Rogue seal attack sparks call for fish cleaning ban

The call comes in the wake of a tourist who was severely injured late last month after a seal lept from the water near a boat ramp at Port Fairy and attacked her.

Moyne Shire Council is considering introducing the ban in an effort to stop seals from populating boat ramps looking for a free feed from fishers returning to clean their catch.

ABC News reported the woman, in her 70s, was bitten “to the bone” on her leg by the seal as she walked her dog along the foreshore of the historic fishing village near Warrnambool.

"She was walking on the boardwalk,” one witness told the ABC. “She was walking past with her dog and she was standing there … about to walk off and the seal literally lunged out of the water and bit her leg.”

The Port of Port Fairy’s board has flagged that it will ask Moyne Shire Council to introduce a by-law that bans the cleaning of fish at boat ramps, which would mean the removal of fish-cleaning facilities at the port.

“Fisherman might cry out ‘not fair’ about our decisions, but unfortunately it’s been a few fishermen who have behaved irresponsibly that have caused this action to be taken, and then all the fishermen suffer,” Moyne Shire councillor Colin Ryan told the ABC.

He said the move was necessary to prevent more injuries, and even a death.

Under Victorian wildlife laws, people must not come within 30 metres of a seal on water and on land. Dogs, meanwhile, are not allowed within 50 metres of seals. The state’s laws also warn people to stay at least five metres away from a seal on a boat ramp, pier or other manmade structure.

“Never attempt to feed seals,” the Department of Land, Water, Environment and Planning says. “Seals can quickly become dependent on humans, and in some situations can become a nuisance or even dangerous.

“Feeding fish scraps to seals at boat ramps can result in people getting bitten and the animal having to be euthanised.”

Anglers are not allowed to clean some species of fish at sea to help with enforcing bag and size limits, and must clean them on land. Any ban will effectively force fishers to wait until they get home before cleaning.

Rogue seals are a known problem in some parts of Victoria. One late last year almost swamped a tinnie at Bemm River in the state’s east after it leapt onboard and snatched a bag of bream.

When asked about the Bemm River attack, Parks Victoria told boatsales.com.au that seals were showing aggressive behaviour “often around boat ramps”.

“While it [reports of seals stealing fish from anglers] isn’t that common, there have been reports of this type of seal behaviour … often around boat ramps,” a Parks Victoria spokeswoman said.

“It is possible that seals may jump in boats looking for food, as they may have previously been fed from boats.

“You should never feed or interact with seas, from boats or from land.”