Conservation success or pests? Seals spark passionate debate

AP ^ | 10/5/2020 | PATRICK WHITTLE and MICHAEL CASEY

[McGruff]

Nick Muto has fished up and down the New England coast and there is nothing that gets his blood boiling more than the sight of a seal.

Muto, whose two boats fish for groundfish such as skate and monkfish as well as lobster, is among a growing group of anglers, beach goers and local officials who are quick to blame everything from disease to depleted fisheries to increased shark sightings on the exploding seal population.

“Areas that we used to traditionally fish that were as close to guarantees as you could get have been strip mined of fish, and the fish have been driven out of there by seals,” Muto said.

[McGruff]

No one questions that seal and shark numbers are on the rise, mostly due to federal protections. It’s estimated there are as many as 50,000 grey seals in New England waters plus a lesser number of harbor seals. The animals were almost eliminated through hunting and bounties decades ago.

[dayglored]

Thank you, Friend, for posting this thread. 90 minutes had gone by after two consecutive blog-pimp posts by the same newbie pimp, and I was getting worried that he’d broken FR’s post-a-thread system.

Now I’m ready to get passionate about seals.

Wait,... what?

[fieldmarshaldj]

[Ex gun maker.]

Mammal, red meat, so how do they taste?
Similar to whale? (Had some in Japan, delicious.)
Hide good for anything?

I’m in the hunt them back to manageable numbers camp.

[Nifster]

Seals and sea lions are a menace in SF and Santa Cruz

[Beagle8U]

Shoot the seals and the sharks. Problem solved.

You can add wolves, cougars, and grizzle bears to that list.

[Beagle8U]

“Hide good for anything?”

It makes great dubbing fur for tying flies.

[Veggie Todd]

I love that one. Here’s one: Let’s eat Grandma vs. Let’s eat, Grandma.

[Veggie Todd]

Seals and sea lions are a menace in SF and Santa Cruz

Why, do they vote R?

[BwanaNdege]

[BwanaNdege]

They think they have problems...

California Sea Lion invasion.

[Chickensoup]

Sealskin coats were all the rage in the pSt

[Beagle8U]

Well, they can bring them back into fashion.

[glorgau]

Same old story. Some people can’t stand a little competition.

[Nifster]

Nope. I was serious. Those that live in that part of California understand precisely

[seowulf]

Here in Puget Sound they worry about the starving orcas, but do nothing about the seals that camp out at all the choke points eating salmon. They take one or two bites out of each fish and kill them.

Of course it’s all the fault of fishermen and their terrible overfishing.