seals are doing well and are not under threat. Edited November 19, 2017 by yod dropper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 Yes very good , seriously though, this country and others are becoming massiely overpopulated and it' too easy to always point at other species and cull them, if we're not careful, one day there'll be nothing left to cull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-dot Posted November 20, 2017 Report Share Posted November 20, 2017 They do taste great and i have never seen an ill eskimo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted November 20, 2017 Report Share Posted November 20, 2017 Huge numbers here. Never known so many. Very popular with the tourists which brings even more people ( and money ) in to Norfolk. The downside is the amount of fish they consume often prime white fish such as bass. Numbers have gone through the roof over the last 15 years or so. They used to be controlled by locals who used to make or supplement their living by catching fish. Those that fish commercially now are more focused on shell fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprackles Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 Have a read of this article, the numbers are more than a drop in the ocean. 6 pups a season in the 70s to 1959 recorded last year and all this through the years of dwindling fish stocks. Causing mayhem around our area for longliners and netters. A cull is required.http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/watch-more-1700-seals-descend-765810 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) Post deleted Edited November 21, 2017 by 12gauge82 Mis read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 It was bandied about these parts a year ago that the bull seals were eating seal pups on May Island and along the Berwickshire coast, all fish having been eaten locally. Dont blame trawlers as the few boats left here mainly target shellfish . Since the annual cull on the Farne Islands was stopped many years ago- perhaps around forty years the seal population has spread outwards north and west into the Firth of Forth. Mackeral line boats and sea angling charters now find seals targeting the easy pickings of fish on lines , rather than hunt for themselves. Perhaps disease will spring up when populations are so dense, otherwise a cull is long overdue. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Blackpowder said: It was bandied about these parts a year ago that the bull seals were eating seal pups on May Island and along the Berwickshire coast..... .....Perhaps disease will spring up when populations are so dense, otherwise a cull is long overdue. Blackpowder This is one of our problems. When they become ill, or the young are separated after a storm the seal rescue lot are out gathering them in so nature cannot take its course. We had the same issue as Blackpowder said about the bull seals and the official bodies were coming up with all manner of explanations that were palatable rather then the ones you'd imagine they didn't want to believe. Edited November 22, 2017 by yod dropper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 Nature generally always balances things out, except unfortunately where humans have destroyed habitats or apex predators. That said hopefully we won' see the great white on our shores anytime soon ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 An increase in killer whales would be good, apparently they are fond of a bit of sammy seal. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 2 minutes ago, Blackpowder said: An increase in killer whales would be good, apparently they are fond of a bit of sammy seal. Blackpowder Ah, but only if they are from a mammal eating culture/sub-species. From what I have seen and read, those of the Icelandic/Norwegian/Eastern North Atlantic populations are herring eaters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 Didnt know that now, but I am sure I have heard of some predation in Firth of Forth, which may have been mere harbourside gossip and speculation. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 3 minutes ago, Blackpowder said: Didnt know that now, but I am sure I have heard of some predation in Firth of Forth, which may have been mere harbourside gossip and speculation. Blackpowder If there is a niche to be filled and all that. You could well be right. http://uk.whales.org/wdc-in-action/meet-different-types-of-orca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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