If you visited Cape Cod this summer, you probably heard tourists and locals all over town talking about the seals.
Gray seals were once virtually nonexistent in Massachusetts due to rampant seal hunting and bounties. But since the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which outlawed hunting, they have made a dramatic comeback. In 1994, surveyors counted 2,035 seals off Cape Cod. In 2011, there were nearly 16,000.
In Chatham, tourists flock to viewing areas to see hundreds of seals sunbathing on sandbars. Tour companies now offer seal watching expeditions. While many delight in their presence, gray seals are unpopular with fisherman. Weighing up to 800 pounds and eating up to six percent of their body weight daily, they present fierce competition for sought-after cod, flounder, and bluefish. Local fishermen report dramatic decreases in their catch.
Others are concerned about the potential threats to swimmers. Where seals go, sharks – including great whites – will follow, and the waters off Chatham have become a great white hot spot.
These concerns have led some to call for legalizing the hunting and culling of seals on Cape Cod. But because they are federally protected, it would be up to Congress to change their status. Still, some have taken matters into their own hands – in 2011, several gray seals were found fatally shot.
The gray seals on Cape Cod are not invasive – they are a natural part of the ecosystem. Their resurgence is a conservation success story and their management needs to be informed by science, not emotion.
***********
.
Web Links
Thriving in Cape Cod’s Waters, Gray Seals Draw Fans and Foes
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/17/us/thriving-in-cape-cods-waters-gray-seals-draw-fans-and-foes.html
The Seal Problem
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2013/06/25/gray-seal-population-problem-cape-cod/
Too many seals?
http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2013/03/24/17839-too-many-seals
Photo, taken on August 10, 2010, courtesy of Josh and Erica Silverstein via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.