Comment on “Towards a precautionary approach to managing Canada's commercial harp seal hunt” by Leaper et al.

• Published in: ICES Journal of Marine Science
• Main Authors: Hammill, Michael O., Stenson, Garry B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2010
• Subjects: Ecology; Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Oceanography; Canada; Harp Seal; Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsp296; http://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-pdf/67/2/321/29136547/fsp296.pdf

Abstract Hammill, M. O., and Stenson, G. B. 2010. Comment on “Towards a precautionary approach to managing Canada's commercial harp seal hunt” by Leaper et al. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 321–322. The Objective-Based Fisheries Management used by Canada to manage the Northwest Atlantic seal hunt conforms to United Nations and Canadian Government precautionary approach frameworks in its structure and industry involvement. Managers and industry use clearly identified thresholds and harvest control rules to adjust quotas to respect the management framework. Although simulation testing is needed to evaluate management model performance under additional sources of uncertainty, this approach has successfully maintained the harp seal population at or near the highest level ever seen, during a period of intensive hunting.