October 1, 2018 — Residents of Cape Cod are demanding city officials do more to protect beachgoers following two shark attacks this year, one of which was fatal.
Hundreds of concerned locals packed into the Wellfleet Elementary School gym on Thursday for a public forum with officials and experts to discuss possible ways to keep people safe from sharks.
One by one residents tossed out a number of suggestions on how to deter sharks, including demanding officials to look into reducing the growing seal population on Cape Cod beaches. Many believe increased numbers of seals are attracting sharks hunting for food.
‘The seal population on the Cape is way of our control. They’re eating all of our fish and now they’re eating all of our children,’ said resident Gail Sluis of Brewster.
‘No sharks or seals are worth a young man’s life — they’re just not,’ she added.
According to a 2017 report by Cape Cod Times, there are 30,000 to 50,000 seals living in the waters of Southern Massachusetts, primarily on and around Cape Cod.
City officials acknowledged the seal population has grown tremendously but told locals at the forum that there are federal laws preventing the removal of seals.
Read the full story at the Daily Mail