PUP PRODUCTION AND POPULATION TRENDS OF THE GREY-SEAL (HALICHOERUS-GRYPUS) IN THE GULF OF ST-LAWRENCE

Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pup production of the Gulf of St. Lawre nce component of the Northwest Atlantic grey seal population was deter mined for the 1984-1986 and 1989-1990 periods using mark-recapture met hods. Pup production estimates based on recaptures from shot samples f rom Anticosti Island ranged from 5436 (SE = 672) to 6955 (SE = 1183) f or 1984-1986. An independent estimate for 1984-1986, based on animals captured on Sable Island, was 7431 (SE = 1414) to 8633 (SE = 2827). Ma rk-recapture estimates of pup production for 1989 and 1990 from shot s amples collected from Anticosti Island were 8825 (SE = 3164) and 9156 (SE = 2652), respectively. The estimates based on animals captured on Sable Island varied from 7295 (SE = 2118) to 8116 (SE = 846) for 1989- 1990. Both the Anticosti Island and Sable Island recovery samples unde restimate 1989 pup production due to hunting which removed 1612 pups f rom the population before they could disperse. The Gulf component of t he Northwest Atlantic grey seal population is increasing at an annual rate of 7.4% (SE = 2.2).