Research Document - 2005/036

Abundance of Northwest Atlantic grey seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the Nova Scotia Eastern Shore

By Hammill, M.O.

Abstract

Northwest Atlantic grey seals form a single stock, but are often considered as two groups, named for the location of the main pupping locales for management purposes. The largest group whelps on Sable Island, 290 km east of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The second group referred to as ‘non-Sable Island’ or ‘Gulf’ animals whelps primarily on the pack ice in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, with other smaller groups pupping on small islands in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Incorporating information on pup production, reproduction rates and removals into a population model indicate that the non-Sable Island component of the Northwest Atlantic grey seal population has increased from 20,900 (SE=200) animals in 1970 to 52,500 (SE=7,800) animals by 2004. Under the Objective Based Fisheries Management Plan, grey seals are currently considered as data poor. It is recommended that harvest levels not exceed 2,100 grey seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

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