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[swimmingwiththefishes]

in case people missed this study that just came out in the last few weeks - they eat a ton....conservative estimate runs at 20% of the smolt population. The study also suggests that this predation could be a big reason for the poor survival of the Resident Orcas.

Seems obvious that seal predation on salmon needs to be emphasized much more when making management plans and shouldn't be ignored any longer because messing with something that is cute and cuddly is controversial.

Summary article  - http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/environment/2017/01/29/study-predators-might-play-major-role-chinook-declines/97162580/

Detailed research paper - http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0203?src=recsys&journalCode=cjfas&#.WJoGWxBaEwi

[RalphH]

The study identified that seals are eating chinook salmon specifically not just salmon. It also is not specific to BC.

Previous studies here in BC  have found that seals predate heavily on the large outflows of salmon smolts released from hatcheries and this is also associated with artificial alteration of the tidal sections of rivers and estuaries that often concentrate hatchery releases in narrow areas. Excepting such areas these studies found the level of seal predation was not that marked.

This study seems to recognize this:

If one assumes that all the smolts eaten by harbor seals are from Puget Sound hatcheries, then the study predicts that the seals are eating about 22 percent of all the smolts trying to leave Puget Sound. The 22 percent figure is recognized as an overestimate, Chasco said, because the seals are eating wild chinook from Puget Sound and even hatchery fish from British Columbia — but those exceptions are relatively small compared with hatchery chinook produced in Puget Sound.

... in other words seals are eating Puget Sound Chinook smolts because hatcheries intended to benefit sport and commercial anglers are producing excess numbers of smolts in specific and small location where they will be exposed to predation.

[santefe]

We need the transient Orcas to come into Pudget Sound and the Strait of Georgia.

[SPEYMAN]

This has been an on going issue for many years. Hatcheries have created feeding stations for marine mammals, birds etc.Animals are very adapt at finding food sources and are smart enough to know timing of releases. Many coincide with natural downstream migration.

Question is, what is going to be done. The sea lions at the locks in Washinton were a good example of what not to do. Familiarity breeds contempt, without the fear of man, animals will continue to decimate the resource.

[wildmanyeah]

in case people missed this study that just came out in the last few weeks - they eat a ton....conservative estimate runs at 20% of the smolt population. The study also suggests that this predation could be a big reason for the poor survival of the Resident Orcas.

Seems obvious that seal predation on salmon needs to be emphasized much more when making management plans and shouldn't be ignored any longer because messing with something that is cute and cuddly is controversial.

Summary article  - http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/environment/2017/01/29/study-predators-might-play-major-role-chinook-declines/97162580/

Detailed research paper - http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0203?src=recsys&journalCode=cjfas&#.WJoGWxBaEwi

last study I read said vancouver had a very high density of harbor seals. Anyone that fishes the chuck know seals are a big issue, Still only solution is just to increase hatchery output as a cull will never happen off this coast.

[Jk47]

I fish a small stream (won't mention the name) near home, and the other morning when I got to my spot a seal was chasing MY fish around and landed a chrome bright 7 or so lb steelhead in front of my wary morning eyes - right at first light! Waaaaaaaayyyy far up the river, like - this seal went thru log jams and beaver dams- never even seen a seal at the mouth, imagine my surprise to see him about 4 km's up!!! Again, hatchery augmented system

[Dave]

Well, it's obvious what must be done ... do away with hatcheries

Right.

[Rieber]

Find/prove a market for illegal Seal products and the poachers will be there to fill the demand. No more seal problem.

Hmmm, Steelhead infused Harbor Seal. 

[clarkii]

Find/prove a market for illegal Seal products and the poachers will be there to fill the demand. No more seal problem.

No market at all, seal fur is totally useless, can't even bring it across the border.

[RalphH]

Given the potential for tourism and other boycotts there is unlikely any serious political figure who would support or even suggest a seal cull. Plus there is Federal Law protecting Marine Mammals.

[GordJ]

I wonder if there is any connection between past practices of killing seals and the decline of transient orcas? I am always sceptical of programs that try to control 'Mother Nature' and apply band aids that end up killing the patient. Let the seals be and the orcas may come back and the natural boom/bust cycle will return. Of course we tend to believe that we can produce a boom/boom cycle so we 'manage' the natural environment.

[Dave]

I wonder if there is any connection between past practices of killing seals and the decline of transient orcas? I am always sceptical of programs that try to control 'Mother Nature' and apply band aids that end up killing the patient. Let the seals be and the orcas may come back and the natural boom/bust cycle will return. Of course we tend to believe that we can produce a boom/boom cycle so we 'manage' the natural environment.

I agree.  I think we all know this is about having more chinooks for anglers, commercial and FN fishers to harvest.  Orcas are just pawns in this game of human greed.

[swimmingwiththefishes]

I agree.  I think we all know this is about having more chinooks for anglers, commercial and FN fishers to harvest.  Orcas are just pawns in this game of human greed.

As we wonder and speculate about what happened to the salmon runs I think seal predation is one big key to the puzzle. I agree that it's unlikely that there will ever be any significant "cull",however I don't think it out of the realm of possibility for there to be a FN or small segment hunt especially on the really specialized ones.

[wildmanyeah]

I agree.  I think we all know this is about having more chinooks for anglers, commercial and FN fishers to harvest.  Orcas are just pawns in this game of human greed.

Natures feast or famine just look at the wolf vs caribou. Wolves eat caribou to the point there is almost none, then wolves die off and caribou populations go nuts. 

a seal cull would be absolutely about having more chinook obviously for human interests. Transient whales have a far more of a diverse diet and cover far more water and numbers have been increasing over the years. That being said our resident orcas almost exclusively eat chinook.

"Did you know? At least 80% of the SRKW diet consists of Chinook Salmon"
"That means we need at least half a million salmon a year!  If we want the population to grow to  recovery level of 140 SRKW, an allowance of 1 million salmon a year is required".

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/transient-orca-population-counted-in-big-numbers-off-vancouver-island-1.3043365
http://www.whaleresearch.com/orca-population
http://www.whaleresearch.com/about-salmon

u want more salmon make more hatches because the days of DFO mounting 50 calibers on there boat are over