Over the past few decades, major changes have occurred in the abundance of seals, whales and sea birds breeding in the North Pacific. In Alaska, harbor seal numbers are greatly reduced, northern fur seals are depleted, while Steller sea lions have been declared endangered in parts of their range. Similar declines have been reported in some seabird breeding colonies. In British Columbia, Steller sea lion numbers appear stable, but harbor seal populations have increased rapidly. Further south, striking increases are being observed in the range and abundance of elephant seals and California sea lions.

Such large-scale changes may be a natural phenomenon or may be connected with similar changes occurring concomitantly in a number of commercial fisheries. All told, they stand to impact commercial fisheries and the lives of peoples in coastal communities throughout the North Pacific.

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