Seal Diet

For many years it has been suspected that seal predation is a factor in the high mortality rate of cod around Newfoundland and Labrador.  Two species of seals, harp and hooded, are considered important within the context of seal predation on cod, their prey and other groundfish in Atlantic Canada.

Understanding the diet of harp and hooded seals in offshore areas (most seal sampling occurs in nearshore areas, where the majority of the population never enters) is critical for estimating the amount and type of prey consumed.