Grey seals take up to 500,000 tonnes a year of the dwindling fish stocks in the waters around Scotland, a new study has revealed. Industry leaders said last night the figures scotched the myth that trawlermen were almost entirely to blame for the dramatic drop in stocks of key species, including cod.
After years of closing the net ever-tighter around Scottish fisherman over catch quotas and days at sea, scientists have acknowledged another factor in fish stocks diminishing so dramatically.
The serious impact of the grey seal on fish levels around the coast of Scotland has been accepted by an influential scientific body which advises the European Commission. The voracious appetite of grey seals means that each one consumes more than two tons of fish a year. There are now almost 250,000 seals around the North Sea and west coast. Their effect has been obvious to fishermen, who have been aggrieved that no one would listen to them until now.
Previously, the fishing industry was blamed for single-handedly wiping out fish stocks. The industry has accepted the need to change wasteful, inefficient practices and has done much to clean up its act. Having identified the threat from the grey seal, how to manage them and limit the damage they cause is a massive challenge.
Read the complete story at The Press and Journal.