Catch data

Catches (Table 3.3.3.3.5) have remained significantly less than the quota (Table 3.3.3.3.6) since 1993.

Catch options

The Greenland Sea harp seals are currently regarded as data poor due to old reproductive data, and if hunt is allowed, catch options should be based on the use of the Potential Biological Removals (PBR) approach (ICES, 2006a). The Potential Biological Removals has been defined as:

PBR = 0.5*R_max*Fr*N_min,

where R_max is the maximum rate of increase for the population, Fr is the recovery factor with values between 0.1 and 1, and N_min = 673050 is the estimated population size using the 20th percentile of the log-normal distribution. R_max is set at a default of 0.12 for pinnipeds. The recovery factor Fr was set to 1 because the population appears to be high and is at least stable (Wade and Angliss, 1997). The PBR level is estimated to be 40383 (Table 3.3.3.3.4). This assumes that the age structure of the removals is proportional to the age composition of the population. It is estimated that the current composition of the population includes 14% pups. A catch consisting of a higher proportion of pups would be more conservative, but a multiplier to convert age 1+ animals to pups is inappropriate.

Impacts of three different catch scenarios as requested by the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs were considered:

1. Current harvest levels,
2. Sustainable catches (defined as the fixed annual catches that stabilizes the future 1+ population),
3. Twice the sustainable catches.

Because of the data-poor status of the stock, WGHARP assumed the PBR level to be equivalent to the sustainable catch. The recent average annual catch (2003–2007) was used as a proxy for the current harvest level catch option.

Current catch levels will likely result in an increase in population size of 43% over the next 10 years, whereas catches at PBR will result in a decline over the next 10 years of 7%, and 2 × PBR levels will result in the population declining by approximately 63%.


Table 3.3.3.3.4. Catch options with relative population size (D1+) in 10 years (2017) for harp seals in the Greenland Sea.

Option #	Catch level	Proportion of pups in catches	Total catch	D1+	Option #	Catch level
				Lower CI	Point est.	Upper CI
1	Recent average (2003–2007)	74.5%	5 822	1.19	1.43	1.67
2	PBR	14.0%	40 383	0.60	0.93	1.25
3	2 × PBR	14.0%	80 766	0.00	0.37	0.80

Table 3.3.3.3.5. Catches of harp seals in the Greenland Sea (“West Ice”) from 1946 through 2008a. Totals include catches for scientific purposes.

Year	Norwegian catches			Russian catches			Total catches
	Pups	1 year and older	Total	Pups	1 year and older	Total	Pups	1 year and older	Total
1946–50	26606	9464	36070	-	-	-	26606	9464	36070
1951–55	30465	9125	39590	-	-	-b	30465	9125	39590
1956–60	18887	6171	25058	1148	1217	2365b	20035	7388	27423
1961–65	15477	3143	18620	2752	1898	4650	18229	5041	23270
1966–70	16817	1641	18458	1	47	48	16818	1688	18506
1971	11149	0	11149	-	-	-	11149	0	11149
1972	15100	82	15182	-	-	-	15100	82	15182
1973	11858	0	11858	-	-	-	11858	0	11858
1974	14628	74	14702	-	-	-	14628	74	14702
1975	3742	1080	4822	239	0	239	3981	1080	5061
1976	7019	5249	12268	253	34	287	7272	5283	12555
1977	13305	1541	14846	2000	252	2252	15305	1793	17098
1978	14424	57	14481	2000	0	2000	16424	57	16481
1979	11947	889	12836	2424	0	2424	14371	889	15260
1980	2336	7647	9983	3000	539	3539	5336	8186	13522
1981	8932	2850	11782	3693	0	3693	12625	2850	15475
1982	6602	3090	9692	1961	243	2204	8563	3333	11896
1983	742	2576	3318	4263	0	4263	5005	2576	7581
1984	199	1779	1978	-	-	-	199	1779	1978
1985	532	25	557	3	6	9	535	31	566
1986	15	6	21	4490	250	4740	4505	256	4761
1987	7961	3483	11444	-	3300	3300	7961	6783	14744
1988	4493	5170	9663c	7000	500	7500	11493	5670	17163
1989	37	4392	4429	-	-	-	37	4392	4429
1990	26	5482	5508	0	784	784	26	6266	6292
1991	0	4867	4867	500	1328	1828	500	6195	6695
1992	0	7750	7750	590	1293	1883	590	9043	9633
1993	0	3520	3520	-	-	-	0	3520	3520
1994	0	8121	8121	0	72	72	0	8193	8193
1995	317	7889	8206	-	-	-	317	7889	8206
1996	5649	778	6427	-	-	-	5649	778	6427
1997	1962	199	2161	-	-	-	1962	199	2161
1998	1707	177	1884	-	-	-	1707	177	1884
1999	608	195	803	-	-	-	608	195	803
2000	6328	6015	12343	-	-	-	6328	6015	12343
2001	2267	725	2992	-	-	-	2267	725	2992
2002	1118	114	1232	-	-	-	1118	114	1232
2003	161	2116	2277				161	2116	2277
2004	8288	1607	9895				8288	1607	9895
2005	4680	2525	7205				4680	2525	7205
2006	2343	961	3304				2343	961	3304
2007	6188	1640	7828				6188	1640	7828
2008	744	519	1263				744	519	1263
a For the period 1946–1970 only 5-year averages are given. b For 1955, 1956, and 1957 Soviet catches of harp and hooded seals were reported at 3900, 11600, and 12900, respectively (Sov. Rep. 1975). These catches are not included. c Including 1431 pups and one adult caught by a ship which was lost.

Table 3.3.3.3.6. Summaries of Norwegian harp and hooded sealing regulations1 for the Greenland Sea (“West Ice”), 1985–2008.

Year	Opening Date	Closing Date	Quotas				Allocations
			Total	Pups	Female	Male	Norway	Soviet & Russian
Hooded Seals
1985	22 March	5 May	(20,000)2	(20,000)2	03	Unlim.	8,0004	3,300
1986	18 March	5 May	9,300	9,300	03	Unlim.	6,000	3,300
1987	18 March	5 May	20,000	20,000	03	Unlim.	16,700	3,300
1988	18 March	5 May	(20,000)2	(20,000)2	03	Unlim.	16,700	5,000
1989	18 March	5 May	30,000	0	03	Incl.	23,100	6,900
1990	26 March	30 June	27,500	0	0	Incl.	19,500	8,000
1991	26 March	30 June	9,000	0	0	Incl.	1,000	8,000
1992–94	26 March	30 June	9,000	0	0	Incl.	1,700	7,300
1995	26 March	10 July	9,000	0	0	Incl.	1,7007	7,300
1996	22 March	10 July	9,0008				1,700	7,300
1997	26 March	10 July	9,0009				6,200	2,80011
1998	22 March	10 July	5,00010				2,200	2,80011
1999–00	22 March	10 July	11,20012				8,400	2,80011
2001–03	22 March	10 July	10,30012				10,300
2004–05	22 March	10 July	5,60012				5,600
2006	22 March	10 July	4,000				4,000
2007–0814			0	0	0	0	0	0
Harp Seals
1985	10 April	5 May	(25,000)2	(25,000)2	05	05	7,000	4,500
1986	22 March	5 May	11,500	11,500	05	05	7,000	4,500
1987	18 March	5 May	25,000	25,000	05	05	20,500	4,500
1988	10 April	5 May	28,000	05,6	05,6	05,6	21,000	7,000
1989	18 March	5 May	16,000	-	05	05	12,000	9,000
1990	10 April	20 May	7,200	0	05	05	5,400	1,800
1991	10 April	31 May	7,200	0	05	05	5,400	1,800
1992–93	10 April	31 May	10,900	0	05	05	8,400	2,500
1994	10 April	31 May	13,100	0	05	05	10,600	2,500
1995	10 April	31 May	13,100	0	05	05	10,6007	2,500
1996	10 April	31 May8	13,1009				10,600	2,50011
1997–98	10 April	31 May	13,10010				10,600	2,50011
1999–00	10 April	31 May	17,50013				15,000	2,50011
2001–05	10 April	31 May	15,00013				15,000	0
2006–07	10 April	31 May	31,200				31,200	0
2008	5 April	31 May	31,200				31,200	0
1 Other regulations include: Prescriptions for date for departure Norwegian port; only one trip per season; licensing; killing methods; and inspection. 2 Basis for allocation of USSR quota. 3 Breeding females protected ; two pups deducted from quota for each female taken for safety reasons. 4 Adult males only. 5 1 year+ seals protected until 9 April; pup quota may be filled by 1 year+ after 10 April. 6 Any age or sex group. 7 Included 750 weaned pups under permit for scientific purposes. 8 Pups allowed to be taken from 26 March to 5 May. 9 Half the quota could be taken as weaned pups, where two pups equalled one 1+ animal. 10 The whole quota could be taken as weaned pups, where two pups equalled one 1+ animal. 11 Russian allocation reverted to Norway. 12 Quota given in 1+ animals, parts of or the whole quota could be taken as weaned pups, where 1,5 pups equalled one 1+ animal. 13 Quota given in 1+ animals, parts of or the whole quota could be taken as weaned pups, where 2 pups equalled one 1+ animal. 14 Hooded seals protected, only small takes for scientific purposes allowed.