Seals are diverse marine mammals found in various aquatic environments globally. Humans sometimes kill seals for reasons stemming from historical economic pursuits, traditional needs, conflicts over shared resources, authorized management, and illicit activities.
Commercial and Subsistence Hunting
Historically, commercial seal hunting was widespread, driven by demand for products like oil, meat, and fur. It was economically significant in many regions, with Canada, Greenland, and Norway engaging in large-scale hunts for harp seals. Steam-powered ships in the 1800s expanded these hunts, leading to hundreds of thousands of seals killed annually in areas like the Gulf of St. Lawrence. However, commercial hunting has declined globally due to conservation efforts, changing public sentiment, and international bans on seal products after public outcry in the 1980s.
Despite this decline, subsistence hunting remains a practice for indigenous communities in northern regions. For thousands of years, these communities have relied on seals for sustenance, clothing, tools, and trade. This practice is deeply intertwined with their cultural identity and traditions, providing essential resources like food and oil, and playing a role in passing on indigenous knowledge. These hunts are regulated, aiming for sustainability and balancing human needs with animal populations.
Managing Human-Seal Conflict
Seals are sometimes killed due to conflicts with human economic activities, particularly fishing. They are often perceived as competitors for valuable fish stocks, leading to calls for culling by fishing communities. This perception often arises because seals and commercial fisheries target some of the same fish species, although scientific studies often indicate that seals’ impact on overall commercial fish stocks is less significant than other factors like overfishing and environmental changes.
Seals also cause direct economic losses for fishers by damaging fishing gear like nets and lines. When seals attempt to access fish, they tear large holes in nets, leading to lost catch and requiring expensive repairs. These interactions result in considerable financial burdens for fishers, with estimates of lost catch and damaged gear ranging from 15-20% on average, sometimes exceeding 50% in high-population areas. While non-lethal deterrents exist, the perceived necessity to protect livelihoods sometimes leads fishers to kill seals.
Population Control and Scientific Study
Seals are occasionally killed under authorized management or research programs, distinct from hunting for resources or conflict mitigation. They might be culled for population management, for ecological reasons like managing prey species or preventing disease spread. Wildlife authorities typically make these decisions based on scientific assessments, though the effectiveness and necessity of such culls are often debated.
In limited instances, seals are killed for scientific research. This involves necropsies to understand health, cause of death, or diet, or tissue sampling to study biology and ecosystem impact. These activities are highly regulated and subject to ethical reviews, ensuring they are necessary and humane, with non-lethal methods preferred.
Illegal Hunting and Poaching
Illegal hunting and poaching represent unauthorized killing of seals, occurring outside legal frameworks. Motivations vary, including illicit trade in seal products like furs or meat, often driven by black market demand. In some cases, seals are killed illegally as retaliation by individuals, such as fishers, who perceive them as threats to catches or gear.
Other illegal killings occur for sport, without economic or retaliatory motivation. These activities contribute to unregulated mortality and undermine conservation. Poachers face legal ramifications, including fines and imprisonment, depending on jurisdiction and offense severity.