May 9, 2013 — Grey seals may ultimately be to blame for — get this now — a population boom in lobster.
So said an industry source Thursday.
His comments echoed recent scientific findings.
The six-month lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia will close in another three weeks. Every indication shows it will be one of the best ever.
And the glut of lobster may be due to the fact the lobsters’ predators — cod, pollock and cusk — have been nearly devastated by hungry grey seals.
Groundfish eat lobster larvae and were big factors in keeping the lobster population in check, said Marc Surette, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association.
With fewer lobster larvae loving fish, more lobster survived infancy, resulting in catches this year that saw some boats steaming into port with lobster piled on their decks because the crew had run out of crates.
“We can point it all back to seals,” Surette said. “Grey seals are having an impact on every aspect of coastal life in Nova Scotia and this is just another one.”
The only three species of groundfish that are showing any kind of growth now — haddock, redfish and halibut — aren’t a preferred food source for grey seals. This knowledge comes from scientific studies of their stomachs and fat content.
Read the full story at the Halifax Chronicle Herald