Dismay and despair as 'dogs of the sea' threaten fishing livelihoods in Tasmania

Updated

Relocated seals are proving a big problem for fishing community in north-west Tasmania.

More than 2,000 seals were caught near Tasmania's southern salmon farms last financial year and taken by road 400 kilometres away for release in the north west.

Far from cute "dogs of the sea", locals say the relocated seals are harassing fishing vessels, destroying nets, attacking birds, killing penguins and stealing catches.

The seals would usually take at least four days to return south. But now, frustrated locals say the seals have begun to stay.

When Craig Garland talks about seals, tears well in his eyes.

A fisherman all his life on Tasmania's rugged north-west coast, Craig says his business is being pushed to the limits by a growing seal population.

"Ten or so years ago you'd be lucky to see 15 or 20 here, now you can see there's hundreds of them," Mr Garland says as we pull past Bull Rock, a known place for seals.

Mr Garland took the ABC out on his small runabout past Bull Rock to show us first-hand how numerous the seals have become.

As he pulls in a net off Rocky Cape, a large seal snatches part of his catch.

As we head off at about 20 knots, the seal tenaciously shadows Mr Garland's boat at a distance, popping its head above water every 30 seconds to keep an eye on our progress.

When Mr Garland moves to a new position, the seal again moves in.

This time two others join in.

Mr Garland is one of a community of local fishermen who say their livelihood is under threat because of seal colonies.

Fisherman David "Possum" Osborne tells us he has lost thousands of dollars in time and money as seals destroy his nets.

"It will take me two days to re-work this net," he says, pointing to a hole about the size of beanbag.

"That's two days not being able to work."

Possum and his wife Colleen have been documenting the seal problem for the better part of two decades.

A scrapbook of old news articles chronicling promises and proposals stands testament to their frustration.

They're dismayed by repeated pledges that relocation is a "temporary" program to combat problem seals in Tasmania's southern waters, a problem that seems to never go away.

Worse, they say, the problem has been getting more serious in recent years. And the seals have become bolder.

"Seals now equate man and boat with food," Ms Osborne says.

Possum agrees.

"You've got a rod in one hand, you lean over the side to bring (a fish) aboard and just as you go to grab him, a seal will come and take him out of your hands."

"It's not going to be long before one of us guys on the coast lose a hand or something."

Tasmania's biggest salmon producer Tassal says it "understands the frustrations" of Tasmania's fishermen, and is investing in seal-proof facilities.

The company is understood to be the only large salmon producer still relocating seals.

Figures show that the number of relocations shot up from 151 in 2016 to more than 2,100 in last financial year, with more than 400 relocated just last month.

In a statement to the ABC, Tassal said it was "investing millions of dollars into new ocean sanctuary pens, which ensures greater protection of wildlife ... particularly seals".

"These pens have so far demonstrated that they are seal-proof, with zero breaches to date, and are being rolled out as quickly as they can be constructed across high seal-population locations and all new locations."

Tassal says as the seal-proof pens roll out there will be a "significant reduction in the number of seal relocations".

Bob Gillam wants to know why seal-proof facilities weren't rolled out years ago.

"It's been happening for years you know, they're a big business, driving us small businesses to the wall."

Gillam said he hasn't worked in two months because of seals.

"I haven't been able to net since about the 10th of June, the seals got on top of me then and I've been sitting around for two months with no income."

"They're getting very aggressive.

"It's only a matter of time, probably this summer, when a dingy will go over."

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian Government says it recognises the practice of relocating seals is not ideal and is working closely with industry to address the issue.

But Liberal backbencher Adam Brooks recently broke ranks, calling for an end to the relocation program.

Mr Gillam has a stern message for the Government, especially Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff — who's also the Minister of Primary Industries and Water — and his local member.

"It would be just like someone dumping 2,500 kangaroos on Jeremy Rockliff's bloody farm. How would he like it?," Mr Gillam says.

There are no timeframes for ending the program, so for now the north-west will continue as a dumping ground for rogue seals.

We return to shore with Mr Garland.

He's pulled in more than a kilometre of nets across the north coast — he has caught fewer than three dozen fish.

Topics: fishing-aquaculture, environmental-management, environmental-impact, burnie-7320

First posted