Why did the global harp seal population decline between the 1950s and 1970s?

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harp seal A mother harp seal and a young “whitecoat.” Adult harp seals are gray with black spots. Young harp seals are called “whitecoats,” “bedlamers,” “beaters,” or “graybacks,” depending on their age.

The global harp seal population declined between the 1950s and 1970s primarily due to intense hunting pressure. During this period, the commercial sealing industry harvested the animals extensively, which caused the worldwide population to drop to approximately 1.5 million individuals.1

It is important to note that the ethical treatment of animals is a fundamental moral imperative. The subsequent public outrage regarding the killing of "whitecoat" pups, which gained significant momentum during this time, eventually led to stricter regulations, international bans on seal products, and a collapse in the market for such goods. These factors, combined with the implementation of government-enforced quotas, reduced the scale of the hunts and allowed the harp seal population to recover in the following decades.1