Atlantic cod, white hake recommended for endangered species list

The low number of white hake and Atlantic codhasled to therecommendation they be given endangered status by theCommittee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

Nearly half a million grey sealsin the Northwest Atlanticthat feed on the fish are the main cause behind the recommendation, according to the committee.

It's also a combination of two other factors, saidHugues Benoit, head of the marinesfish section at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

"The available information we have now it does suggest that the combined effect of the low level of abundance of these fish species and high level of abundance of grey seals could be the cause of elevated natural mortality," hesaid.

Benoitsuggests that seals are a "generalist" speciesthey eat what'savailable to them.If the population of hake and cod are scarce, sealsmove on toany other available species.

• Scientists call for experimental cull of 73,000 seals

The declineoffish populations and the possible declaration of some species as endangered are leaving fisherman with limited options.

"They [fisherman]respect the rules even though it's a frustrating to be following rules," saidChristian Brun, executive director of the Maritime Fishermen's Union.

"They feel it's a challenge to participate and establish an equilibrium and balance in these fisheries."

Brun saidthe seals will often interfere with fisherman byeating fish caught in the nets which leads toreducedharvest numbers.

Seal cull: is it the answer?

In 2012, the Senate's fisheries committeeannounced a plan to cull 70,000 seals to save the cod population. The committee's report alsoalso recommendedsetting up a bounty system to compensate hunters.

The plan was criticized by some, including a group of marine biologists at Dalhousie University who claimed the seal population wasn't solely responsible for the decline in cod.

The culling of the seals was reconsidered several times, but never approved.

Hunting for seals is open, but there is a decline in the market due to the ban on seal products by the European Union.