HARP SEAL
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Harp seals received their name for the harp
shaped mark on the backs of
adult harp seals usually in the color of a blue
or pale grey. The adult
fur is similar to other kinds of seals. They
are a brown-grey color with
dark patches of black and shades of brown. The
pups on the other
hand have white, curly (wool) fur.
COMMON NAMES
Harp seals
SWIMMING PATTERNS
Harp Seals are very good swimmers. They use
their rear flippers to swim
and their front flippers to control direction
and steer. They have the
ability to stay under water for up to half an hour.
BREEDING AND FEEDING HABITS
During mating season, which is around April,
the Harp Seal can be found
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and offshore Newfoundland.
Feeding: Harp Seals primary food is
marine fish. They also eat crustacea,
mysids, amphipods and shrimp. The most sought
after food is cod.
HABITAT
They have the ability to stay on land or water
and can be found in waters
of Northern parts of Iceland and Northwest
Atlantic. During the summer they
migrate back to Greenland and eastern arctic islands.
GROWTH
It is not known what seals weigh or what their
lengths are when they are born,
but when matured, they can weigh up to 135kg
and reach lengths of 170cm.
STOCK STATUS
At present, the seal population is estimated at
4 million, and continues to grow.
Their numbers are too high to keep the stock
status of fish at a normal rate,
(solutions are being sought in an effort to
reduce their numbers).
PRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL
Harp Seals are the most abundant pinnipeds
in the Northwest Atlantic.
In March 1994, an aerial
survey was conducted to estimate harp seal
pup production in the Gulf
of St. Lawrence and of the east coast of
Newfoundland. The
results of this survey indicate that pup production
has increased from 580,000
( + 78,000 ) in 1990 to 703,000 ( + 127,000 ) in 1994.
The 1994 population
estimate is 4.8 million animals with a range from 4.1 - 5.0
million. This estimate
could be as low as 4.5 million if pup mortality is
assumed to be higher than
that of older seals.
Cod consumption by Harp
Seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was estimated
using information on
individual energy requirements, population size,
diet, and the seasonal
distribution of animals. In 1994, it was estimated
that Gulf Harp Seals
consumed 57,300 t ( 13,500 - 101,000 t ) of cod.
The majority of these cod
were juveniles ( 10 - 20 cm long ) which are too
small to be taken by the
commercial fishery.