Harbour seals have made a comeback on BC's coast since 1879-1968, when ~ half a million seals were killed for the commercial fur trade and for predator control. This conservation success story is often mistold, however, as harbour seals (and other pinnipeds) are said to have "exploded" in abundance recently and are often blamed for declining Pacific salmon stocks. In fact, their numbers stabilized in the 1990s at ~110,000 seals. Of course, there are many sides to the story and the conflict, but in my opinion, blaming the seals is an easy way to avoid tackling the real problems salmon face.

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