Coastal and Indigenous communities rely on healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed fisheries for their livelihood. Collaborating with external partners from Indigenous groups and industry on science projects is key to broadening our understanding of the potential impacts seals and sea lions have on Canada’s fisheries, and ensuring management decisions are informed by the best available advice.
On September 12 2023, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, announced over $643,900 in funding to Indigenous groups, industry, and academia for three seal science projects in eastern Canada and one sea lion project in western Canada. The projects will examine seal and sea lion diets, abundance, and distribution to help us better understand the role these species play in our aquatic ecosystems.
These four projects are the result of the open call for proposals the Department launched during the Seal Summit last fall.
Coastal and Indigenous communities rely on healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed fisheries for their livelihood. Collaborating with external partners from Indigenous groups and industry on science projects is key to broadening our understanding of the potential impacts seals and sea lions have on Canada’s fisheries, and ensuring management decisions are informed by the best available advice.
Full Press Release is here:
Meanwhile in St. John’s FFAW-Unifor president Greg Pretty addressed a Senate Fisheries Committee on the issue of seal predation of fish stocks and the demise of a once prosperous sealing industry. Video clip from CBC
