Date: November 13, 2017
Source: Stockholm University
In Sweden and in other parts of
Europe there are concerns that seals and birds compete with humans for fish
resources. For the Baltic Sea, an international study now shows that this
competition is a reality.
"Because fish is
nutrient-rich food and angling provides valuable recreation, the increased
populations of seals and fish-eating birds in the Baltic have resulted in a
sometimes contentious debate over the effects of these animals on the fish
stocks. The debates are often based on assumptions, which is why I took the
initiative to look at the problem from a scientific viewpoint," said Sture
Hansson, Professor of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at Stockholm
University.
Together with four researchers
from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and seven other
colleagues from countries around the Baltic, Hansson has estimated birds' and
seals' fish consumption. Seals are the primary fish-eating mammals, and their
consumption is about the same as that of all birds together. Humans catch 3 to
4 times more fish than seals and birds combined.
Small-scale coastal fishing most
impacted by wildlife
The fishing grounds most impacted
by competition from wildlife are the coastal areas with species like perch,
pike, pikeperch, brown trout, salmon, whitefish and vendace. Seals and
cormorants consume similar amounts as humans. Because we know that these fish
are impacted by human fishing activities, it's reasonable to conclude that they
are also impacted by predation from seals and birds. Wildlife thus competes
with humans for these fish resources.
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