Small scale coastal fishing along the Baltic Sea coast is rapidly declining. This has consequences for e.g. cultural heritage in small fishing communities and reduces the availability of locally produced fish. This development has several explanations, but one frequently put forward in the debate is the growing seal populations.
The purpose of this project is to estimate the direct costs of seal damage in Swedish fisheries. Direct costs are defined as costs for damaged fishing gear and labor costs due to interactions with seals. Data has been collected for 2013 and 2014 in questionnaires administrated by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.
The project ends in 2019.