Research Document - 1999/105

Catch-at-Age of Northwest Atlantic Harp Seals 1952 - 1998.

By G.B. Stenson, B. Sjare and D. Wakeham

Abstract

Information on catch levels and on the age structure (catch-at-age) of the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) hunt in the Northwest Atlantic is necessary for responsible management. Most harp seals are hunted off southern Labrador and the northeast coast of Newfoundland ('the Front'), in the Gulf of St. Lawrence ('the Gulf'), along west and southeast Greenland, and the eastern Canadian Arctic. This report summarises available harp seal catch and catch-at-age statistics from 1952 to 1998 for each of these areas. Catches at the Front and in the Gulf decreased after 1982 and remained low (less than 65,000 for most years) until 1995. Annual catches increased significantly to over 240,000 between 1996 and 1998. Data on catches in Greenland for the 1952-87 and 1993-96 periods are available. Catches from 1988-92 and 1996-98 were estimated using a quadratic function. Since 1975 catches have been higher than previously estimated and have increased significantly in recent years to approximately 84,000. Based on limited data from the Canadian Arctic prior to 1983, catches are considered to be relatively small. The age composition of catches at the Front and in the Gulf were estimated based on reported numbers of young taken and biological samples of seals one year of age and older taken from the commercial harvest and research samples. Estimates of the age composition of seals harvested in Greenland were obtained from biological samples collected in West Greenland between 1970 and 1993.

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