7/31/2019 Advertisement: Grey Seals in Atlantic Canada

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The effecTs

of a cull on

The recovery of

cod cannoT be

credibly predicTed

from a science

perspecTive.Dr. Jeff Hutchings, Department of Biology and Chair of the Royal

Society of Canada Expert Panel on Sustaining Canadian Marine

Biodiversity, Dalhousie University. Testimony to the Standing

Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, 13 March 2012.

iT seems highly unlikely ThaTThe culling of seals would

have a measurable benefiT

on The recovery of cod or

indeed oTher groundfish

iT could even have

a negaTive effecT.Dr. Boris Worm, Marine Research Ecologist, Department of Biolog

Dalhousie University. Testimony to the Standing committee of

Fisheries and Oceans, 29 March 2012.

Grey Sealsin Atlantic Canada

in ocTober of 2011, The canadian senaTe sTanding commiTTee

on fisheries and oceans began a sTudy on The managemenT

of grey seals off canadas easT coasT. The commiTTee is seT To

release iTs reporT in The coming days, and may recommend

a cull of grey seals, osTensibly To benefiT fish sTocks.

however, a cull of grey seals is noT scienTifically jusTified.

in facT, many marine scienTisTs expressed Their concerns To

The commiTTee abouT The poTenTial impacTs of a seal cull.

here is whaT independenT scienTisTs had To say To The

senaTe fisheries commiTTee abouT culling grey seals:

culling grey seals is noT going To solve problems caused by overfishing and mismanagemen

and proceeding wiTh a cull of grey seals wiThouT underTaking The necessary scienTific

evaluaTions and wiThouT proper fisheries recovery plans is simply irresponsible.

iT is Time for canada To implemenT sTrong fisheries recovery plan

and sTop blaming seals.

There are numerous examples rom aroundthe world o large-scale removals o sealsand other marine mammals rom oceanecosystems and in most o these cases theseremovals had either unknown or no eectson fsh stocks.Dr. Heike K. Lotze, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Marine Renewable Resources, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University,

Halifax. Testimony to the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, 29 March 2012.

I truly ear thatthe internationalrepercussions wouldar outweigh anythingin terms o trying tounderstand how Canadcould be considered

a responsible stewardo their oceans.Dr. Sara Iverson, Professor, Department of Biology, Dalhousie

University Testimony to the Senate Standing Committee on

Fisheries and Oceans, 29 March 2012.

I have some majormisgivings... I stilldoubt that [a cull]can be done in a waythat is appropriate

with respect to

animal welfare.Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust, Professor of Anatomic Pathology and

Wildlife Pathology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of

Prince Edward Island. Testimony to the Senate Standing

Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, 6 December 2011.