Conservation versus commercial exploitation of seals with special reference to the Harp seal

• Published in: Mammal Review
• Main Author: PLATT, COLIN
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1978
• Subjects: Canada; Newfoundland; Norway; Harp Seal; Northwest Atlantic; Pagophilus groenlandicus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1978.tb00211.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2907.1978.tb00211.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1978.tb00211.x

Abstract For the past 15 years at least, government officials, scientists, observers and representatives of the news media have massed each year in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada, to witness the killing of Harp seals, Pagophilus groenlandicus , by the commercial sealing industry. This species has become possibly the most studied, the most reported and the most photographed species of wildlife in living memory. Much of this attention has been directed towards arousing public opinion against the annual seal hunts in the Gulf and in the ‘Front’ areas of the Northwest Atlantic off the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. However, considerable scientific research has been done into the behavioural habits and population dynamics of the Harp seal. Our present knowledge of this species and the co‐operation afforded by the governments of Canada and Norway, enable the Labrador herd of the Harp seal to be used as testing ground for rational herd management based on sound conservation principles. But have we achieved our objective?