The scientific evidence is such that it's not a direct-line relationship between the number of seals and the number of cod consumed and the impacts on the population. Sure, they.... I'm not going to defend....
Predator-prey interactions are such that it's a complex dynamic; it's not a straight-line relationship, and it never will be. Seals eat lots of other things; cod populations aren't driven by the number of seals. If we have strong cod populations, they certainly could be resilient to the seal harvest.
But the point is.... And let's get away from “one predator, one prey”. That was the whole point of my talk: we have to look at ecosystem-based management, putting back some of the refuges and some of the resiliency into the system that we're continually impacting, such as corals and other habitats and other spawning areas for cod, for example.
It's a factor, but no one can tell you how many seals taken will result in a return to cod recovery.