Research Document - 1999/106

Comments on Struck and Loss Estimates for Harp Seals in the Northwest Atlantic)

By B. Sjare and G.B. Stenson

Abstract

One of the major sources of unreported mortality during the commercial harp seal hunt in the Northwest Atlantic is the number of animals killed or fatally wounded and not recovered by hunters (i.e. seals that are struck and lost). With the significant expansion of the hunt both in Canada and in Greenland during the mid 1990s, there is a concern that unreported moralities of harp seals struck and lost may have reached a level that is not sustainable from a long-term management perspective. To address this problem a study on the number of seals struck and lost in Newfoundland waters was initiated. The preliminary results presented in this paper are based on observations collected by the Marine Mammal Section, DFO and the Sea Watch Observer Program. In general, overall loss rates for beaters taken on the ice varied from 0-2.0% and from 3.2-10.0% when taken in the water. Older seals aged 1+ had loss rates of approximately 1.3-11.1% when taken on ice and rates of 13.8-50.0% when taken in the water. Sample sizes were limited (especially for seals taken in the water) and there was only partial coverage of the hunt. However, these data provide current estimates of struck and loss rates that can be incorporated into harp seal population modeling initiatives.

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