It is estimated that today there is a population of about 40,000-60,000 gray seals that add to it for the fishing industry, partly because they eat fish, and partly destroy the fishing gear.

- For fishermen and even small-scale fishing, the damage has been extensive for a long time. There has been a great need to increase the hunt, says Nils Mårtenson, game manager at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, to TT.

450 fallen seals - after two months

In the decision to license hunting, a total of 2,000 gray seals in Sweden may be felled during the period 20 April to 31 January 2021. In Östergötland, 51 fallen seals have so far been reported and 15 for Gotland. And after two months, a total of 450 gray seals in the country have been shot along the coast. 

Cool interest in shelter hunting

In previous years, only protective hunting has been decided for gray seals, but the interest has been cool as hunting is very demanding.

- It is a very difficult hunt, and most preferably if you are to salvage them afterwards. Those who are far in the archipelago do the greatest damage to the fishery, but they are also the most difficult to obtain, says Anders Johansson, professional fisherman in the Sankt Archipelago to SVT Öst.

With the introduction of the license hunt, it is now hoped that more seals will be dropped.

- It remains to be seen if everyone in the quota will fall. We hope so, but in Finland, for example, when license hunting was introduced that some seals were taken care of in the beginning, then interest decreased, says game manager Nils Mårtenson.