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The population numbers of Baltic seals have recently increased . Along with the growing seal populations, seal induced damages to fisheries, i.e. both fish catch loss and damage to the gear, have increased, which has caused a conflict between seals and coastal fisheries.
Additionally, seals are suspected to have crucial impact on the populations of economically important fish species. To decrease the seal damages, additional seal hunting licenses have been granted. On the other hand, unknown number of seals dies annually as by-catch of fisheries. Hence, the management of the Baltic seal populations is nowadays largely balancing between achievement of a favourable conservation status and acceptable level of losses to the coastal fishery.
The ECOSEAL project coordinated by Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute concentrates on these issues. The main funding for the project is the Central Baltic 2007-2013 Interreg IV A ?programme. National State Co-financing is provided by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Southwest Finland. Goals - to study and analyse diet of seals based on samples from hunted and by-caught seals in Central Baltic area, and to produce information for a bioenergetic model of the ecological role of seals in the Baltic sea
- to gather information on the demographic structure of hunted and by-caught seals, which will be used further in a mathematical risk analysis model on the management decisions concerning Baltic seal populations
- to develop solutions and tools to diminish the conflict between seals and fisheries
Impact of research The knowledge produced in collaboration with different interest groups can be utilised in the management of Baltic seal populations as well as in diminishing the conflict between seals and human activities in Finland, Sweden and Estonia. Researcher in charge Ahola Markus, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute
Contacts
Duration 2012 - 2013 Project phase: Completed
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