[NatureNS] Massive grey seal cull set to get Senate panel's

From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <B04C7C48-4800-45AE-9D26-D1FE18262E46@eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:51:23 -0300
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Hi Jim & All,                        Oct 24, 2012
    I confess to knowing almost nothing about seals or marine fisheries =
but it seems obvious that too many hungry fish-eating seals and too few =
mostly small fish is a prescription for non-recovery of stocks. So two =
thoughts occur to me.

    First, the onus is on those who oppose the cull to advance a more =
promising idea for recovery of Cod in the cull area; wait and it will =
happen has worn thin after two decades.

    Second, a cull provides an opportunity to learn something about =
Seal/Cod dynamics by examination of fresh stomach contents and thorough =
documentation of same; say sampled at random within each of four regions =
over each of four years and throughout the culling season.

Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: James W. Wolford=20
  To: NatureNS=20
  Cc: Jim Wolford ; Mike Dadswell=20
  Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 4:51 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Massive grey seal cull set to get Senate panel's =
approval -- Gulf of St. Lawrence plan makes no sense, Dalhousie =
biologist says -- CBC News N.S., Oct. 23/12


  Go to cbc.ca/news/ns/ to find this story and photo & video plus the =
links below to related stories.


  Also three cheers for Jeff Hutchings of Dalhousie Univ. Biology for =
speaking out against this cull.  Jeff is a champion for marine =
biodiversity, and he maintains, among other things, that marine =
ecosystems are complex, involving many components of food webs etc., so =
the outcome of a cull is unpredictable and will not be measurable in any =
way in any case.  This will not be any kind of properly designed real =
experiment -- the same probably applies to the recent controversy on =
"fertilizing the ocean" on the West Coast off the Queen Charlotte =
Islands with powdered iron sulphate, in attempt to cause a bloom of =
phytoplankton to both help wild salmon and absorb some of our massive =
amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide.  See last Saturday's "Quirks and =
Quarks" show at cbc.ca/quirks/ for some discussion of this attempt at =
geo-engineering or ocean fertilization.


  On the radio today, Jeff H. pessimistically guessed that there was a =
good chance that the Canadian Senate will allow this proposed cull of =
grey seals to go ahead.  Perhaps their decision has already been =
announced?


  Cheers? from Jim in Wolfville.


  Related Stories
  European seal cull called hypocritical
  Gulf grey seal hunt a bust
  Scientists call for experimental cull of 73,000 seals
  External Links
  Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat report on grey seals


    Subject: Massive grey seal cull set to get Senate panel's approval =
-- Gulf of St. Lawrence plan makes no sense, Dalhousie biologist says -- =
CBC News N.S., Oct. 23/12


    from cbc.ca/news/ns/ , Tues., Oct. 23, 2012


    Massive grey seal cull set to get Senate panel's approval
    Read 134
    comments
    134 video


    BEWARE: PHOTO shown at the video link is NOT A GREY SEAL, but is a =
YOUNG HARP SEAL!! [When will the media have their files of seal photos =
examined by people who know how to identify the various species, not =
many in this area but having various pelages at different ages and =
sexes??][JW]


    Massive grey seal cull set to get Senate panel's approval

    Gulf of St. Lawrence plan makes no sense, Dalhousie biologist says




    CBC News Posted: Oct 23, 2012 8:48 AM AT Last Updated: Oct 23, 2012 =
2:04 PM AT
    Video Content
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Jim &amp; All,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Oct=20
24, 2012</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I confess to knowing almost =
nothing about=20
seals or marine fisheries but it seems obvious that too many hungry =
fish-eating=20
seals and too few mostly small fish is a prescription for non-recovery =
of=20
stocks. So two thoughts occur to me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First, the onus is on those who =
oppose the=20
cull to advance a more promising idea for recovery of Cod in the cull =
area; wait=20
and it will happen has worn thin after two decades.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Second, a cull provides an =
opportunity to=20
learn something about Seal/Cod dynamics by examination of fresh stomach =
contents=20
and thorough documentation of same; say sampled at random within each of =
four=20
regions&nbsp;over each of four years and throughout the culling=20
season.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
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  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Djimwolford@eastlink.ca =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">James W.=20
  Wolford</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A =
title=3Djimwolford@eastlink.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">Jim Wolford</A> ; <A=20
  title=3Dmike.dadswell@acadiau.ca =
href=3D"mailto:mike.dadswell@acadiau.ca">Mike=20
  Dadswell</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 23, 2012 =
4:51=20