New England Gray Seal Comeback Calls for Controlled Hunts, Some Say

Decades ago gray seals nearly went extinct in New England waters, but now they are finally starting to make a comeback - so much so that some people are calling for controlled hunts in the area, according to reports.

Hunting decimated seal populations by the mid-20^th century, but thanks to conservation efforts, an abundance of food and migration from Canada, their numbers have rebounded and they are on their way to recovery.

However, some residents of Nantucket are so fed up with the huge number of barking seals around that they believe controlled hunts are in order - like the way many states such as Indiana manage deer with regulated hunts.

Nantucket resident and recreational fisherman Peter Krogh, whose Seal Abatement Coalition has collected 2,000 signatures asking federal officials to amend laws that prevent culling of gray seals, said the marine animals are a threat to fishing and tourism on the island.

He adds that "all options" should be considered for controlling their population.

"This is a real threat to the traditional way of life on this island," Krogh told The Associated Press (AP).

According to the NOAA, some estimates equate the level of fish removal from seals to exceed that of fishing industries.

But, Brian Sharp, the manager of marine mammal rescue for the Cape Cod-based International Fund for Animal Welfare, said gray seals feed mostly on fish species of little commercial value, like sand lance.

Beachgoers also bemoan the 600-pound seals' return because they seem to be bringing more hungry sharks to the area.

As predicted, conservationists are less than happy about the proposed hunts and amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow such practices.

Even some fishermen don't think hunts are necessary, saying that seals and commercial fishing can coexist with little strife.

"Culls of gray seals have not been shown to increase fish populations. It's not that simple," Sharp told the AP. "What we're seeing is a normal growth curve of seals repopulating an area."

For now, no decision has been made over the proposed seal hunts. The 10-foot-long gray seals, or horsehead seals, are continuing to flourish, and business is booming for seal watch ferries from Maine to Massachusetts where seals roam North Atlantic waters.