Masters student Hannah West of the Marine Institute conducted a new study on how harp seals are playing a key role in the slowed recovery of cod stocks and other fish populations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Millions of North American harp seals are the second-largest seal species in the world by population, and feast on fish like Atlantic cod, capelin and other groundfish.
Researcher Ms. West found that the amount of fish that seals eat is consistently outpacing the amount of fish caught by harvesters. From 2018 to 2020, the animal’s consumption rate of cod, Greenland halibut and American plaice were 24 times higher than catch rates in those fisheries.
Full article on CBCNL here
To read the complete study and research paper click here for a PDF file: