Seals, birds and humans compete for fish in the Baltic Sea

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.

Read more