We all know what’s happened to the Atlantic cod fishery. Don’t seals eat cod?
Yes, harp seals do eat cod, among other things. But both sides now appear to agree that seals and cod can coexist. In March 2005, Greenpeace called on then federal Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan to “dispel the myth that seals are hampering the recovery of cod stocks.” A letter from Greenpeace said, “the DFO has been a partner in perpetuating this myth.” But the DFO says sealing opponents are setting up a straw man (or seal, in this case) and then knocking it down. The federal government says anti-sealing groups are wrong to suggest that it’s allowing the hunt to help cod stocks recover. “The commercial seal quota is established based on sound conservation principles, not an attempt to assist in the recovery of groundfish stocks,” the DFO says. “Seals eat cod, but seals also eat other fish that prey on cod.
