More seal pups on Quebec beaches fuelling surge in illegal interactions

An abnormally high number of baby seals has been spotted on the beaches of Gaspésie and the Magdalen Islands for the past week. But their growing numbers are leading to more people approaching them.

Touching, holding and even allowing children to sit on seal pups are a few of the incidents involving humans reported to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network last week. In other cases, people have attempted to return the animals to the water. 

Patrick Weldon, director of the network's management and conservation unit, says his team received about 50 reports last week, including around 20 for actions deemed unacceptable against baby seals. 

Usually, his team receives only two to three calls between mid-February and mid-March — the time of year when whitecoats are born. Due to decreasing ice levels offshore in recent years, seal pups are moving closer to the coast where the ice is of better quality.

Actions that may seem innocuous to humans can in fact be lethal to seal pups.

"If there's too many people around or folks manipulating or just like a constant human presence, the [seal] mom might be dissuaded to come and take care of her young," said Weldon. 

"Essentially, if it can't feed, well then it doesn't gain any weight and unfortunately, it doesn't survive." 

Weldon explained that the mothers, who leave seal pups on the ice to hunt, are the primary source of energy for the whitecoats. The young seals are highly dependent on their mothers' milk during the weaning period.

How to protect seal pups

While Weldon acknowledged that not all animals survive to adulthood, he emphasized that humans can help minimize the harm.

"It's very important to respect the animal, respect its space," he said.

"Admire them from afar and appreciate that we're lucky enough to have these animals and our role and responsibility in making sure that they're able to lead lives after that is to leave them alone." 

Weldon advises anyone who comes across a seal pup to avoid approaching, touching or holding them. 

His network also has volunteers going out on the shores and educating the public about how to behave toward the animals.

Weldon encourages people to contact his group at 1 877-722-5346 if they encounter dead or injured marine mammals. 

Guy Thibault, senior compliance officer with the Conservation and Protection Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, highlights that disturbing a marine mammal is illegal under Canada's Marine Mammal Regulations.

He says an illegal interaction can land you a $100,000 fine for a first offence.

"This is prohibited, first, to feed a harp seal or a pup seal, to swim with a seal or interact with it, to move it or to cause it to move," said Thibault. 

"We all love the pups, but to make sure they are secure and we respect them, it is much, much better to keep a good distance from them." 

Thibault advises staying at least 50 metres away from the pups and reporting any incidents to the Poaching Alert line or completing the government's online form.

He says recent human-seal interactions are currently under investigation.