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Although their range remains the same,
seal populations have declined in coastal Alaska.
Data collected by K. Pitcher and L. Jemison, Alaska Department
of Fish and Game
I couldn't get enough sealskins from home
[to build a qayak] because we are losing a lot of our
seals. They are declining at 6% a year. I belong to
the Harbor Seal Commission and I work with them trying
to figure out what's causing it.
-Nick Tanape, Sr.
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Harbor Seal Fur
Pratt Museum Photo Archives |
Shifting Grounds
Despite clever adaptations, current scientific research shows
an alarming decline in harbor seal populations since the 1960s,
especially in southcentral Alaska.
Villagers from Nanwalek and Port Graham traditionally included
the islands and shorelines inside Kachemak Bay as part of
their hunting grounds. With recreational cabins springing
up on the south shore and kayak-paddling sightseers bobbing
in calm waters, Native hunting areas are dwindling along with
the seal populations.
Studies in Kodiak document the decline
of seal populations in southcentral Alaska.
Data collected by K. Pitcher and L. Jemison, Alaska Department
of Fish and Game
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