Nordic network project on the distribution and abundance of seal populations in the North Atlantic, and their socio-economic impact on the fishing industry and other stakeholders

The main goal of the project was to establish a network of stakeholders involved in research on seal populations, and those affected by seals in the area. Thereby facilitating and promoting an active conversation between key stakeholders regarding the distribution and socio-economic impact of seals on the environment and communities in the North Atlantic, including on fisheries and aquaculture.

Seal hunting was an important industry in many parts of the Nordic countries for centuries, as sealers from
Norway, Finland, Greenland, Denmark, Iceland, Russia, and Canada hunted hundreds of thousands of seals
every year.

This industry came under severe criticism in the 1970s and 1980s, when animal welfare began to take a bigger place in the discussion about the exploitation of wild animals. By the turn of the century, seal hunting had become politically unacceptable, which affected the markets for the products and led to the eventual end of commercial seal hunting.

Seal hunting in the N-Atlantic has now been almost non-existent for over two decades. But what effect has this change in the exploitation of seal populations had on the ecosystems and the socio-economic landscape of those affected by changes in the size and distribution of seal populations?

Since the Nordic Seals network was established in 2021, it has collected, analysed and shared information
about seal populations in the Nordic regions, and their impact on the ecosystem and human society, for example by:

• collecting information on seal populations and their distribution in the N-Atlantic, Arctic and adjacent water (e.g. North Sea, Baltic Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, etc.),
• analysing the possible impact of seal populations on the ecosystem, and studying ongoing initiatives to quantify and assess those impacts,
• analysing the effects of seal populations on the Nordic fishing industry,
• studying available alternatives to control seal populations, including sustainable utilisation,
• identifying and exploring potential products and markets for seal products, while considering barriers such as animal welfare, policy and political correctness, food safety and toxins.

The main results of the work can now be seen in the published report, which can be accessed here:  https://zenodo.org/records/12545042

Other important outcomes of the project can be seen at the project webpage https://matis.is/matis_projects/nordic-seals/

HOVEDPARTNER: 

Matís, Jónas R. Viðarsson, jonas@matis.is

ANDRE PARTNERE:

Sjókovin (Faroe Islands) 

Fisheries and Marine Institute – Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada)

EFFOP – European Fishmeal and fish oil producers (Europe)

FF Skagen (Denmark)

Scandic Pelagic (Denmark)

Marine Ingredients (Denmark)

and as associated partner NAMMCO – North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission.

Støtte fra AG-Fisk:
DKK 400.000