Fisherman says seals nearly match Faroese vessels catch

Seals in Faroese waters may be eating nearly as much round fish as fishing vessels catch, experienced fisherman Hjaltur Poulsen told Kringvarp Føroya (KVF). He called for permission to shoot both seals and cormorants, saying their populations have grown sharply.

Poulsen, from Klaksvik, owns the 7.3-metre speedboat Eldorado, which can travel at 40 knots. He frequently goes to sea and travels widely, allowing him to observe changes in nature.

He said the seal population had increased significantly because shooting them is not permitted. Based on the numbers he has seen and heard others discuss, Poulsen estimated that seals eat almost as much fish as is caught by Faroese vessels.

“If politicians do not act and allow us to shoot both seals and cormorants, things will become completely unacceptable,” he said.

Poulsen also said he had never seen as many cormorants as he sees now. He described the birds as particularly voracious and said they eat very large quantities of fish.

He argued that lawmakers should allow cormorants to be shot in August, when their young can be hunted. Poulsen shared his views on KVF’s Summarmorgun programme.