Harp seals travel through the gulf. They cause a lot of damage and eat a lot of fish. You have to be aware that we cannot just deal with harp seals; we also have to deal with grey seals. There is market potential for harp seals, but also for grey seals.
Grey seals stay within the gulf of St. Lawrence throughout the year. The Sable Island population is about 300,000 seals, based on the most recent estimates. These animals live around Sable Island and travel throughout the gulf.
It is clear that the current market for grey seals is not very developed, and we have to address this issue immediately. We have to find a way to control the grey seal population before the situation becomes irreversible, because these animals eat fish throughout the year. This is becoming more and more obvious. You could be fishing for cod with a hook at the end of your line and when you have caught one, a seal will come up and snatch it away. Similarly, you cannot keep an Atlantic halibut which has been half eaten. So grey seals represent a huge problem.
We need to invest money to find new markets or to find ways of using every single part of the seal. I know that the government looked into the matter, but the project was shelved.
You cannot deal with harp seals without also dealing with grey seals. Otherwise, the entire fishing industry will suffer and the situation will become irreversible.