Wanton seals targeted
By Colleen Dane - Comox Valley Record - April 16, 2008 | | | |

Anytime between now and December 2010, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans can cull nuisance seals snacking at the Puntledge hatchery fish ladder.

But they hope an electrical deterrent, to be installed next week under the Fifth Street Bridge, will preclude the lethal removal of the animals.

“If we can keep the seals out of their favourite foraging areas in the river they might just give up and leave,” said Gary Taccogna, salmon enhancement operation manager for the South Coast.

The seal removal licence was renewed recently after it had previously been granted in late summer of 2007. The late arrival of the licence last year, though, meant the fish migration that brings the nuisance seals out for easy feeding was over.

This year, Taccogna said they developed a plan that should better protect the migrating salmon and steelhead smolts who have become an easy target for the opportunistic seals.

There are two trouble spots where seals are snacking wantonly on the salmon

“It’s a learned behaviour and it’s fairly unique,” said Taccogna about the targeted feeding at night using the lights of the tennis courts and bridge.

This weekend they will begin installing and testing the electronic deterrent that was tested last year in the river bed, and it will be used in the evenings right through to mid-July.

Hopefully, he said, that will stop the seals from heading upriver. If not, they have the removal licence further upstream at the fish ladder.

The Puntledge River Restoration Group has been advocating for a cull in the lower part of the river —

In the meantime a trap is already set up in the fish ladder, ready to stop seals getting in the way now.

reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/comoxvalleyrecord/news/17747689.html