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Cape Cod How many pounds of fish does a seal eat per day?

It is widely known that seals eat between 6%-8% of their body weight in fish per day. Which doesn’t seem like all that much. Now let’s scale it a bit. How much fish will 10,000 seals eat in a day? Well, if those 10,000 seals weigh 500 pounds each, they would consume 350,000 lbs. of fish per day or 2.45 million pounds of fish per week.

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Posted by Cape Cod - (website) on 12/16/08
Categories: IssuesNature
Keywords: seals, diet, how much fish do seals eat


Comments:

Why do seals eat alot?
Do all seals eat the same amount?
Where do they live?

Posted by Jackie from Dallas TX on 02/06/09 at 03:30 AM | #

that’s a lot of food no wonder they are fat:):):) BUT they need the fat to keep themselves warm.

Posted by Adriana from imlay city, michigan on 04/22/09 at 11:22 PM | #

That’s why we harvest them here in Nova Scotia. Too many seals = less fish to eat.

Posted by Rob MacDonald from Nova Scotia on 06/07/09 at 03:33 PM | #

F#@% the seals. They should all be shot.

Posted by Seal hater on 09/26/09 at 01:11 AM | #

Don’t let your compassion and respect for other living creatures run away with you there ‘Seal hater’...

Posted by Paul from Toronto on 01/30/10 at 08:58 PM | #

Canada est. of 6 million seals, eat aprox. 35 pounds of fish per seal per day that equals about 77 billion pounds of fish turned into seal poop every year. Oh, and the lucky surviving fish get to eat that poop and then get infested with worms because of it. Better call the humane society and donate right away, oh, good luck finding out how they spend the money. I suspect that a good chunk of that money winds up helping out some the human species. Probably even buys some nice steak dinners and maybe some leather shoes and belts even a leather hand bag or two.

Posted by John from NL on 04/01/10 at 02:56 PM | #

Actually a$$holes did you know in 2007 280,000 seals where hunted and killed, they are beaten to death with a hakapik (stick with a hook on the end) till they go brain dead then cut open for dog food, seal oil, and leather. So thats pretty F***ed up mr. seal hater. Do your research before you run your mouth, they probably would rather be shot then beaten to death and 95% are killed before there 3 months old they can’t even swim, so there is no escape!!!

Posted by Activist from Fl on 04/23/10 at 12:07 AM | #

I am for the seal hunt, because of two main reasons, there are way too many seals and they have destroyed the fisheries and they have no natural predator anymore, it is either kill them or we starve and loose thousands of jobs in the fisheries.
What is really sad about you “activist” is that you care about animals and protecting them than about the thousands of people who are starving and dying in genocides around the world, stand up for them first, then stand up for animals second.

Posted by karl on 08/14/10 at 08:06 PM | #

First off Karl,if people didn’t kill, killer whales than, than seals would have a natural predator and seals dint even eat slot of fish so get ur facts straight b4 u run ur mouth. And only a small percent of people eat seal! And no litte starving African kid is living off seal so .... my .....!

Posted by Activist from Florida on 08/16/10 at 04:57 AM | #

An argument against the Seal hunt is that it is not humane, but in reality the Seal hunt is as humane as possible, especially compared to other hunts such as stories of the slaughterhouses of chicken and cows. Many people feel that it is inhumane to kill seals because hunters’ use clubs to first stun the seals, but in reality they are not “Bashed to death” as many are led to believe. It is simply a quick stun to knock the seals irreversibly unconscious and then the hunter moves on to quickly kill the seal by bleeding them. Less frequently, bullets can also be used to hunt seals. People are easily tricked by such groups as Greenpeace and anti sealing groups to support the ending of the seal hunt. Opponents of the seal hunt use images of cute baby seals to garner support for the cancellation of the Seal hunt, but these opponents are falsely portraying which seals are hunted. It is actually illegal in Canada to kill baby seals, and opponents of the hunt falsely appeal to their audience’s emotions to gather support. Since seals are knocked unconscious with a club it is understandable how many people can think that the Seals are beaten to death but that is false.  In his article “Rationality and the slaughter of seals” Dr Jeremy Cherfas states that “To deal first with the killing: if a humane death is one that is quick, painless and causes little distress and fear there can be no doubt that the method advocated for killing seals Is as humane as possible. It may even be more humane then the methods we use to kill other economically important animals.” The seals are not skinned alive as is portrayed by animal rights activists, and the hunts are as humane as possible. The seal hunts are monitored closely by government and law to ensure that no inhumane activities take place.

Posted by Cory from Canada on 12/06/10 at 09:03 AM | #

Ending the seal hunt is part of a depopulation agenda. I mean why would anyone want to stop seals fom eating all our fish? Why would anyone want to hurt those cute and cuddly eating machines? Why woud anyone want to create a harvesting industry that would employ thousands of Canadians and make them prosperous and happy and healthy? Why would anyone? Yes why?

Posted by SuprNewf from St. John's on 09/11/11 at 02:31 AM | #

Seals do have natural predators…Great White Sharks for one! There comes a time when there can be too much of any one species and there should be a controlled hunt which can put a species at a better level of control and population. It would control one species, while allowing another species to regain increased numbers. It is a survival of the fittest so to speak. Necessary for all. The fish can regain regrowth, while fewer seals means more food for the surviving seals. Less fish eaten means increased chance for the surviving fish to reproduce.

Posted by Jimmy from Cape Cod on 09/28/11 at 01:01 AM | #

There are at least 100 seals off great point
And moving each direction
Fishing is impossible :-(
Traumatic for those who catch a bluefish only to see it devoured by a seal!!!!!!
The cost of psychoanalyst fees after the encounter with the seals, horseheads of the sea. A menace and disgrace, they should be harvested and become seal skin coats for the homeless and seal sausausage for the soup kitchens.

Posted by Karen from Sconcet on 10/19/11 at 02:12 AM | #

how many fish do seals eat a day average????

Posted by mr ? from perth on 04/04/12 at 05:09 AM | #

I really get tired of reading about how people and the environment are the causes of low fish, scallops, lobster etc. problems. Yet none of these scientists or environmental experts ever point out the amount of marine fish or shellfish that these Gray (good for nothing) seals eat, per day, appx.(350Klbs.) or 2.45Mlbs. per week! That’s a lot of food going to waste. I just read in local paper today about how they want to decrease the catch quotes and daily limits on Stripped Bass as they have with herring and many other species. I don’t understand why the commercial fishermen and women along with the recreational clubs don’t bring this up more often? I think maybe we should bring back the “Bounty” on the seals to thin them out by 75%. They put a bounty on foxes, coyote’s, wolves to save the piping plover.  Which is more important to the majority of people and their lively hoods; Fish and Shellfish or Fat do nothing seals? Another question that needs to be answered, How much waste on a daily bases do these seals leave on the land and in the water? I doubt if it does anyone or anything any good. Thanks for your time.

Posted by Jim Totten from Hyannis, MA 02601 on 09/03/14 at 02:02 PM | #



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