Dr. Paddy Gargan:

There are certain haul-out sites and there are certain estuaries where the seals are present all year round, although they do migrate. The conclusion was that seals will have more potential impact on vulnerable salmon stocks. The other site we investigated was the River Moy, and because of the large salmon population, the same level of seal predation would not have the same impact on the salmon population on the Moy as it might on the Slaney.

This study was undertaken to see what had happened since drift netting ceased and whether there had been an increase in seal predation on inshore stocks. It is difficult to arrive at definitive answers, but the conclusion was that the risk was much greater where the salmon population is more vulnerable.