Thread: Inshore fishing under threat?

If seals are problem how is it that many large fish were caught in the ‘early days’ when seals were apparently still prolific?

Maybe because back then humans were less prolific…

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

If seals are problem how is it that many large fish were caught in the ‘early days’ when seals were apparently still prolific?

Maybe because back then humans were less prolific…

Remember seals were hunted from around year 1800 here and very quickly the seals in the areas later populated by settlers were gone, the seal hunters having to concentrate on areas like Fiordland and islands south of NZ. Settler likely hardly saw a seal. Maori populations dropped too, from 200,000 to 20,000 due to disease thus reducing the fish take. Maori culled seals from their fishing grounds historically.
What also needs considered is that there was not the vast quota takes we have now. I just see seals as one part of the puzzle that has been ignored