Page 12 - aruba-today-20201006

A12 science
Tuesday 6 OcTOber 2020
Conservation success or pests? Seals spark passionate debate

By PATRICK WHITTLE and there are more seals to eat,
MICHAEL CASEY said Andrea Bogomolni,
Associated Press chair of Northwest Atlantic
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Seal Research Consortium,
Nick Muto has fished up based in Woods Hole, Mas-
and down the New Eng- sachusetts.
land coast and there is "Communicating that mes-
nothing that gets his blood sage of conservation suc-
boiling more than the sight cess entails more than just
of a seal. a single species," Bogomol-
Muto, whose two boats fish ni said.
for groundfish such as skate But seal critics call seals a
and monkfish as well as public safety and ecologi-
lobster, is among a growing cal crisis and warn there
group of anglers, beach will be more shark attacks
goers and local officials if nothing is done. Tourism,
who are quick to blame too, will suffer, they said.
everything from disease Some who are alarmed by
to depleted fisheries to in- the seal population burst
creased shark sightings on are advocating culls while
the exploding seal popula- others are proposing some
tion. form of birth control. One
"Areas that we used to tra- group wants to amend the
ditionally fish that were as Marine Mammal Protec-
close to guarantees as you tion Act to allow delisting
could get have been strip A grey seal lounges on a small island in Casco Bay, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, off Portland, Maine. of species covered— simi-
mined of fish, and the fish Associated Press lar to what's allowed under
have been driven out of the Endangered Species
there by seals," Muto said. attacks is not supported physical barriers to keep and have benefited from a Act. The first step, they ar-
"They have eaten fish out of by hard evidence. Experts seals away from fishing wide-ranging diet, includ- gue, would be a study to
our nets. They have been say warming waters and gear. ing fish, crustaceans and determine what's a healthy
caught in our nets. They are other factors also could "Frustration by fishermen squid. population of seals for the
everywhere." be playing a role. The Gulf and property owners stem- "Habitat opened up for region.
The debate over seals was of Maine, which stretches ming from conflicts with seals, which is sort of the "Doing nothing is not ac-
reignited after the death in from Cape Cod to Nova marine mammals has in- opposite story that we hear ceptable to me and not
July of a swimmer killed by Scotia, has been heating creased," notes NOAA's about a lot of other popu- acceptable to other resi-
a great white off Harpswell, up faster than 99% of the proposal. The agency is lations struggling to recov- dents of Cape Cod," Barn-
Maine. Seals are often shark world's oceans. taking comments until Oct. er," said Wood, noting that stable County Commis-
prey, and experts believe "We get into this question 30. other marine mammals sioner Ron Beaty said, add-
Julie Dimperio Holowach of how many grey seals But Johnston and Stepha- such as whales and monk ing that seals are the "core
may have been mistaken there are. The next ques- nie Wood, a University of seals "haven't recovered in problem."
for a seal. tion is how many seals Massachusetts Boston seal the same way." "The quality of life here and
No one questions that seal should there be, which is biologist currently surveying Trying to reduce the num- our ability to make a living
and shark numbers are on kind of where people are seals in the Boston Harbor, bers of seals is more com- and our economy will go
the rise, mostly due to fed- going to go next with that, said the public should view plicated than opening up down the toilet," he said.
eral protections. It's esti- which is a very challenging seals as a conservation a hunt for an abundant "I have respect for wildlife
mated there are as many thing," said David Johnston, success story, rather than a species such as deer, said and respect for those that
as 50,000 grey seals in New a marine ecologist at Duke problem to be managed. Kristina Cammen, a marine believe seals and sharks
England waters plus a lesser University who has done Hunted almost into extinc- mammal scientist with Uni- need to come back. But
number of harbor seals. The grey seal population esti- tion by the 1900s, seals versity of Maine. Bounties we have a right to survive
animals were almost elimi- mates using Google Earth were given federal protec- on seals in the 20th century and exist as well."
nated through hunting and and tagged seals to dem- tion in 1972 by the Marine reduced their populations The shark attack in Maine
bounties decades ago. onstrate how their feeding Mammal Protection Act. by as many as 135,000, that killed Holowach in July
But experts maintain there behavior changes due to Seals began returning to and marine mammal pro- took place about 30 to 40
is not enough science to sharks in the Northwest At- New England waters in the tections are designed to feet (9 to 12 meters) off
determine whether the lantic. 1980s and 1990s from Nova prevent that kind of popu- the shore of Bailey Island.
current population is too Seal population rise has Scotia and have thrived lation loss again, Cammen Kayakers took Holowach
big and little basis for cull- prompted the National ever since — often raising said. to shore, but not in time to
ing the marine mammals. Oceanic and Atmospheric pups on federally protect- Learning to coexist with save her.
Even suggesting seals are Administration to propose ed islands once home to the growing seal popula- Despite the attack, few
destroying fisheries or are guidelines for deterring ma- hunting and fishing camps. tion makes far more sense, people are blaming the
solely to blame for shark rine mammals, including They also disperse widely even if it contributes to seals. Longtime Maine
more shark sightings in whale watch guide Zack
coastal waters, she said. Klyver said the growth of
"A healthy ecosystem has seals has contributed to
sharks, seals and humans ecotourism.
and they all have a place "I'd prefer that we adapt
in that ecosystem." and we not demand that
Some species of sharks everything adapt to us,"
have rebounded because Klyver said. "And there's a
there are protections for lot of interest in seals, in see-
them, not just because ing them."q