One small population of indomitable freshwater seals still holds out, but for how long?

Being a subspecies of the harbour seal, it mostly resembles the nominal species, even if it does differ in a few respects. It has a dark coat and a larger, flatter skull. It breeds earlier than other harbour seals, i.e. early May as opposed to June for marine seals at the same latitudes. Its range being entirely in fresh water, it feeds on fish such as lake whitefish, lake trout, lake cisco and brook trout. It is also genetically distinct from its cousins. Indigenous people who are familiar with this subspecies consider its fur softer and glossier. It is also said to be smaller and that its flesh has a distinct flavour.

Its restricted range and the small size of its population – estimated at between 50 and  600 individuals – make  it vulnerable. In April 1996, it was designated “Special Concern,” before being uplisted to “Endangered” in November 2007 during a status reassessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The population is also genetically and geographically isolated, which limits its recovery potential.

Human activities such as tourism, scientific field data collection and mining can all create disturbance. Noise disturbance is not the only issue, as mining activities can also have repercussions on water quality and alter the flow of proximate water bodies. Though often opportunistic, hunting may be detrimental to this population given how small it is. Bear predation has also increased, according to some Indigenous hunters. These large omnivores appear to have expanded their range in response to climate change.

Tourism, which is now booming, can also disrupt the population’s essential activities. The habitat of this seal lies mostly in remote and inaccessible territory, meaning disturbance is negligible for the moment. In the future, should this threat increase, the park could implement increased protection zones within its boundaries and limit or even prohibit access altogether.

Is the recovery of this population possible? Indeed, recovery is considered feasible because it meets a number of scientific criteria. Individuals are able to reproduce and the population has room to expand its range in the event its population grows. Although the impact of climate change must be closely monitored, the majority of threats have already been mitigated thanks to the establishment  of Parc national Tursujuq. Other habitat protection measures such as the creation of special zoning may also be put in place to ensure the long-term health of this population.