1. Sealing the Deal: The Grey Seal Problem in the U.S. Northeast
A case study created by Matthew S. Kaufman for the course Seminar in Biodiversity Conservation at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

2. The Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus
Also known as the Atlantic Grey Seal.
m long and weighing up to 300kg.
Their range extends as far south as Virginia off the coast of the U.S., but can be found year round off the coast of Maine and Massachusetts.
Predatory animals that rely mostly on fish for their diets.

3. History of New England Fishing Problem
Beginning of 20th century – hunted nearly to extinction
They were hurting the fish industry
Hunted for products
Was considered extinct in the US until 1958
In 1972, Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act

4. 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act
Prohibits the taking of marine mammals off the coasts of the United States
Take – “harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture or kill any marine mammal”
Secretary of Commerce – cetaceans and pinnipeds
Secretary of Interior – sea otters, polar bears, walruses, manatees

5. 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act Exceptions
Scientific research
Incidental take associated with commercial fishing operations
To prevent from damaging public and private property
If taken by an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo for subsistence purposes

6. 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act – Amended in 1994
Further reduced the exceptions
No longer okay to take marine mammals during fishing practices
Assessments of all marine mammal stocks in U.S. waters
Called for studies on pinniped-fishery interactions

7. 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act – A Huge Success

9. Endangered Species List

10. New England Fisheries
Thriving shellfish farming industry and the lead producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the United States
Total farm-raised finfish:
million kilograms in 1988 to million kilograms in 2000
Fish farms are densely packed off the coast of Maine and Massachusetts

11. Effects of Grey Seals on Fishing Industry
Swipe at nets and make holes
Loss of marketable product through direct injury or mortality
Can result in stress, disease, escapements of fish
Natural salmon populations

12. Effects of Grey Seals on Fishing Industry - according to fishermen
Of all salmon losses to predation between 2001 and 2003, 84% were from seals
Seals most often attack market sized fish, making a huge impact

13. Proximity to Winter Harbor Seal Haul out Sites
Probability of having seal predation if 1km away is 65%
Probability of having seal predation if 4km away is 24%
“The predicted number of fish lost to deal predation decreases by 4053 fish for every 1 km increase about the average distance between a farm and the nearest harbor seal haul-out” (Nelson & Gilbert, 2006)
Also, location next to other fish farms increases likelihood of predation

14. Canada Has a current hunt for seals Seals for Meals
Currently scrutinized:
Called unacceptably inhumane
Not economically valuable
Not greatly improving fishing industry

15. Projected Culling Methods on Canadian Seals

16. Effects on the Seal Consumption of Fish in Canada

17. Mitigation Measures for Pinniped Conflict
Harassment methods
Firecrackers
Cracker Shells
AHDs
Predator Sounds
Tactile Harassment
Aversive Conditioning
Taste Aversion
Exclusion
Predator models
Non-lethal Removal of Individuals
Capture and relocation
Capture and placement in captivity
Lethal Removal of Offending Individuals

18. Recommendations?

19. To the Chatham City Counsel:
Senator Jack Kenny*
304 Russell Bldg. Third Floor Washington D.C (202) Phone (202) – Fax
To the Chatham City Counsel:
I have recently become aware of the Grey Seal problem affecting the North-East part of our country. With a new Democratic House and Senate in control, I feel that we can accomplish a solution to this problem. One place we might begin is with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 as amended in I would like the people of Chatham to submit a recommendation to me as to whether and how the Marine Mammal Protection Act should be amended, with special attention to how it relates to the Grey Seal problem.
Please keep all affected parties in mind when drafting this recommendation. I will take your suggestions very seriously when drafting a new amendment, and plan to bring it to the Senate floor before the end of this year. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Senator Jack Kenny
*This letter is fictional and a creation of the author; at time of publication there is no Senator Jack Kenny of Massachusetts.
*This letter is fictional and a creation of the author; at time of publication there is no Senator Jack Kenny of Massachusetts.

20. Credits
Slide 1: Licensed photo of seal ©Patricia Hofmeester/Fotolia.com.
Slide 7: Baraff, Lisa S., and Thomas R. Loughlin "Trends and Potential Interactions Between Pinnipeds and Fisheries of New England and the U.S. West Coast." Marine Fisheries Review 62(4): MFR is an official publication of the U.S. government.
Slide 8: Landsat7 image of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Data: NASA. Image: Dave Pape. Public Domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons (
Slide 9: "Endangered Species Act." NOAA Fisheries. Office of Protected Resources. Last accessed: June 23,
Slides 15 & 16: McLaren, Ian, Solange Brault, John Harwood, and David Vardy Report of the Eminent Panel on Seal Management. Communication Branch. Fisheries and Oceans Canada.