How seals steal prey from fishermen on Sakhalin
On Sakhalin, videographer Sergei Lyubachenko captured on video how seals steal catch from fishermen. I read the news that fishermen are fighting with seals that steal their fish, the man decided to see this for himself and conducted a little investigation. He monitored the seals using a drone and on the second observation he was still able to catch the thieves red-handed.
Author Sergei Lyubachenko writes:
“Having read the news that fishermen are waging war on seals in fishing nets, I decided to see if this was true and what the reasons were. I made observations on 5 nets over 6 days.
On the second day of observation, I still managed to catch them “stealing.” It is worth noting that the seal is a very timid animal, even an empty boat tied to the “cauldron” of the seine alarms them, they stay at a decent distance from it. If there is a boat with fishermen, the seals leave completely.
How much does a seal eat? One individual eats 3-5 kg per day. fish, etc. For conversion: 1 chum salmon weighs 3-5 kg; 1 pink salmon - 2-3 kg.
From observations, the seal does not wait for fish to enter the net; it hunts for it where it is. Of the 5 seines, there were seals in only two, which were located in close proximity to their historically formed rookeries.
Yes, I heard popping noises, but I can’t say whether it was a gunshot or a firecracker. But it is obvious that the war for the catch exists. Here’s just the answer to the question “Who steals fish from whom?” I would leave it open."
