MikaylaBambrick

Bio1615
Thursday4pmclass

Doroguesealsexist?Implicationsforsealconservationin
theUK

ABSTRACT
Theremovalofrogueanimalshasbeenaconflictforpeopleforalongtime.UndertheMoray
FirthSealManagementPlan,lethalremovalofsealsfromthesalmonfisheryispermittedbutitisnot
efficient.Throughdatacollectedinthreerivers,thereisasmallfractionofsealpopulationspecializein
usingtheriver,thegreysealsandharbourseals.Inthedigestivetractsamples,therewasahigher
percentageofpositiveDNAfortroutandsalmoninthesealsintheriverthanthesealsincoastalsites.
Theresultsindicatethatremovingsealsintheriverwillbenefitthefisheriesmorethanremovingsealsin
estuaries.

INTRODUCTION
Competitionoversharedresourcesaretheprimaryconflictbetweenhumansandwild
carnivores.Thereisadebateoverhowthesealsintheriversshouldbetakencareofbecausethe
fisheriesaretakingthetollforit.SealsandsalmonareprotectedundertheUS,UKandEuropean
legislation,whichcausesaconflictforgovernmentagenciesandhowtoconserveandmanageboth
species.
ThisstudywasusedtofigureouthowmanysealsusedtheriversinScotlandandhowmanyof
thematethesalmonandtrout.Figuringthisoutwillhelpthefisheriesknowhowtodealwiththeseals
andfindoutiftheyaretheoneseatingthesalmonandtrout.TheDNAsampleswillhelpwith
determiningifthesealsareeatingthesalmonandthetrout,andphotoidentificationwillhelpwith
knowingifsomesealsfrequenttheriversmorethanothers.

MikaylaBambrick
Bio1615
Thursday4pmclass

METHODS/MATERIALS
Thisstudywasathreeyearstudyintherivers:Conon,KyleofSutherlandandNess,allin
Scotland.Thepeopledidriversurveys,whichtheycountedallthesealsfromtheriverbank.Theyalso
tookpicturesforphotoidentificationsothattheycouldtellwhichsealswerevisitingtheriversthemost.
Theteamalsocollecteddigestivetractsamples.Whenevertheycouldretrievecarcasseswithin24hours
ofdeaththeywouldremovethestomachandintestines.Theywouldstorethestomachandintestinesat
20degreescelsiusandthenthawthemlaterandremovethecontentsandtestforDNAoftroutor
salmon.

RESULTS
Duringthisstudy,therewasatemporalvariationinthenumberofsealspresentinallthree
rivers.Thegreysealabundancefluctuatedintraannuallysimilarlyinallthreeriversbeingmostly
abundantduringthewintermonths.Theharboursealswerealsomoreabundantduringthewinter
monthsintheCononandNess.Inthesummermonths,harboursealsincreasedintheCononandKyle
ofSutherland.TheDNAsamplescollectedshowedthattherewasahigherpercentageofsalmonand
troutDNAfoundinthesealsintheriversthanthoseatthecoastalsites.Manyphotosweretakenso
thattheteamcouldseehowmanysealsfrequentedtherivers,thetablebelowshowstheresultsfromthe
surveyandthephotos.

Conon

Kyle

Left

Ness

Total

L
right

left

right

left

right

left

right

Harbourseals
Totalno.ofcaptures
%(no.)of
unidentifiablecaptures

4
7

8(10)

(3)

1
6

16

8(6)

7(4)

(3)

0(4)

6(19)

9
7

1
1(11)

MikaylaBambrick
Bio1615
Thursday4pmclass

%(no.)ofidentifiable
captures

9
2(47)

2(37)

No.ofindividuals
identified

8
2(10)

3(11)

3(40)

0(38)

4(97)

8
9(86)

2
0

2
3

Greyseals
Totalno.ofcaptures

4
6

%(no.)of
unidentifiablecaptures

(1)

(0)

%(no.)ofidentifiable
captures

8(45)

00(43)

72

9(10)

1(11)

3(12)

9(19)

3(23)

1(24)

9(25)

7(80)

1(79)

7(149)

1
7(30)

8
3(147)

1
8

210

1
77

No.ofindividuals
identified
No.ofdaysobservation

1
4

149

179

1
9

538

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
Themainreasonforthisstudywastofindoutifsealsintheriverswereeatingthesalmonand
trout.Theyfoundthatasmallpercentageofthesealswereeatingthesalmonandtrout,butonlythosein
therivers,nottheonesintheestuaries.Beingabletoremovetheproblemindividualsasamanagement
strategyalldependsonthenumberandoccurrenceoftheproblemindividuals,butalsoyouhavetobe
abletodefineandidentifytheproblemindividualstobeableremovethem.Therearesolittleofthe
problemindividualsthattherewouldbeissuesofdefining,identifyingandcontrollingtheproblem
individualsbutwiththisstudy,therearewaystofigureoutwhichareproblemindividualsandwhichare
notsothatpeoplecanstarttocontroltheproblemathand.Thephotoidentificationdataprovided
strongevidenceforthatoffocusingoncontrollingsealsinriverscanprovidethebestpercapita
protectionforsalmonandfisheries,whichisavitalpartoftheframeworkwherebothpredatorandprey
areconserved.