The journal Conservation Letters, has published details from  scientists who explored the effects of recovering predator populations such as seal lions, on their home ecosystems, resulting in new conservation challenges to those very same ecosystems. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) — have rapidly increased the recovery stocks of marine species on both east and west coasts the report states. The report states three main points to be concerned about: Predators and humans hunting for the same prey; the predators (protected by the MMPA act) target protected species; and lastly scientists state that “competition can arise between multiple protected predators for the same prey”.

Full article by Ariel Mark can be read here: