Grey seal - Sympathetic fish robber
A grey seal can be spotted right in the inner archipelago. It belongs to the biggest sea mammals of the Baltic Sea. The problem is sharing the same fishing ground with the fishermen.
Because of the indent nature and fishiness of the Archipelago Sea, it is a very agreeable habitat for the grey seal. Grey seal likes to move plenty and spends most of its time in the water. Occasionally it rises up on the rocks and islets to lounge, especially during the moulting season in spring. Principal nutriment for the grey seal is fish.
Seals tell about the state of the sea
Seal is a nature indicator. The changes in the state of the sea are reflected in the seals. During the 1970s the grey seal was threatened to be extinct, because of the pollution and hunting. Conservation and decrease of the environmental toxics have strengthened the population. Still, the grey seal is categorized as endangered.
Competition with the fishermen
The growth of the seal population has increased the damages to the fishing industry. Seals eat economically significant fish and steal them even straight from the nets. Besides the lost catch, also broken fishing instruments increase the damages.
The licensed hunting of the grey seal is allowed in Finland nowadays because of the damages seals cause to the fishing industry. The population of the grey seal is considered being at sustainable level and capable of surviving the quota hunting because the population is fairly large, and there are no difficulties in giving birth to the seal pups.
The seal damages are aspired to diminish with besides hunting also developing the fishing devise. Recompense is also paid from the seal damages as well as the investments to the new fishing equipment.
More information:
Metsähallitus: Seal Reserves Help Sustain Seal Populations
Interaction between Environment and Fisheries – a Challenge to Management
