Harbor Seal Human Impact

Human Impact And Population The negative human impacts on harbor seals are devastating, and there are yet to be any major positive impacts. In the 1900s, fur traders would hunt harbor seal pups that were less than four weeks old for their fine coats, which were highly valued. This led to a decrease in the harbor seal population. Harbor seals were also hunted by salmon fishermen who saw the seals as competitors for the fish. After a while many harbor seal populations had to abandon traditional haul-out areas. This was sad for the seals, because the main diet of a harbor seal is fish.
Marine debris are yet another threat to harbor seals. Harbor seals can get tangled in nylon fishing nets or plastic packing materials, causing severe injuries or drowning. They also end up eating plastic debris which can cause starvation or serious problems in the digestive tract. Despite the negative human impact, the Harbor seals population has flourished throughout the years and is estimated to increase every year by 5.5%, since 1981.
The life expectancy of a seal is around 25 to 30 years. The male harbor seals tend to have a shorter lifespan because of the stress of fighting during breeding seasons.

Predators + Prey = Food Chain Harbor seals are prayed upon by many animals, but also eat many animals, known as pray. This creates the food chain and helps keep nature in balance.
Adult Harbor seals eat many things including squid, crustaceans, molluscs, and a variety of fish; including, rockfish, herring, flounder, salmon, hake, and sand lance. Harbor seals do not chew their food and often swallow it whole. A harbor seal's diet changes during the different seasons, when different prey are available. A young seal pups diet is mainly consists of small crustaceans that are easy to catch.

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