After 100 years of absence, large numbers of Pacific white-sided dolphins are back in the northern part of British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 Salish Sea.

But while their return is being greeted by some with delight, the head of a commercial fisheries group is dismayed by the appearance of what he calls an 害羞草研究所渋nvasive species,害羞草研究所� alongside increasing numbers of seals and sea lions.

Simone Thom, a BC Ferries catering worker, said she was thrilled to see a superpod of hundreds of Pacific white-sided dolphins, frolicking in the wake of a ferry from Comox to Powell River last month.

Thom害羞草研究所檚 video of the 害羞草研究所渆xhilarating害羞草研究所� encounter went viral on social media.

害羞草研究所淚t (was) truly magical to see them in their natural state doing their ballet,害羞草研究所� said Thom. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e lived here on the island pretty much my whole life and I害羞草研究所檝e never seen this.害羞草研究所�

So many dolphins in that particular area is rare, said Professor Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia.

Although there are estimated to be one million Pacific white-sided dolphins, they are usually found in the open ocean.

Small numbers began to visit the Georgia Strait in the early 2000s, with about 100 to 200 eventually taking up residence in the Salish Sea, Trites said.

害羞草研究所淲e know they were here in the past,害羞草研究所� Trites said.

Their remains have been found in First Nations middens going back 2,000 years, but they all but disappeared for 100 years, he added.

害羞草研究所淪o that害羞草研究所檚 a strange thing, like where did they go and what brought them back?害羞草研究所�

Their return coincides with an increase in the number of seals, sea lions and transient killer whales that prey upon marine mammals.

Trites said one possible explanation was that through complex food web interactions, the increase in the number of seals may lead to more young herring for dolphins to feed on.

害羞草研究所淏efore this time, we had heavy culling of seals. There was whaling. We害羞草研究所檝e come through a period of removing marine mammals and trying to control nature. And now, since they害羞草研究所檝e been protected, I think the ecosystem is re-establishing itself and re-establishing a natural balance which is healthier overall.害羞草研究所�

Others vehemently disagree.

害羞草研究所淭hese dolphins are here because the balance in the waters is off,害羞草研究所� said Tom Sewid, a commercial fisherman from Kwakwaka害羞草研究所檞akw First Nation. He said the dolphins are 害羞草研究所渁n invasive species害羞草研究所� driven into new waters by driftnet fleets.

As for the increasing number of seals and sea lions over the past 50 years, Sewid said it was another example of how the ocean is out of balance.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e forgotten our Indigenous ways of harvesting seals and sea lions, and in those areas, we害羞草研究所檙e seeing a great overpopulation,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that he believed overpopulation of seals and sea lions was a major contributor to the depletion of salmon stocks.

Sewid is the president of Pacific Balance Marine Management, an organization seeking to protect salmon and other fin fish stocks from being 害羞草研究所渆aten into extinction,害羞草研究所� by redeveloping a First Nations-led commercial seal and sea lion harvest.

He said a series of fisheries ministers had 害羞草研究所渂asically ignored害羞草研究所� their requests.

Sewid said he addressed federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray at last month害羞草研究所檚 first-ever Seal Summit, a two-day conference for stakeholders in the seal industry.

害羞草研究所淚 said, 害羞草研究所楥ome hell or high water, coastal First Nations and river First Nations of British Columbia, we will get a licence to sell our seal and sea lion products,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said. He said he would take the issue to the courts if necessary.

B.C. First Nations are currently allowed to harvest seals and sea lions for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Sewid says permitting the sale of fur, omega-3 supplements, meat and other products would create 4,000 jobs and allow fin fish populations to recover.

In the past three years, Pacific Balance Marine Management has provided gift cards to First Nations harvesters to purchase bullets.

Sewid estimated that thousands of seals have been removed for food, social and ceremonial purposes from rivers, lakes and estuaries. He said salmon numbers were increasing in some systems as a result.

Stomach samples were being taken for research purposes, and meat and blubber testing for toxins.

Sewid said he would submit a harvest proposal to Murray, and wants a quota set for seals and seal lions.

He estimates an annual harvest of 5,000 to 10,000 seals would be sustainable. According to Fisheries an Oceans research documents, there are approximately 40,000 sea lions and 105,000 seals in all of B.C.

Carl Walters, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, sees the potential for a substantial First Nations-led seal and sea lion harvest based on historical data and modelling predictions. He presented his findings in early December to the Senate committee on fisheries and oceans.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 wrong to think things are coming into balance. OK, even if they are, why do we have to accept that kind of balance? Why do we have to accept a balance that has a top-heavy food web with a really large number of ugly, nasty blubberballs hauled out on the rocks?害羞草研究所� he asked.

He said a 50 per cent reduction of the seal and sea lion population over two to three years would yield the maximum sustainable yield of seals and sea lions, while rebuilding the Georgia Strait salmon fishery to about half what it was at its peak in the 1980s.

害羞草研究所淚f it was up to me, we害羞草研究所檇 knock them down to about 20 per cent of their current level. We害羞草研究所檇 accept a lower harvest for that population, because the benefits to the fishery would be so much larger.害羞草研究所�

He said there害羞草研究所檚 no doubt that seals and sea lions are consuming salmon, but it害羞草研究所檚 not clear if they are actually eating 害羞草研究所渄ead fish swimming害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� older or diseased fish that were about to die anyway.

The only way to know for sure, he said, would be to conduct a large-scale experiment to reduce the population by half, and assess the impact on salmon stocks over 10 years.

He said he was 害羞草研究所渃ompletely confident that there will not be a big food web effect.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e had a 60-year period from 1920 to 1980 where seal populations were low in the Georgia Strait,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e had a huge long experiment if you like, and nothing went wrong in the ecosystem 害羞草研究所� In a way, we害羞草研究所檇 be returning the system to the state that showed really high productivity. It害羞草研究所檚 a no-brainer.害羞草研究所�

But Trites warned that such an experiment would be a 害羞草研究所渉uge gamble.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所淭he risk of running such an experiment is that you害羞草研究所檙e playing with life.害羞草研究所�

Trites said seal and sea lions numbers had been stable for 25 years, something inconsistent with overpopulation or a population out of balance. Present numbers were similar to what they were in the 1880s, when Europeans first arrived, he said.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 see any evidence that if the seals are removed, you害羞草研究所檙e going to see more salmon,害羞草研究所� he said.

Researchers had found that juvenile salmon were dying in the open ocean at higher rates.

害羞草研究所淭he seals are not in the open ocean,害羞草研究所� Trites said. 害羞草研究所淪omething else is out there.害羞草研究所�

He said there was 害羞草研究所済enerational difference in values害羞草研究所� regarding attitudes toward seal and sea lions.

害羞草研究所淭hose that grew up in the 害羞草研究所�50s and 害羞草研究所�60s saw a world where man dominated and we removed the marine mammals and that was just fine,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淲hat I see with the current generation of young scientists is they害羞草研究所檙e concerned about conservation. They害羞草研究所檙e concerned about keeping ecosystems healthy, and it害羞草研究所檚 not about resource extraction 害羞草研究所� In the end, it害羞草研究所檚 just a difference of values.害羞草研究所�

In a written response to questions, the Fisheries Department said it worked with First Nations on plans to harvest small amounts of seals and sea lions for food, social and ceremonial purposes.

It confirmed it had received a few proposals for a commercial seal and sea lion harvest. A review is typically a multi-year process taking into account ecosystems, biodiversity and harvest methods, it said.

害羞草研究所淐ommercial fisheries are not to be used as a tool to control populations,害羞草研究所� the department said. 害羞草研究所淭here is a high degree of scientific uncertainty regarding the extent of pinniped [seal and sea lion] predation on wild fish stocks.害羞草研究所�

Liana Hwang is a family physician in Alberta with a science degree from the University of British Columbia, and a fellow in Global Journalism at the University of Toronto.

害羞草研究所� LIANA HWANG, THE CANADIAN PRESS

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