2000 News Digest
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15 December 2000
2 November 2000
28 August 2000
25 June 2000
27 April 2000
8 March 2000
More seal mortalities reported from the Caspian Sea - Ecologists from Russia have reported finding seals dying "en masse" along the Caspian Sea shoreline, a further blow to the vulnerable Caspian seal species (Phoca caspica) which has suffered previous mass mortalities (see News, 2 November 2000). It was reported that "The bodies of dead seals can be found every 20-25 metres along the whole shore of the northern part of the Caspian Sea", with up to 5-10 corpses in some places. Representatives of Greenpeace Russia and the Dagestani Natural Reserves Committee were said to be staggered by the scope of the mortality. The reasons for the mortality are unknown, a preliminary examination of over 50 dead seals showing them to be young and in reasonable condition. However strange regular-shaped injuries have been found on many of the dead seals' bodies that may be related to the mortality in some way. For more information, contact Greenpeace Russia at greenpeace.russia@diala.greenpeace.org. (Source: Russian NTV - 26 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
In the meantime, the environmental group Green Front of Iran has reported that a number of dead seals have also been found along the Caspian Sea shoreline in the northern Iranian provinces of Gilan and Mozandaran. There are no exact figures for the mortality and although several samples have been taken by the Iranian Department of Environment there has so far been no analysis of the samples due to a lack of funding. For more information, contact Mohsen Soleymani, Green Front of Iran, at int@greenfront.org. (Source: Green Front of Iran [personal communication] - 3 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Alaskan fisheries restricted to protect Steller sea lions - On 1 December the U.S. federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released a Biological Opinion examining the effects of Alaska's groundfish fisheries on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and other endangered species (see News, 2 November 2000 for previous news on this issue). The Biological Opinion concluded that, while other factors are also contributing to the decline in sea lion numbers, competition with fisheries in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska that target their most important food sources is a significant factor in their decline. It further concluded that continued fishing for groundfish, including pollock, Atka mackerel and Pacific cod, under existing rules is likely to jeopardise the western population of Steller sea lions and to adversely affect their critical habitat. In order to limit competition between fishing vessels and the sea lions, the NMFS announced management measures to restrict the three affected fisheries, including closure of some fishing areas, spreading of the fishing through seasonal harvest limits, and reduction of the fishery for the sea lions' primary food supply in critical habitat areas.
The contents of the Biological Opinion were cautiously welcomed by environmental groups who said that it was the first time that the NMFS had attempted to examine the effects of a fishery in an ecosystem context. However fisheries representatives have protested angrily at the plans and say that the new restrictions will be very detrimental to the fisheries and cause economic hardship. Alaska Governor Tony Knowles was reported as vowing to fight the Biological Opinion. On 8 December a coalition of major environmental groups delivered a letter to the White House urging the Clinton Administration to oppose any attempts by Congress to undermine the Endangered Species Act. The move came after it was revealed in November that Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens had drafted a rider for one of the remaining federal spending bills aimed at blocking the NMFS from implementing the new management measures. The Clinton Administration proposed in November to pay Alaskan fishermen US$75 million in compensation for losses if the rider were withdrawn, an offer which Senator Stevens rejected.
On 5 December, as a result of the Biological Opinion, federal judge Thomas Zilly lifted an injunction which had banned groundfish trawling in Steller sea lion critical habitat in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska since 8 August. On 9 December the North Pacific Fishery Management Council rejected the new measures by 10 votes to 1. The Council's decision is only advisory and the NMFS stated that it would still implement the restrictions. It is thought that the opening dates for the affected fisheries will possibly have to be delayed until the specifics of the management plan can be implemented. A copy of the Biological Opinion can be obtained from http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/steller/index.htm.
(Sources: American Oceans Campaign - 1 Dec, 5 Dec, 8 Dec 2000; Anchorage Daily News - 10 Nov, 2 Dec, 6 Dec, 8 Dec, 9 Dec, 10 Dec 2000; Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund - 1 Dec, 5 Dec, 8 Dec 2000; ENN - 6 Dec 2000; ENS - 4 Dec 2000; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 25 Nov 2000; FIS - 6 Nov, 18 Nov, 22 Nov, 29 Nov, 1 Dec, 1 Dec, 4 Dec, 7 Dec, 8 Dec, 11 Dec, 11 Dec, 11 Dec 2000; Greenpeace USA - 7 Dec, 8 Dec 2000; NMFS - 1 Dec 2000; Seattle Times - 31 Oct 2000) (15 December 2000)
Canadian government set to decrease seal hunt quotas - In a news conference held on 12 December the group International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) revealed that it had received information from within the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans indicating that the Department will lower the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) for the 2001 commercial seal hunt. Congratulating the government on the decision, IFAW pointed to evidence that the current quota needs to be reduced in order to fulfil the government's own policy of sustainability. The government is expected to make a formal announcement on the quota within the next month. For more information, contact IFAW at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org. (Source: IFAW - 12 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
In the meantime the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador announced on 12 December that it is to continue funding the Canadian Sealers Association (CSA), an organisation representing more than 6,000 sealers, to the amount of CAN$50,000. A Government spokesman said that it remained fully committed to the sealing industry in the province and the role played by the CSA. SCS Note - It was reported in May this year that the CSA had lost its funding from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans as of 31 March and was in danger of being forced to close down. (Source: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador - 12 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Earlier, on 5 November, it was reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has allowed a qualified health claim on EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements sold in the United States. The decision is said to have raised the hopes of seal oil producers in Newfoundland. A representative of the seal oil producer Caboto Seafoods said that the decision "puts us closer to a possible reduction in the restrictions on seal oil products". The import of seal products to the United States is currently banned under the U.S. Marine Mammals Protection Act. Seal oil products are allowed in Canada as an alternative dietary supplement and companies are also selling their products in Europe and Asia. The FDA qualified health claim states "The scientific evidence about whether omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease is suggestive, but not conclusive ...". In a press release the FDA admitted that the claim was allowed even though the agency had determined that it did not meet the "significant scientific agreement" standard that had been established previously for similar claims. (Source: St John's Evening Telegram - 5 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Environmental groups continue to criticise Namibian seal hunt - In a 30 October report by the BBC, who have obtained secretly-filmed footage of the Namibian hunt of South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus - see News, 2 November 2000), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) condemned the hunt as cruel, inhumane and inadequately managed. The Namibian government are insisting that the correct killing methods are being adhered to, despite the film appearing to show seals being clubbed at random and not being killed immediately. IFAW's Christina Pretorius commented "We're completely horrified. You could see on those pictures a frenzied kind of clubbing". Animal welfare groups are demanding international monitors at all future hunts. The groups are also arguing that the rationale behind this year's hunt quota increases, supposedly to reduce the seals' impact on fish stocks, is an erroneous one. For more information, contact Jason Bell, IFAW South Africa, at jbell@ifaw.org. (Sources: BBC News - 30 Oct 2000; FIS - 26 Oct 2000) (15 December 2000)
Fishermen blame seals in U.K.'s cod crisis - The current crisis in the North Sea fishing industry, resulting in a European Commission (EC) proposal on 1 December to halve North Sea cod quotas, has resulted in many calls from fisheries interests for a cull of U.K. seals. The EC proposal is seen as a last-gasp measure to save North Sea cod stocks from extinction after it was found that the stocks are now at their lowest levels since records began in 1963. Whiting and Northern hake are also at risk. Environmental groups and other organisations are blaming overfishing, fisheries mismanagement and environmental change for the decline but fishing interests in the U.K. have also been pointing the finger at seals.
On 21 November the Chairman of The Fishermen's Association, Tom Hay, accused grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) populations of rapid expansion and of consuming commercially caught cod, calling for the introduction of a seal management plan. On 26 November the Chairman of the Anglo-Scottish Fishermen's Association, David Shiel, was reported as claiming that the seal population was to blame for dwindling cod stocks and saying that the only way forward was to carry out a cull of the "pests", suggesting a cull of 50,000 grey seals. However scientist John Watkins said that there was no need for a cull and commented that "The biggest threat to fish is fish, next are sea birds, then it's man and then, way down the list, come seals and whales.". A large number of environmental and animal welfare organisations also criticised David Shiel's comments and pointed out that there was simply no scientific evidence that a seal cull would result in increased fish stocks.
On 28 November a member of the Scottish Executive, Highlands and Islands Minister Alasdair Morrison, speaking as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Western Isles, entered the debate by saying that there should be a proper examination of the facts and a cull undertaken if necessary. Mr. Morrison's statement was backed up by Hamish Morrison, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, who is pressing for a "Seal Commission" (see News, 28 August 2000) but opposed by Les Ward, Director of Advocates for Animals who commented that "The main threat to fish stocks has always been overfishing by humans." In the meantime, seals were also being accused of having an effect on dwindling wild salmon stocks as a controversial bill aimed at conserving the fish species was being debated by members of the Scottish Parliament. On 23 November it was reported that Jane Wright of the Scottish Anglers National Association had stated that the number of seals around the Scottish coast was affecting the salmon population.
(Sources: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 8 Nov, 21 Nov 2000; Animal Concern - 26 Nov 2000; BBC News - 6 Nov, 23 Nov, 26 Nov 2000; Born Free Foundation - 27 Nov 2000; ENS - 1 Dec 2000; Guardian - 27 Nov 2000; Orcadian Daily News Online - 30 Nov 2000; Reuters - 3 Dec 2000; Scottish Daily Mail - 27 Nov, 28 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Judge shuts down Hawaiian fishery to protect monk seals - It was reported on 20 November that the U.S. Federal District Court Judge Samuel King had issued an injunction closing down the lobster fishery in order to protect endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Judge King ruled that the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was in violation of the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act by failing to assess the fishery's impacts on the monk seal. The injunction will remain in force until the NMFS completes an analysis of the fishery's impacts under the ESA as well as an Environmental Impact Statement. Judge King will also hold an additional hearing to determine whether another fishery, the portion of the bottomfish fishery operating in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, is also to be shut down due to adverse impacts on monk seals. The ruling comes as a result of a lawsuit brought by several environmental groups and follows the closure of the lobster fishery by NMFS earlier this year before the season was to open in July (see News, 25 June 2000). For more information, contact Earthjustice Hawaii at eajushi@earthjustice.org. (Sources: Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund - 20 Nov 2000; ENS - 20 Nov 2000; FIS - 28 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Canadian salmon organisation applies to cull seals for study - The Salmon Association of Eastern Newfoundland has submitted proposals for funding to the provincial and federal departments of fisheries in order to study the behaviour of seals around salmon rivers and also to carry out a controlled cull of seals in order to analyse their stomach contents. The Association's aim is to find out what impact seals, in particular grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) are having on salmonid stocks around the province. The Association's President said that he hoped the studies would commence next spring. (Source: St John's Evening Telegram - 14 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Plan to kill Antarctic seals is cancelled - A plan by Norwegian scientists to kill a total of 80 seals, as well as 90 birds, in Antarctica this summer for research into environmental contaminants (see News, 2 November 2000) has been shelved after the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment rejected the plan. It is thought that the decision came after several international environmental organisations and media had made enquiries about the project to the Ministry. The Director of Research at the Norwegian Polar Institute argued that the decision meant that a valuable chance had been lost for insights into the global movements of pollutants. Greenpeace however welcomed the decision and said that the decision was "an appropriate response, given the existing level of threats to the environment in Antarctica". The research project, for which the use of non-lethal sampling techniques was one alternative proposed by environmental groups, would have seen the lethal sampling of 20 each of crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus), Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) and Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella). (Sources: Antarctican - 7 Nov, 17 Nov 2000; ENS - 17 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Reserve created to protect Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - The United States President Bill Clinton announced on 4 December the creation of the single largest reserve ever established in the country, protecting a large area of Hawaii's pristine coral reefs. The reserve, called the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, is to cover 339,260 sq. km (34 million hectares) along a 1,930km chain of Hawaiian islands and will encompass nearly 70 percent of the coral reefs in the United States. The area is home to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) as well as providing habitat for other protected species. "This area is a special place where the sea is a living rainbow", said President Clinton, who also stated that the reserve would set a new global standard for the protection of reefs and marine wildlife. Oil, gas and mineral production and exploration will be banned in the reserve, commercial and recreational fishing will be capped at current levels, the removal of coral will be banned, and dumping will be prohibited. In addition, stricter regulations will apply in 15 special areas. Native Hawaiian subsistence fishing and cultural uses will be allowed to continue. (Sources: American Oceans Campaign - 4 Dec 2000; Center for Marine Conservation - 4 Dec 2000; ENN - 5 Dec 2000; ENS - 13 Nov, 4 Dec 2000; Environmental Defense - 1 Nov 2000; National Geographic News - 5 Dec 2000; Natural Resources Defense Council - 4 Dec 2000; Reuters - 6 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Increased seal strandings in Ireland and Wales - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) reported in its December 2000 newsletter that it had 29 grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) at the Sanctuary, the highest number ever in its care at one time, and that calls about stranded seals were still coming in. Most of the seals were weaned pups which were being washed up on the coasts a number of weeks after weaning, weighing not much more than at birth. Over half of the seals were found in County Wexford, where more than 20 dead seal pups have also been washed up so far. The ISS has requested that the authorities investigate the deaths. Across the Irish Sea, Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR) said in December that they had so far rescued 34 grey seal pups this season, another record, and that 18 of the pups had died. Symptoms such as milky white eyes, mouth ulcers, swelling in the lower jaw and gums, crumbling jaws, brittle bones and flu-like symptoms have been reported from one or both of the organisations. For more information, contact the ISS at iseal_sanctuary@hotmail.com or WMLR at tinap.martin@tesco.net. (Sources: Irish Times - 25 Nov 2000; ISS - Dec 2000; WMLR [personal communication] - Dec 2000]) (15 December 2000)
Potential seal-fisheries conflict highlighted in Australia - A warning of increased interactions between Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and fisheries was given by Macquarie University marine mammal scientist John Arnould at a Bass Strait Forum meeting. Severely reduced by hunting until the early 20th century, numbers of the species have increased in recent years and fur seals are being seen more frequently along the Victorian coast. Dr. Arnould told the Forum that the high percentage of commercially fished species in the fur seal's diet could mean greater conflict with the fisheries. This year the blue grenadier fishery of western Bass Strait trialed seal exclusion devices after 87 fur seals died in factory trawl nets in 1999, with reportedly successful results. Seafood Industry Victoria said that seals have become an increasing nuisance to some fishermen but recognised that seal eco-tourism generates significant income, thought to be about AUS$10 million per year in Victoria. (Source: Melbourne Age - 5 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Seals threatened by oil pollution in England - It was reported on 10 November that a surge in marine oil pollution in Cornwall following recent storms was threatening grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the county. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust said that the bad weather had stirred up old oil spills and washed ashore oil from small-scale leaks and the cleaning of ships' tanks at sea, and that the oil had been working its way into sea caves where seal pups are found at this time of year. Seal researcher Stephen Westcott said that stormy seas in autumn bring large amounts of oil ashore along the Cornish coast about twice each decade. For more information, contact Stephen Westcott at stephen@cornwt.demon.co.uk. (Source: This is Cornwall, 10 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Helicopter landing platform a possibility for Canadian seal viewing - The tourist authority of the Îles de la Madeleine in the Canadian Gulf of St. Lawrence has put a CAN$2.3 million funding request to Développement Économic Canada for a project to save its seal-watching industry. The income generated by taking international tourists by helicopter out to see the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) whitecoat pups on the ice floes for a three-week period each spring is substantial but the activity has suffered in recent years due to bad and unpredictable ice and weather conditions in the Gulf, providing less opportunity for helicopters to land on the ice. The proposed project would fund a boat with helicopter landing facilities which would be stationed in the ice floes during the season and act as a heliport from which tourists could be taken to and from the ice. (Source - CBGA-FM - 24 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
U.S. Air Force says rocket launches should not disturb sea lions - The U.S. Air Force says that its plan to launch eight rockets from Kodiak Island over the next eight years should not have significant impacts on local Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and eider ducks. Its environmental assessment, published in October, said that it expected the sea lions, which have a non-breeding haulout on Ugak Island, a few kilometres from the launch complex and almost directly under the rocket path, to head for sea when a rocket is launched. Populations of Steller sea lions in the region have declined in recent years and are considered a "special status species" by the Air Force. The assessment is available at http://ax.laafb.af.mil/axf/announce.htm. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 22 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Fisherman charged with illegally shooting Steller sea lions - A commercial salmon fisherman from western Alaska, Stanley Pedersen, has been charged in a U.S. District Court in Anchorage with illegally shooting an undisclosed number of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) between July and September 1999. Federal authorities are seeking the forfeiture of Pedersen's boat which he is alleged to have used while killing the sea lions. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison and a US$100,000 fine. Pedersen also faces firearms charges with higher penalties. The Steller sea lion's numbers have dropped dramatically in western Alaska recent years and the species is classified as Endangered. (Source: FIS - 5 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Public upset by branded sea lions in New Zealand - Tourists at Kaka Point in New Zealand are reported as having been shocked at the sight of hot-iron brand marks on New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) turning up at the Point. One resident commented that foreign tourists were shocked and very distressed at the sight of branded sea lions, a sea lion found at the Point on 9 December being the fourth of its age to turn up in the area in the past two weeks and the third with a large number etched on its side. The sea lion was one of 300 pups branded at 5-10 weeks old on the subantarctic Auckland Islands in January for monitoring and identification purposes. A total of 134 adult females were also branded.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation has stated that the branding, which was stopped in April after an internal review (see News, 25 June 2000), will not be repeated due to its unacceptability to the public, and commented that the method had been trialed as it was kinder than using tags on the sea lions' flippers. The tracking and identifying of individuals, it said, was essential to gathering more information on the species' breeding habits. On 30 November one of the veterinary surgeons who took part in the branding programme, Massey University marine mammal scientist Padraig Duignan, said that he was angry at the accusations of cruelty and at claims that the sea lions had been injured or infected as a result of the branding. Dr. Duignan said that no evidence of infection or injury had been found in the branded sea lions. (Sources: Ananova - 30 Nov 2000; Stuff - 11 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Sea lion with missing jaw successfully rehabilitated in California - A California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) which has adapted and flourished in the wild despite lacking her lower jaw, was released back into the Pacific Ocean on 11 November after a period of rehabilitation at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur (MMCC/FM). The sea lion was originally brought in to the Center for treatment unrelated to her missing jaw, which she had lost to unknown causes long ago, and she is being described by staff at the Center as "one of nature's inspirational survivors". She was released with a tracking device so that researchers can look at the nature of her foraging behaviour, given her special feeding needs and abilities. The sea lion's progress can be viewed on the WhaleNet web site at http://whale.wheelock.edu/whalenet-stuff/stopMalia. For more information, contact Hugh Ryono, MMCC/FM, at HugeRhino@aol.com. (Source: MMCC/FM - 13 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Elephant seal pup finds new home in Tasmania - A female Southern elephant seal pup (Mirounga leonina) generated much public interest when she was born towards the end of October on Main Beach in Dover, southern Tasmania, only the third time in recent years that a Southern elephant seal has been born on mainland Tasmania. The pup put on weight rapidly and when the mother abandoned her in order to feed herself up after the pup had been weaned, as is normal, the Environment Department stepped in. In a complicated operation on 18 November the Department relocated the pup to Maatsuyker Island off Tasmania's south coast, where two other elephant seal pups had been born. After weaning, Southern elephant seal pups normally socialise with other pups while they convert their body fat to muscle and learn to dive and feed. It was reported on 27 November that the seal pup was settling in well to her new home and was playing with the other pups. Large colonies of Southern elephant seals used to exist around the Tasmanian coast until they were exterminated when Europeans settled in the region. (Sources: ABC News - 8 Nov, 16 Nov, 19 Nov, 20 Nov, 27 Nov 2000; Hobart Mercury - 14 Nov, 18 Nov, 19 Nov 2000; PM Radio - 9 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Sea lion found trapped in storm drain in California - A 160kg California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) was involved in a rescue operation after being found trapped in a dry storm drain into which it had wandered in Port Hueneme, Ventura County. The alarm was raised when two young boys heard a strange barking noise coming from the street and spotted the sea lion's nose poking through the storm drain. Five hours later, to the cheers of a large crowd of people, a team of two dozen rescue workers finally managed to free the sea lion, which had been sedated, by pulling it through a manhole. The sea lion was then returned to the ocean nearby. Involved in the rescue efforts were the County's Fire and Animal Regulation Departments, the State Fish and Game Department, police, the County's urban search and rescue team, and public works employees. One local squid fisherman spent an hour at the scene sewing together pieces of squid fishing net to form a cradle on to which rescue workers slid the sea lion so that it could be lifted out of the drain. (Source: Los Angeles Times - 6 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Elephant seal rescued after taking refuge in South African toilet - A one-year-old Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) that turned up on a beach in Cape Town at the end of November was rescued and relocated by staff of Marine and Coastal Management on 6 December. The action was taken after members of the public had been harassing the young seal by trying to chase it into the sea, throwing sand at it, and walking close by to try and make it react, so much so that the seal was forced to take cover in a public lavatory in a nearby parking lot. The seal was transported to a private section of a nearby nature reserve so that it could have some peace to finish its moult. It is thought that the young seal may have come from a colony in Gough Island, about 1,500 nautical miles south-west of Cape Town. A small number of elephant seals visit the South African coastline each year. (Source: Cape Town Cape Times - 7 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Second sea otter seen killing seal pups in California - Scientists are baffled by the fact that a second adolescent male sea otter has been seen sexually assaulting and drowning harbour seal pups (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in the waters of Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay. The attacks are taking a similar pattern to those already being carried out in the area by a 5-year old male sea otter named "Morgan" (see News, 2 November 2000). It is thought that more than a dozen young seals have been killed by the otters over the past three months. Witnesses say that the otters attempt to have sex with the seal pups before shoving them underwater long enough to drown them. There are concerns as to the effect on the local seal population, particularly with the seal pupping season due in March. Unlike Morgan, who was found abandoned shortly after birth and raised in a rehabilitation centre, the second sea otter is wild. Scientists say that the sea otter behaviour is extremely unusual and attempts to capture and relocate Morgan have so far failed. (Sources: AP - 9 Dec; San Francisco Chronicle - 10 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Elephant seals to be part of major marine life tagging programme - The world's first major marine life census, a 10-year US$1 billion global programme entitled "The Census of Marine Life", intended to assess the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life in the world's oceans, is set to include a project to tag and track 4,000 - 5,000 animals in the northern Pacific. An international gathering of scientists was held in November at Stanford University in the United States to discuss the technology involved and species covered by the pilot "Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) Project" which is due to start in 2002. The TOPP Project builds on the earlier successes of the satellite tagging and tracking of Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) and bluefin tuna, and will once again include the elephant seals as one of the species to be tracked. The electronic tags employed will be used to record not only biological data, such as swimming speed and dive depth, but also environmental data such as water temperature and salinity. (Sources: CBC News - 17 Nov 2000; National Geographic News - 21 Nov 2000; San Jose Mercury News - 14 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Problem of thinning ice in the Arctic region highlighted - Two scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, U.K., have found evidence that sea ice is thinning across the Arctic. Dr. Peter Wadhams and Dr. Norman Davis say that their work shows that the ice over a large area of the Arctic Ocean from Fram Strait, between Svalbard and Greenland, to the North Pole thinned by 43% between the summers of 1976 and 1996. The extent to which they found that the ice had thinned agrees with results published last year for thinning rates from the North Pole to the Bering Strait. The scientists' work, the measurements for which were taken from U.K. submarines, is reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. SCS Note: Thinning sea ice may have serious effects on the various pinniped species that depend on the Arctic ice for habitat. (Source: BBC News - 7 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
A new video was earlier released on 16 November by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) highlighting the effects of climate change on the Inuit people in Canada. One of the problems encountered by residents has been the increased difficulty in hunting seals and polar bears due to thinning ice conditions. Reduced sea ice is also thought to have led to more young bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) being separated from their mothers and starving. The video can be viewed at http://iisd.ca/casl/projects/inuit_video.htm. (Sources: AP - 15 Nov 2000; Sources: IISD - 16 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Agreement reached to ban persistent organic pollutants - In a much-applauded move, delegates from more than 120 countries reached a deal in Johannesburg on 10 December to ban the manufacture and use of highly toxic persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The adverse effects of POPs include death, disease and birth defects among humans and animals. The effects of POPs on pinnipeds are exacerbated by the fact that they are readily absorbed in fatty tissue, do not degrade in the environment and accumulate through the food chain. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been linked to reproductive failure and immune system suppression in pinnipeds and high levels of various POPs have been found in pinnipeds world-wide. The agreed treaty should be signed by ministers at a UN meeting in Stockholm in May 2001 and will formally come into force when it becomes law in 50 nations, a process expected to take 4-5 years. (Sources: BBC News - 10 Dec 2000; ENN - 3 Dec 2000; ENS - 4 Dec, 4 Dec 2000; Greenpeace USA - 10 Dec 2000; New Scientist - 11 Dec 2000; Reuters - 12 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Captivity Briefs ...
Officials from Cincinnati Zoo, USA, have announced that the third and last of the Pacific
walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) which it obtained as calves from the wild
in Alaska in 1996 has died. The 4-year old female "Patu" was found dead on 29
October in a pool at the zoo's walrus exhibit. The cause of death has not yet been
determined. Pacific walruses have a life expectancy in the wild of 35-40 years. The first
walrus "Siku" died on 26 February 1998 of an intestinal blockage and the second
"Tuwak" on 21 March of this year due to undetermined causes. A Zoo spokesman
said that it was considering using the vacated marine mammal exhibit for sea lions, otters
or seals. (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer - 7
Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Moscow Zoo is making a public appeal to help its ten walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) which are suffering from severe toothache. A British dentist who specialises in animal dentistry is to fly out to Moscow to treat the walruses as soon as the zoo has raised the money. Most of the walruses have ground down their tusks on the concrete in their enclosure while others have developed tooth decay. (Source: BBC News - 23 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
The Orange County Zoo in California began construction on a US$150,000 harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) exhibit at the beginning of November, its first ever marine mammal display. The exhibit will house two females and a male, all 16 years old and from the American Wilderness zoo at the Ontario Mills Mall which closed in June. The exhibit is due to open in early spring 2001 at the latest. (Source: Orange County Register - 9 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Related News ...
A peer-reviewed report was released by the U.S. National Research Council on 9 November
providing strong scientific support for the establishment of a national system of
protected marine areas in order to promote an ecosystem-based approach to marine
conservation and management. The report comes after President Clinton issued an executive
order in May requiring federal agencies to develop a scientifically based plan for
establishing a national system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), geographically defined
areas where human activities are limited. Marine Protected Areas where the removal or
disturbance of some or all living resources is completely prohibited currently cover less
than 1% of U.S. waters. The report criticises conventional approaches to marine
management, which usually focus on individual species, as inadequate. (Sources: ENN - 12 Nov 2000; National Research Council - 9 Nov 2000; NOAA - 9
Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
The high speed patrol vessel "Sirenian", operated by Sea Shepherd International, left Los Angeles on 7 December to head for the Galápagos Islands where it will begin a five year tour of duty on conservation patrol in the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The patrol will cooperate closely with the Galápagos National Park Service and the Ecuadorian Navy. The move comes at a time of tension between conservationists and fishermen on the islands. In the week of 17 November fishermen, demanding the extension of the lobster fishing quota beyond limits set earlier this year, ransacked several facilities of the National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station, smashed and burned files and equipment, threatened employees and stole baby Galápagos tortoises that were being reared. Only one in a series of recent disputes and acts of aggression and violence from the islands' fishermen, the incident has caused grave concerns as to the future of conservation efforts in Galápagos. SCS Note: The Galápagos Islands are home to the Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) and the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis). For more information, contact Paola Díaz, Charles Darwin Research Station, at infocdrs@fcdarwin.org.ec or Sea Shepherd International at seashepherd@seashepherd.org. (Sources: Charles Darwin Foundation - 15 Nov 2000; ENN - 21 Nov 2000; ENS - 22 Nov 2000; Melbourne Age - 30 Nov 2000; Sea Shepherd International - 27 Nov, 5 Dec 2000) (15 December 2000)
Environmental groups are warning that krill stocks in Southern Ocean waters could become the target of heavy fishing efforts, thereby harming Antarctic marine species that rely on the stocks for forage. An increased allowable fishing level for krill of 4 million tonnes was established by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources at the beginning of November, and the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) warned that this level could potentially open "harvest floodgates" on the exploitation of krill if large corporations find an economic means to tap it. There is concern that the effects of the krill fishery on the local food chain and on various Antarctic marine predators, including pinnipeds, are not sufficiently known. Between 90,000 - 100,000 tonnes of krill are currently fished annually in the Southern Ocean, principally by Japanese vessels, and commercial interests in Norway and Canada have also expressed a desire to fish for the species. For more information, contact Beth Clark, The Antarctica Project, at antarctica@igc.org. (Source: FIS - 9 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
The Australian federal Environment and Fisheries Ministers announced the launch of a new "SeaNet" network on 28 November, an initiative aimed at reducing bycatch in the commercial fishing industry, including the bycatch of marine mammals. The new network will involve conservation, fishing industry and Government agencies working together to develop practical solutions to bycatch problems facing the industry, and will act as a clearing house for bycatch reduction innovations developed both domestically and internationally. (Source: Department of the Environment - 28 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
A US$1.2 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts will help researchers from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and elsewhere to conduct a comprehensive study of the pelagic longline fisheries industry. Pelagic longlining targets fish such as tuna, swordfish and sharks, and is characterised by multiple lines of baited hooks. The study will provide the first global assessment of the cumulative impacts of the longline industry on target species, protected resources, marine food webs and ocean ecosystems, allowing the research team to provide public policy makers with detailed information on the fisheries' impacts. Longlining inadvertently kills a large number of non-target species, including pinnipeds. (Source: ENS - 30 Nov 2000) (15 December 2000)
Features ... - The following pinniped-related feature articles have recently appeared in the media:
Mysterious Deaths Deepen Concerns About Russia's "Sacred Lake" [Threats facing Lake Baikal and the Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica)] (Source: National Geographic News - 1 Dec 2000)
Warming menaces ocean ecosystem: Is the change cyclical or brought about by human activity?[Changes in the Pacific Ocean ecosystem] (Source: San Francisco Examiner - 19 Nov 2000)
Hood Canal's species war [The interactions of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) and summer chum salmon in Washington State, USA] (Source: Seattle Times - 5 Nov 2000)
Scientists Study Strange Case of Cannibalism Among Sea Lions [New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) in the Auckland Islands - reported in News, 2 November 2000] (Source: National Geographic News - 8 Nov 2000]
Namibian seal hunt accused of cruelty - Environmental groups have described the Namibian hunt of South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) (see News, 28 August 2000) as cruel, unlawful and uncontrolled after footage of the hunt was screened on the TV programme Carte Blanche on 1 October. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)'s Jason Bell said that the footage confirmed that regulations regarding the killing of seals were not being adhered to due to insufficient supervision of the hunters and urged that the hunt be more closely monitored by the government and also that animal welfare organisations be permitted to monitor the hunt. He commented that the TV footage of the hunt showed groups of hunters indiscriminately lashing out at seals in a frenzied manner and without the use of the obligatory "stickers" (used to stab seal pups in the heart after they have been clubbed to ensure immediate death). In a letter to the Namibian Fisheries Minister Abraham Iyambo on 4 October the Wildlife Society of Namibia said that it was deeply disturbed about the scenes shown in the footage and complained about the Society's inability to obtain a permit to observe the hunt, saying that it had been "blocked once again at every corner" despite government assurances. The Society also recommended that full-time monitors be appointed to observe all hunt activities.
On 19 October the Wildlife Society of Namibia reported that students in Swakopmund carrying out field studies had come across a number of young seals either dead on the beach or swimming lamely in shallow waters. As a result they carried out a proper survey of a 20km stretch of beach and found 50 dead seals, 42 of which had non-natural injuries to the head such as broken skulls, smashed upper jaws and broken necks. The remainder of the seals were in a too advanced state of decomposition for proper identification of presumable cause of death. The Society commented that lacking a more plausible explanation the seals' injuries had been caused by the hunt at Cape Cross. For more information, contact Jason Bell, IFAW South Africa, or the Wildlife Society of Namibia. The Wildlife Society of Namibia has a seals web page. (Sources: Cape Town Independent Newspapers - 2 Oct 2000; Wildlife Society of Namibia - 4, 19 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000).
Alaskan Senator attempts to remove sea lion protection - The actions of Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, faced a great deal of opposition from environmental groups in the United States after it was revealed that he was attempting to undermine recent protection given to the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). It became known in October that Senator Stevens was working with the fishing industry to add a "rider" to a U.S. Congress appropriations bill, thereby suspending the application of various environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to the Alaskan groundfish trawl fisheries for as long as two years. This action would effectively negate a federal court ruling in July which banned the fisheries near Steller sea lion critical habitat until it could be proven that the fisheries were not adversely affecting the declining sea lion population (see News, 28 August 2000).
The Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund (ELDF)'s Janis Searles called the proposed rider a "frontal assault on the Endangered Species Act" and said that it would "strip away the protections endangered sea lions need and would try to exempt the biggest fishery in America from environmental laws. Suspending the ESA as a favour to big fishing interests puts our natural resources at risk and we know that's just plain wrong". Various environmental groups launched campaigns for members of public to lobby their representatives against the proposals and there was also reported to be growing opposition in Congress to the rider. The issue is still ongoing at the time of writing of this news article.
In the meantime the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced on 20 October that it in order to give its biologists time to incorporate all of the best available scientific information, it had decided to delay the public release of a comprehensive biological opinion on the impacts of the groundfish fisheries on the Steller sea lion that the federal court judge had requested by 31 October. The biological opinion is now expected to be released on 30 November. It is thought that if the judge is still not satisfied with the resulting opinion then he could also close the fisheries for the next major season starting in January 2001.
Earlier, on 11 September, the Alaskan Governor Tony Knowles announced that, in an attempt to counter the federal court decision, he had written to President Clinton as well as announcing a "Sea Lion Restoration Team" and directing the Alaskan attorney general to join fishermen in appealing the federal court decision. An attorney with the environmental group Trustees for Alaska, Jack Sterne, commented at the time that he didn't think that the Governor's moves were a constructive use of the state's time and resources. For more information, see the Greenpeace USA Press Release, the ELDF Press Release and the NMFS Press Release. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 12 Sep, 19 Oct 2000; AP - 26 Oct 2000; ELDF - 19, 26 Oct 2000; ENS - 23 Oct 2000; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 1 Nov 2000; Greenpeace USA - 24 Oct 2000; NMFS - 20 Oct 2000; PR Newswire - 20 Oct 2000; Reuters - 13 Sep 2000; Seattle Times - 19, 31 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Survey shows decrease in Steller sea lion numbers - Results of an aerial survey of the habitat of the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska carried out by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service in June and released in late September indicate a 9.8% decline since the previous survey in the summer of 1998. A separate surface count of newborn pups in nine rookeries showed no decline in the number of pups there since 1998. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 3 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Tasmania allows killing of fur seals - It was revealed on 19 October that, despite their protected status, the Tasmanian government is to allow the killing of Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), that are deemed to be a hazard to fish farms and commercial fishermen. The decision comes after strong pressure from the fishing community following events in which increasingly bold male fur seals are said to have been aggressive towards fishermen and fish farmers, one fish farm worker having been bitten on the leg. A new "three strikes" protocol will result in offending fur seals being tagged and transported to waters on the other side of the island but euthanased by a vet if caught twice more. The Humane Society International's Nicola Beynon protested at the decision, saying that any sanctioned killing of seals was unacceptable and that it was outrageous to propose the killing of seals for the sake of commercial interests. For more information, contact Nicola Beynon. (Sources: Melbourne Age - 19 Oct 2000; South Australian Advertiser - 19 Oct 2000; Sydney Morning Herald - 19 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Baikal seal survey shows declining population - A survey of Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica) on Russia's remote Lake Baikal carried out by Greenpeace in April and made public on 6 September has revealed that the total number of seals has decreased from 104,000 to 85,000 since the last survey in 1994. The survey also concluded that the mortality rate among seal pups has risen two to threefold and that the seal population is rapidly ageing, resulting in a drastic decline in the number of seals capable of reproduction. Greenpeace Russia immediately urged the authorities to place a ban on hunting of the species, citing an increase in hunting and poaching over the last few years due to lack of management by state authorities as well as the rising purchasing price of the pelts of young seals. Greenpeace also criticised the number of seal pups killed for "scientific reasons" while the survey found in addition that the hunt is forcing seals to the south of the lake where warmer weather conditions cause higher seal pup mortality. Participants in the survey, which Greenpeace carried out due to the inability of the government to do so because of the cost, covered about 4,000 "ice" kilometres by motorbike. For more information, contact Greenpeace Russia's Baikal Campaign. (Source: Greenpeace Russia - 6 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
Protests over Norwegian plans to kill Antarctic seals - Conservationists have expressed concern at plans revealed by the Norwegian Polar Institute to kill 120 animals, including 20 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), 20 leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) and 20 crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus), during an expedition to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic this coming austral summer. The Institute is planning to kill the animals as part of an ecotoxicology project aimed at studying the quantities of pollutants reaching the southern continent and has applied to the Norwegian Department of the Environment for approval of the project. The Institute is saying that its scientists must kill the seals in order to obtain sufficient samples of organs such as the blubber and the liver. Pinniped species are strictly protected in Antarctica and lethal sampling is not normally used by countries carrying out research there. For more information, contact the Seal Conservation Society, or the Antarctica Project's Beth Clark. (Sources: Lør Dagsavisen - 30 Aug 2000; various personal communications - Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
Man convicted of killing seal in South Africa - A South African court sentenced Matsutsutsu Ntyofo to a R200 fine or 20 days imprisonment on 25 October after finding him guilty of killing a seal. A police spokesperson said that Mr. Ntyofo was arrested on 21 October after the police saw two men at a spot where a young seal had been minutes earlier. The two men fled with a bag when police approached and after Mr. Ntyofo's arrest it was found that the bag contained the seal, which had been stoned to death. (Source: Cape Town Independent Newspapers - 27 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
New Canadian seal hunting rules criticised - Animal welfare organisations have criticised proposed new regulations, details of which were obtained under the Access to Information Act, governing the Canadian hunt for harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata). The regulations include a provision that rules be added to the Marine Mammal Regulations stating that after clubbing a seal a hunter must confirm that the seal is dead by either feeling its crushed skull or by testing the "blinking reflex" by poking its eyes before hitting another seal. Bob Van Tongerloo of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) pointed out however that sealers using rifles would not be required to carry out these same tests immediately after each seal is shot, resulting in an unacceptable number of seals being wounded and suffering before death. The vast majority of seals killed during the annual hunt are shot off the coast of Newfoundland.
Rick Smith of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) also called for the new rule to be applied to both clubbing and shooting, pointing out that "The government and industry have been saying for a long time that they want the hunt treated the same way as other animal industries ... In other animal industries, you can only kill one animal at a time." A Department of Fisheries and Oceans representative said that the rules are still in the revision stage and probably won't be ready for federal approval until late next year, meaning that the changes won't come into effect until the 2002 sealing season. For more information, contact CFHS or IFAW. (Source: CP - 29 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Virus pinpointed as cause of Caspian seal mortality - An international team of scientists working as part of the Caspian Environment Programme's Ecotoxicology Project (ECOTOX) on the causes of the mass mortality of thousands of Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) this year (see News, 28 August 2000) has concluded that canine distemper virus (CDV) infection was the primary cause of the mortality. The scientists collected tissue and blood samples from dead seals from several geographically dispersed regions of the Caspian Sea and found microscopic lesions, characteristic of CDV, in seal tissues, while confirming infection by the virus using serological and molecular methods. The virus was previously identified in a single Caspian seal in 1997 but it could not be linked to disease in Caspian seals at that time. The origin of the infection is unknown, it being possible that the virus has been present in the population for several years or that seals have become repeatedly infected from a terrestrial animal reservoir. Studies are currently underway to examine the potential role of pollution in the die-off due to the extremely high levels of contaminants found in the Caspian Sea and the species. CDV was also the cause of a mortality of Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica) in 1987-1988 and was suspected as the cause of a mortality of crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus) in 1955. For more information, see the Emerging Infectious Diseases article. (Sources: ECOTOX - 15 Sep 2000; ENS - 20 Sep 2000; National Geographic News - 18 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
Swedish oil spill threatens seals - Swedish environmentalists warned that an oil spill could harm seals on the island of Gotska Sandön, about 100km off the southeastern coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea, after National Park rangers discovered an oil belt about 20km long on 2 October, large patches of oil covering about 90% of the island's beaches. The Swedish coast guard was investigating the source of the spill but it was not known how much oil had been spilled. On 5 October it was reported that no oiled animals had yet been discovered although a representative of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency said that the agency was worried about the seals and hoped that they would keep away from the shore while the cleanup took place, expected to last two weeks. (Source: AP - 5 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Canada's first Marine Protected Area protects pinnipeds - The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks announced on 14 September that they had endorsed the Race Rocks Advisory Board's recommendation that Race Rocks / XwaYeN, British Columbia, become Canada's first Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Oceans Act. The Race Rocks area had already been designated since 1980 as an ecological reserve under the British Columbian Ecological Reserves Act. Located 17km southwest of Victoria at the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and named after its strong tidal currents and rocky reefs, Race Rocks is home to many marine species, including Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus), Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi). For more information, see the Race Rocks web site and the DFO Press Release. (Sources: DFO - 14 Sep 2000; Race Rocks web site - 1 Nov 2000) (2 November 2000)
New protection sites proposed for seals in Scotland - It was announced by the Scottish Executive on 14 June that it was putting out to consultation, under scientific advice from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, an additional 90 sites for proposal as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the European Community (EC)'s Habitats Directive. The Executive also added significant interest features to and/or extended several existing candidate SACs and declared itself open to consideration of any sites that had not been included. The move came after the decision by the EC that the United Kingdom and other Member states had proposed an insufficient list of candidate SACs in terms of resources and geographical spread.
On 26 October, it was announced that round 5 of the public consultation exercise, being carried out by SNH, included Eileanan agus Sgeirean Lios mor (around the island of Lismore) because of its harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) population, and the Treshnish Isles because of its grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) population. The 12 week consultation period for these sites, both in Argyll & Bute, extends until 18 January 2001. Other sites also included in the original list for reasons of their seal populations and which have already gone out for consultation include the Ascrib, Isay and Dunvegan site on the Isle of Skye (harbour seal), the Isle of May in Fife (grey seal), the Sound of Barra in the Western Isles (harbour seal), the Yell Sound Coast in Shetland (harbour seal added as a feature) and the Dornoch Firth in Highland (harbour seal added as a feature). For more information on any of these sites, contact the local SNH office, or contact Sandy MacLennan, SNH's Natura Project Manager, at +44-(0)1463-723100. (Sources: Scottish Executive - 14 Jun 2000; SNH - 18 Sep 2000, 26 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Patagonian land purchased by conservation organisation - It was reported on 25 August that the UK-based organisation World Land Trust has raised sufficient funds to make a down payment on more than 8,000 hectares of spectacular coastal steppe land near the Valdes Peninsula in Argentina's Patagonia region. The coastline of the area is home to South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). None of the area is currently protected as a National Park or nature reserve and the World Land Trust plans to establish a nature reserve, create a small ecotourism and environmental education centre on the land, and formalise a conservation plan with the local Fundación Patagonia Natural. Funds for the purchase were obtained with the help of the internet "click-to-donate" site www.EcologyFund.com. For more information, see the World Land Trust web site. (Source: ENS - 25 Aug 2000) (2 November 2000)
Rare seal births in Tasmania and North Carolina - The surprise birth of a Southern elephant seal pup (Mirounga leonina) took place in October on a narrow strip of sand at Dover, Tasmania, one of only three births of the species recorded on mainland Tasmania in the past 50 years. Authorities were reported to be maintaining a 24-hour surveillance of the pup. The birth has increased hopes that the species may be slowly returning to its former habitat in southern Australia, Southern elephant seals having bred on various Bass Strait islands before sealers devastated the populations in the 19th century. (Source: Melbourne Age - 27 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
In the meantime a harbour seal pup (Phoca vitulina concolor) called "Albert" which was found being harassed on a busy beach at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA, on 6 June was re-released into the wild on 5 September by the New England Aquarium after having been rescued and transferred to the Aquarium by the Virginia Marine Sciences Museum. The Aquarium commented that it was extremely unusual for harbour seal pups to be born so far south. For more information, contact Connie Merigo of the New England Aquarium's Marine Animal Rescue Program. (Source: AP - 5 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
Wandering seals found stranded in northern Scotland - A one-year-old female hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) named "Ruairidh Ron" found stranded in the Scottish Western Isles was rescued and flown from Scotland to the RSPCA's Norfolk Wildlife Hospital in England by the organisation British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) on 30 October. The rescue came only a month or so after the BDMLR rescued an Arctic ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida) named "Rocky", which had been found stranded on a beach in the North of Scotland, and took it to the Orkney Seal Rescue centre where, despite treatment, it subsequently died. Both species live in Arctic waters and are only occasionally found in Scotland. For more information, contact BDMLR's Alistair Jack or Orkney Seal Rescue's Ross Flett. (Sources: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 16 Sep, 31 Oct 2000; Alistair Jack - personal communication, 1 Nov 2000) (2 November 2000)
Pinnipeds interact with public in North America and South Africa - It was reported on 26 September that four instances had been notified to the authorities of a "demented" seal leaping into kayaks or rowing boats near Dick Island at Texada Island, British Columbia. The caretaker of the Shelter Point Regional Park on Texada Island said that he believed that one seal was responsible for the incidents. Ed Lochbaum, a scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, commented that the seal's reported size led him to believe that it was a harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) and that the seal's actions could well be a misdirected panic response to the large number of transient killer whales that showed up in the Strait of Georgia during the summer. Nobody was hurt during the incidents. (Source: Victoria Times-Colonist - 26 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
In the meantime a harbour seal in Alaska's Prince William Sound named "Skippy" was reported on 28 August as having been observed climbing onto kayaks in the area. Rescued last year as a week-old pup by a well-meaning, if misinformed, kayaker in Southeast Alaska, Skippy spent the next four days in the kayak before being passed to the Alaska SeaLife Centre for rehabilitation and eventually being re-released in the autumn. Biologists are surprised at the strength of Skippy's memory of her time in the kayak and are now worried that her behaviour may make her unfit for life in the wild. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 28 Aug 2000) (2 November 2000)
Three Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were reported on 26 October as having taken up residence in a small boat harbour in Homer, Alaska, hauling out on a floating dock at night and feeding on pollock or scraps from fishing boats during the day. Many residents have turned up to look at the sea lions, a rare sight in Homer, and the sea lions have already menaced a few people trying to reach their boats. In order to minimise this problem, one idea being proposed is that during a major overhaul of the harbour next autumn a piece of the old dock be towed outside the harbour and anchored for the sea lions to use. A similar move has already helped to separate resident sea lions and the public in Kodiak, Alaska. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 26 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
A resident South African fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) named "Robbie" who had been living in Kalk Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa, for 10-15 years was eaten by a 7-metre long Great White shark on 26 September. One fishery worked in the harbour commented that locals would miss the seal. A colony of seals living at the harbour wall who headed out to sea after the attack were reported as having not yet returned, leading locals to the conclusion that the shark was still around. At the time of the attack there was a run of snoek (a fish species) and it was suggested that the offal washed into the sea by the fishery may have been keeping the shark interested. One surfer said that he believed that sharks were attracted into the area by the activity of "chumming" where local tour operators place bait in the water to attract sharks for their cage diving operations, and also from fishermen throwing offal overboard. (Source: Cape Town Argus - 30 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
Cannibalism observed in New Zealand sea lions - Scientists studying the population structure of a breeding colony of New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) at New Zealand's Dundas Island were surprised to observe a number of adult males grabbing pups, dragging them into the sea and eating them. The biologist leading the study, Ian Wilkinson, said that scientists had recorded 24 cases of such killing in 12 weeks of study in early 1999 and in January and February of this year at the island, where up to 300 pups are born each year. Dr. Wilkinson commented that the occurrence, the first example of such cannibalism in fur seals or sea lions, was not good for the species, one of the rarest sea lions in the world. He said that it was very difficult to speculate on why some of the adult sea lions were acting in this way but suggested that it may be due to the relative ease of the killing as a feeding strategy. For more information, contact Ian Wilkinson. (Source: London Sunday Telegraph - 15 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Otter suspected of killing young seals in California - In an unusual occurrence, an adolescent 5-year-old male sea otter in Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, named "Morgan" is suspected of killing young harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), possibly by playing too roughly with them and shoving their noses underwater so long that they drown or die of shock trauma. Current evidence is circumstantial but researchers report that the otter has been observed assuming a mating position with a seal before roughing it up and then being observed floating with the dead seal in his grip or nonchalantly grooming himself alongside the body soon after. About a dozen unconfirmed victims were retrieved during the summer and post-mortems performed on several of the seals showed sudden and suspect deaths. The authorities are looking into relocating the otter, which was raised in the Monterey Bay Aquarium rehabilitation centre after being found abandoned in the wild soon after its birth, to another area or, ultimately, placing him in permanent captivity. (Source: San Francisco Examiner, 3 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
California restricts use of gill nets - In response to the large number of marine animals, including sea birds, cetaceans, pinnipeds and otters, that drown each year in set gill nets, California state wildlife officials announced on 12 September that fishing using gill nets in waters less than 60 fathoms (110m) deep from Point Reyes to Yankee Point, Monterey County, would be banned as of 14 September. An additional ban was also placed on fishing with gill nets along a stretch of coastline in Santa Barbara County in order to protect sea otters. Under state law, state officials can impose such a ban for up to 120 days, but officials say that they are pushing for legislation to make the ban permanent. The fishery most affected by the restriction is the halibut fishery. Pinniped species that have been killed by entanglement in the California set gill net halibut fishery are harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus). (Source: ENS - 12 Sep 2000; San Jose Mercury News - 14 Sep 2000) (2 November 2000)
Groups oppose Baltic Sea port developments - The construction of new oil and chemical terminals in the Gulf of Finland area of the Russian Baltic Sea as well as the increase in the transportation of oil and hazardous substances have drawn criticism from Russian environmentalists due to the proximity of these activities to nature reserves, including important areas of seal habitat. One of the most important protected areas which could be affected is the Berezovije Ostrova ("Birch Islands") Nature Reserve in the north-eastern part of the Gulf which includes an aquatic zone of significant importance for the Baltic ringed seal (Phoca hispida botnica) during late winter and spring. Another area which could be affected is the Koorgalsky Poluostrov Nature Reserve on the southern coast of the Gulf which provides important summer and autumn haulouts for both ringed seals and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). The construction of the largest oil terminal has already begun in Primorsk, near the Berezovije Ostrova Nature Reserve, as part of the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS) project. The Russian environmental group Green World has criticised the developments due to the resultant increase in potential risk of oil spills and pollution of the Gulf as well as the potential disturbance of very sensitive coasts, marine ecosystems and nature reserves. For more information, contact Green World's Alexander Sutyagin.
The Estonian Green Movement and other environmental organisations are meanwhile opposing plans to build a port at Undva on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia, located only half a kilometre from Vilsandi National Park. The proposed port would receive cruise ships and ferries carrying up to 200,000 tourists and 30,000 cars per year. In addition to the potential for oil spills and disturbance affecting important bird populations, the port could also adversely affect grey seals as Vilsandi National Park is one of the main areas of concentration of grey seals in the country and a main breeding site. The European Commission's environmental commissioner has already requested Estonia to treat the site as if it were a specially protected area under Natura 2000. With construction of the port planned to commence in May 2000, environmental organisations publicised the potential problems and the Estonian cabinet froze the project in April to carry out further studies. For more information, contact the Estonian Green Movement's Peep Mardiste. (Sources: Coalition for a Clean Baltic Newsletter 3/2000; HELCOM Seals Project Draft Action Plan - 12 Aug 2000) (2 November 2000)
Deformities observed in Canadian Arctic pinnipeds - A survey of 31 hunters and elders in four Nunavut communities in the Canadian Arctic was released in September showing that many animals in the territory are exhibiting troubling abnormalities. Hunters stated that they had observed seals, walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and other wildlife with a large number of deformities, including swollen internal organs and missing patches of skin. A strange occurrence of "round wounds" was observed in the skin of some seals and walruses, the analysis of a similar abnormality found in a walrus in Arctic Bay in March pinpointing a strain of bacteria as the cause. Hunters also reported finding walruses with fluid or pus between their meat and fat or odd stomach contents, and even one walrus which had its gall bladder reversed and draining into its stomach. The main abnormalities reported by the survey involved changes in the physical condition of animals and many animals were reported to be skinny, seals being one of the animals particularly affected. Changes to the colour of meat and fat were also reported in walruses and seals. The survey report recommended a specific system of monitoring for such abnormalities in the future, as well as further studies on affected animals.
One possible reason suggested for these abnormalities was the high level of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Canadian Arctic. These pollutants accumulate the higher they progress up the food chain and tend to concentrate in the fats of animals such as marine mammals. In the first continent-wide study to trace one type of POP, dioxins, from emission point to final destination, research scientists under the auspices of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation have traced the source of dioxin pollution in Nunavut to individual waste incinerators and other sources in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Covering a year between 1996-1997 and using computer models, the study released on 3 October showed that 70-82% of the pollution in Nunavut originated in the USA, 11-25% in Canada, 5-11% in Mexico, and 2-20% outside North America, chiefly in Japan, France, Belgium and the UK. The results have attracted much interest due to negotiations on the POPs treaty currently underway at the United Nations.
Recent studies have shown that 95% of human exposure to dioxins is through the diet, particularly animal products, and that the Inuit people in Nunavut, whose diet is heavily dependent on seals and other animals, have increased levels of dioxins. In response to these and similar threats the Canadian Department of Indian and Northern Affairs set up the Nunavut Environmental Contaminants Committee (NECC) on 30 August. The Committee is intended to enable the exchange of information and ideas between scientists and the inhabitants of Nunavut. (Sources: ENS - 30 Aug, 4 Oct 2000; National Geographic News - 5 Oct 2000; Nunatsiaq News - 15 Sep 2000; Reuters - 4 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Scientists to study pinnipeds at Heard Island - Research scientists from the Australian Antarctic Division set sail from Australia on 7 October on a rare trip to study the geology and nature, including the pinniped populations, of remote subantarctic Heard Island, located in the Indian Ocean. Heard Island, which was placed on the World Heritage list in 1997, is home to an important breeding population of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), a population of about 1,000 leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) and a number of Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis). The island is also at the northern edge of the range for Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) and crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus). Included in their research, scientists will be trying to determine why there has been a significant decline in the number of Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) observed on the island in recent years. (Source: National Geographic News - 9 Oct 2000) (2 November 2000)
Namibia starts annual seal hunt - A source close to the Namibian Fisheries Ministry has disclosed that the Namibian hunt for South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) began in mid-August this year. A large number of seal pups are already reported as having been killed at Cape Cross and skinned and dismembered in Henties Bay. The government announced on 19 July that the number of seals to be killed in this year's hunt, which ends on 15 November, is to be 60,000 pups and 7,000 adult males, almost double that of 1999 when the quota was for 30,000 pups and 5,000 adult males. The pups are normally clubbed to death and the adult males are shot. Animal welfare groups have strongly condemned the hunt, in which the adult male penises are dried and sold as an aphrodisiac or fertility symbol in the Far East, and in which seal oil and pup fur are also marketed. Photographers are banned from the beaches where the hunt is taking place and the Wildlife Society of Namibia has complained that it has been unable to monitor the hunt because of bureaucratic obstacles. The two new concession holders for the hunt have been named as Cape Cross Seals and Okakoverua Seafood.
Earlier in the year the Namibian Fisheries Minister Abraham Iyambo justified the doubling of the hunt quota by arguing that the seal population is threatening the local fishing industry and was quoted as saying that "Seals don't eat air or grass... They eat fish and lots of it". However he then confused the government's position on 20 July by declaring that sustainable utilisation, not the consumption of fish by seals, was the basis for the government's seal management policy. Animal welfare groups have pointed out that there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that seals are impacting Namibia's commercial fisheries and a Wildlife Society of Namibia spokesman also pointed out that it was contradictory of the government to have doubled the seal hunt quota using the fisheries argument at the same time as it had announced an increase in the pilchard quota from 15,000 to 25,000 tonnes. Abraham Iyambo expressed concern when increasing the pilchard quota that the country's fish stocks were not in a good state. For previous news, see News, 25 June 2000. For more information on the Namibian seal hunt, contact Sarah Scarth, International Fund for Animal Welfare. (Sources: Johannesburg Mail & Guardian - 24 Aug 2000; Namibian - 20, 24, 27 Jul 2000; News 24 - 21 Jul 2000; Reuters - 20 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
More Caspian seals found dead in Kazakhstan - It was reported on 4 August that Caspian seals (Phoca caspica), thousands of which died in May and June (see News, 25 June 2000), were once again dying in increased numbers off Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea shores. The head of the ecological monitoring department of the Mangistau region said that 89 seal carcasses had been counted over the past week, a significant increase on the one or two seals that had been dying every week since the earlier mass mortality. No specific cause for the mass mortality has yet been identified and samples from the recent carcasses have been sent for testing. For more information on the Caspian seal mortality, contact Makhambet Khakimov, Caspian Tabigaty. (Source: Reuters - 4 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Russian seal hunters urge President to veto ban - The Russian Interfax news agency reported on 31 July that up to 5,000 seal hunters in the Arkhangelsk region have signed a petition calling for the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to veto a bill that outlaws the hunting of harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) pups. The bill was passed by the Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, earlier this year. The hunters are arguing in their letter to the President that the seal hunt operates according to the "recommendations of science" and agreements with Norway. Animal welfare groups are opposing the hunt on the grounds that hunting of the seal pups is excessively cruel. For more information on the Russian harp seal hunt, contact Masha Vorontsova, International Fund for Animal Welfare. (Source: Reuters - 1 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
U.S. court orders major fishery changes to protect Steller sea lions - In response to an injunction filed on 30 March by three environmental groups (see News, 27 April 2000), a U.S. federal court ruled on 20 July that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must implement immediate and significant changes to groundfish trawl fisheries in Alaska in order to protect endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) from loss of prey. The provisions of the decision include the banning of all groundfish trawl fishing within 20 nautical miles of designated Steller sea lion critical habitat rookeries, haulouts and feeding areas from 8 August 2000. In his ruling Judge Zilly stated that the NMFS had not proved that its current regulations would protect the declining population of Steller sea lions in the western Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The fishing ban will remain in operation until the NMFS develops and presents Judge Zilly with new analysis and recommendations on the problem, due to take place on 31 October 2000.
The Alaskan groundfish fishery for pollock, cod, rockfish and Atka mackerel is the largest in the United States, taking over 2.2 million tonnes of fish each year worth almost US$1 billion. Between 50-80% of recent trawl fishery catches of key Steller sea lion prey species have come from the sea lion's critical habitat. Janis Searles of Earthjustice Alaska said that "This is a huge victory for Steller sea lions" while Mike Hagler of Greenpeace commented that "The court has done what NMFS would not: give the Steller sea lion a fighting chance against the industrial groundfish trawl fleet". The decision has drawn opposition from the fishing industry and the Department of Commerce. The U.S. Department of Justice has decided however not to appeal against the decision, contrary to the requests of the NMFS and Alaska's congressional delegation.
For more information, contact Janis Searles, Earthjustice Alaska or see the press releases. For background information on the decline in the Steller sea lion population in western Alaska, see the Society's Steller sea lion page. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 21 Jul 2000; AP - 21 Jul 2000; Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund - 20 Jul, 8 Aug 2000; ENS - 21 Jul 2000; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 15 Aug 2000; Greenpeace - 20 Jul 2000; Reuters - 24 Jul 2000; Seattle Times - 21 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
Scottish fishermen call for seal commission to be set up - Arguing that growing seal numbers are affecting North Sea fish stocks, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation was reported on 9 August as having asked the Scottish Executive to set up a special commission, based on the country's deer commission and including scientific, fisheries and environmental interests, to examine the interactions between Scotland's fisheries and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina). The Scottish Executive responded by saying that it will examine the proposals but that a committee already exists to advise ministers and that there is no evidence to suggest that seals pose a significant threat to commercial fish populations. Animal welfare and conservation groups also voiced opposition to the plans saying that there is no need for a commission or any control of the seal population and that seals are being treated as scapegoats. A prominent marine biologist was quoted as supporting the proposals as a way of bringing out the truth about the seal issue. "It could be a good thing to bring out the truth, rather than the stories which go round about seals eating all the fish. In fact, too many fish are being taken out by the fishing industry", he said. (Sources: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 9 Aug 2000; BBC - 9 Aug 2000; Edinburgh Evening News - 29 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
High levels of pinniped mortality observed in California - Following a report that 19 dead adult harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in good body condition had been found by a biologist over a two-week period at Point Reyes, California, the Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) examined the seals on 6 June. The Center's science staff found a severe bacterial pneumonia in three of the seals of a bacterial type that is usually a secondary cause of death and have sent samples for further analysis. An event that started with similar characteristics occurred in 1997 when 90 dead harbour seals stranded, the cause of which was inconclusive but appeared to be a virus of some type.
As of 18 August, the TMMC has also rescued over 135 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) since mid-June, mostly adult females in good body condition but exhibiting symptoms including head bobbing, lethargy and seizures. Of these, 52 have died so far, 59 have been successfully rehabilitated and released, and 24 are still at the Center. In the spring of 1998 the Center admitted 70 California sea lions, mostly adult females, exhibiting similar symptoms. The eventual diagnosis of the 1998 mortality was of domoic acid poisoning from a toxic bloom in the sea lions' prey. On 31 July it was reported that the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur (MMCC/FM) in San Pedro was acting as an overflow and had also received 14 similarly affected adult female sea lions. So far most of the sea lions have been found in San Luis Obispo county. For more information, see the TMMC web site or contact the TMMC. (Sources: TMMC - 11, 24 Aug 2000; Torrance Daily Breeze - 31 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
Increase in seal killings observed in Ireland - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) has reported in August that it has seen an increase in the number of reports of dead seals and seals being shot over the last few weeks. The ISS has been actively talking to fishermen and their representatives in an attempt to solve the problem and has also called for the government to convene a Seal Working Group, giving representation to the ISS and fisheries interests, where mutual problems such as overfishing, pollution by fish farms, the destruction of inland salmon spawning beds and poaching can be resolved. The increase in killings may be linked to a call for a seal cull which was made in June by a member of the Northern Regional Fisheries Board and which has since resulted in much exposure and discussion of the issue in the media. Both grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) are found around the Irish coasts. For more information, contact the ISS' Damian Nolan. (Sources: Irish Times - 5 Jun 2000; ISS - Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Survey reveals Canadian attitudes towards the seal hunt - A survey commissioned by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans in March 1999 has revealed that 71% of Canadians are either not very familiar or not at all familiar with the issues surrounding the annual east coast hunt of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata). A quarter of respondents replied that they are somewhat familiar with hunt issues and only 3% said that they were very familiar. A total of 54% of those surveyed expressed opposition to the hunt while 40% supported it. The survey also showed that less than 1% of those questioned considered seals as the most important issue facing Canada's fisheries and that low fish stocks and overfishing by foreigners were instead considered the most important issues. From responses to the questions that were posed, the survey concluded that the humaneness and sustainability of the hunt were the two most persuasive arguments among both those who support and oppose the hunt. The survey also covered such aspects as where people obtained their information and whom they believed most. For more information on the Canadian seal hunt, contact the International Fund for Animal Welfare. (Source: St. John's Evening Telegram - 5 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Pinniped pups die in captivity - Two of the three sea lion pups born at St. Louis Zoo, USA, during the summer died shortly after each other in the middle of August. The Zoo said that early tests indicated that the pups, both female, might have been attacked by older sea lions in the Zoo's "Sea Lion Basin", home to about seven sea lions. The same fate was fortunately avoided by a Northern fur seal pup (Callorhinus ursinus) which was injured by a 17-year-old male fur seal shortly after its 7 July birth at the Seattle Aquarium, USA, but which was successfully treated at an animal health centre. (Sources: AP Northwest - 21 Jul 2000; St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 20 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
U.K. student fashion show cancelled due to use of seal fur - An annual show held by fashion students from the University of Wales College of Newport was cancelled on 26 June after the organisers received a large number of protests due to plans of one of the students to show garments made from seal skins. The 24-year-old Danish student who planned to exhibit the garments, including trousers, waistcoats and a seal fur bikini, had imported the seal skins from Greenland. A representative of the animal welfare organisation Animal Aid commented that she thought that "most sensible people will be appalled by the use of sealskin in the woman's designs" and urged all the students at the college to boycott the student in question if she decided to use the garments in a fashion show of any sort. (Sources: BBC - 27 Jun 2000; London Times - 27 Jun 2000) (28 August 2000)
Pinniped protection groups named as Environmental Heroes - Two U.S. organisations formed to protect pinnipeds were delighted to be presented awards as Environmental Heroes by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The awards, which are presented annually to individuals and organisations for their "tireless efforts to preserve and protect the nation's environment", were presented to La Jolla Friends of the Seals (LJFS) and Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES), both in California. Only 72 individuals and 4 organisations received the award for the year 2000. Friends of the Elephant Seal, whose docents teach environmental stewardship and educate the public at the Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) colony near Piedras Blancas, was nominated by NOAA Special Agent Roy Torres who commented "I can't say enough about what these people do. They are out there every day in the wind and cold, looking out for the animals and sharing information with the public. They are terrific."
The award to La Jolla Friends of the Seals was presented in front of 60 guests and the cameras of three TV stations at the organisation's first anniversary celebration held on 26 July. It also coincided with the launch of the organisation's SealCam which provides live internet viewing of the La Jolla harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) colony at the Casa/Children's Pool Beach. SealCam can currently be accessed through the web site of CamZone, the organisation who donated the facility. LJFS runs the much-applauded naturalist-docent programme "Friends of the Seals" which educates the public about the harbour seal colony and protects it from disturbance. Among other recipients, individual Environmental Heroes awards were presented to Amy Mathews-Amos, Program Director of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, and Maria Brown, Executive Director of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association. For more information, contact FES' Phil Adams and LJFS' Patrick Lee Hord or visit the organisations' respective web sites: FES and LJFS. (Sources: FES; LJFS - 26 Jul 2000; NOAA - 21 Apr 2000) (28 August 2000)
Owners of Scottish estate criticise loch conservation plans - It was reported on 2 August that the owners of Dunvegan Estate on the Isle of Skye are angry over plans to designate parts of Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort as Special Areas of Conservation under the European Community's Habitats Directive. The owners claim that the proposed designation, in recognition of the lochs' seal populations, could pose a threat to the Skye economy by jeopardising visits by cruise ships and local boat trips. The government agency Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is insisting that designation would have little effect on activities in the lochs. However the manager of the Estate recently ordered SNH officials to leave his office and is refusing to consult with the agency. (Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 3 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Report urges protection of the Mediterranean Sea - A report issued by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has urged governments to commit their protection of the Mediterranean Sea for the next ten years before species are lost. Entitled "Mediterranean Marine Gap Analysis", the report says that the Mediterranean Sea needs protection from over-fishing, pollution and coastal construction if its unique environmental heritage, including the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), is to survive. The report designates at least 10% of the Mediterranean marine and coastal area as vulnerable, and its recommendations include a Mediterranean-wide ban on coastal trawl fishing to 50 metres deep, coastal construction banned in the 13 most important areas in need of protection, and the uniform application of international pollution laws. Two areas identified as being of particular importance for monk seals and sea turtles are the Aegean Sea and the Turkish Mediterranean coast. For more information, contact Paolo Guglielmi, WWF Mediterranean Programme Office. (Source: ENS - 17 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
Macquarie Island afforded additional protection - On 20 June the Tasmanian parliament in Australia approved a proposal to extend the existing Macquarie Island Nature Reserve to cover all Tasmanian waters out to 3 nautical miles around the island and some small neighbouring islands, adding 74,715 hectares of marine reserve to the nature reserve. The extension will complement the recently-declared Commonwealth (federal government) marine park to the east of the island (see News, 7 October 1999) and the Tasmanian Environment Minister David Llewellyn said that he looked forward to working with the federal government in cooperatively managing the whole environment. The World Heritage-listed island is home to an estimated 100,000 breeding Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), sub-Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis), New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). (Source: Tasmanian Government - 20 Jun 2000) (28 August 2000)
Illegal fishing vessels boarded in Brazil - In a joint operation by the Instituto Sea Shepherd Brasil (ISSB), Brazil's environmental law enforcement agency IBAMA and military police, four fishing vessels which were illegally driftnetting within three miles of the southern Brazilian coast were boarded on 19 August. The operation, which made use of an aeroplane, helicopter and speedboat, involved the identification, boarding and fining of the vessels. Members of ISSB, who sponsored the operation, then spray-painted the vessels in strategic locations with a red dye so that Navy officials could identify and fine or even confiscate the vessels once they had returned to port. Illegal fishing activities are very common on the Brazilian coast and are rapidly becoming the leading cause of death of marine creatures such as sea turtles, dolphins and South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens). For more information, contact ISSB. (Source: ISSB - 21 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Rare birth of Hawaiian monk seal pup on Kauai - An endangered Hawaiian monk seal pup (Monachus schauinslandi) was born on one of the most popular tourist beaches on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on 6 July, only one of four pups known to have been born on the island in the last decade. None of the previous pups has survived. Volunteers from a local organisation, Kauai Monk Seal Watch, were reported to be making sure that the mother and pup were protected from disturbance. The Kauai Surfing Association, which was organising a festival due to take place at the beach shortly after the birth, also decided to move the festival to another beach so that the pup would not be disturbed. (Sources: Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 7 Jul 2000; New York Times - 25 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
Sea lion causes a stir in Washington State - A 350-450 kg male Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), probably 8-10 years old, caused a commotion when he hauled up by the boardwalk of Bremerton, Washington State, USA, on 8 August and rested there for the next 11 hours. Hundreds of tourists and commuters came to see the sea lion and the event even attracted the attention of Seattle TV helicopters and the local mayor. "I was hoping to see one of these guys, but I never guessed it would be so close" commented one visitor. Steller sea lions are not commonly found in the area, Puget Sound, especially at this time of year. Local officers ensured that the public were kept at a safe distance. When the sea lion returned to nearby Manette the next day and began lounging on residents' lawns, attempts were made by local biologists to trap and transport him to the Washington coast but without success. The sea lion was also sighted during the previous weekend in Seattle. (Sources: Bremerton Sun - 10, 11 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Global warming implicated in thinning polar ice - A tourist cruise to the North Pole in early August made the surprising discovery that an ice-free patch of ocean over a kilometre wide had opened up at the pole, the first time this has probably ever been seen by humans. The last time that scientists can be certain that the pole was awash in water was more than 50 million years ago and the event is being viewed as more evidence that global warming is real and that it is already affecting the climate. One of the lecturers on the cruise commented that six years ago the icebreaker vessel had ploughed through an icecap six to nine feet thick at the pole. Recent findings have revealed that the extent of ice coverage in the Arctic has significantly shrunk in recent years and there are concerns for the many pinniped species which are dependent on the Arctic ice habitat (see News, 25 June 2000). (Source: New York Times - 19 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Steller sea lion study shows promising results - Initial findings of a study carried out by U.S. biologists this summer of 11 rookeries of the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea have shown an overall pup production similar to that of 1998, in contrast to the slow steady decline in pup production in recent years. Scientist Tom Loughlin of the National Marine Mammal Laboratory commented that the results were encouraging but cautioned that overall a sea lion population decline could still be occurring. Biologists are still counting the adult sea lion population using aerial photos taken this summer and it is hoped that the results of that count and an overall assessment of the population will be ready by the end of August. For more information, contact Tom Loughlin. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 29 Jul 2000) (28 August 2000)
Study shows long-term recognition of calls by fur seals - Research carried out by scientist Stephen Insley of the University of California, Davis, has shown that Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) in an Alaskan breeding colony are able to recognise each other by their calls after years of separation. Fur seals who had their mother's call recorded when they were pups and played back to them four years later were found to react to the call, as did mothers who were played the recorded calls of their pups from four years earlier. Call recognition is essential for mothers and pups to locate each other during the first four months of a Northern fur seal's life. The findings, only the second ever observation of long-term voice recognition in an animal species, were reported in the journal Nature. For more information, contact Stephen Insley. (Sources: Cape Town Independent Newspapers - 7 Aug 2000; Dallas Morning News - 6 Aug 2000) (28 August 2000)
Report highlights seal-fisheries interactions in southwest England - An initial report released by seal research scientist Stephen Westcott has pinpointed a problem caused by grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) raiding the nets of monkfish fishermen in Cornwall. The problem came to light last year when fishermen admitted to a French researcher that seals foraging for monkfish often become entangled in their nets and drown. Dr. Westcott has calculated that the annual death toll, an estimated 100 or so, is higher than the number of grey seals born in Cornwall each year, and has since been monitoring the seals' interactions with the fishery and working with the fishermen to minimise the problem. One of the main problems appears to be a reduced number of monkfish for both fishermen and seals. For more information, contact Stephen Westcott, Seaquest South-West. (Source: Cornwall and Devon Media Group - 26 Jun 2000) (28 August 2000)
Thousands of Caspian seals killed by mystery disease - Over 11,000 Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) have been found dead along Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea coast in a mass mortality event which was first reported in early May and which the Kazakhstan government was reported on 21 June as saying had now ended. The organisation Caspian Nature was reported on the same date however as saying that their researchers were still finding dead seals along the coast. Dead seals have also been reported from the Russian and Azerbaijan sectors of the Caspian Sea but mortality figures for these regions are not yet available.
The reasons for the mortality are currently unknown. One Kazakhstan governmental source has blamed disease caused by a very warm winter. The Astrakhan Fishing Institute, Russia, concluded that the seals were killed by an infectious disease that hit them after their immune systems had been weakened by oil-related pollutants in the Caspian Sea. Separate analyses carried out by Callan Duck of St. Andrews University, Scotland, produced conflicting results, showing high levels of organochlorine pesticides but no evidence of oil-related toxins in the seals.
Kazakhstan's Environment Minister, Serikbek Daukeyev, arguing that large amounts of pesticides and toxic oil wastes found in the seals' bodies could have lowered their immunity to disease, accused one oil consortium of exceeding waste emission limits and wrote to all major oil companies in the region to urge them to monitor closely the effects of their operations on the environment. The head of Kazakhstan's state oil company denied on 15 June that two international oil ventures in the Caspian Sea had been responsible for the seals' deaths. For more information on the alarming status of the Caspian seal species, see the Seal Conservation Society's Caspian seal page. (Sources: AP - 21 Jun 2000; Caspian Nature - 21 Jun 2000; Reuters - 22, 30 May, 8, 16 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Canadian seal hunt ends with reduced kill - The east coast Canadian commercial harp (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded (Cystophora cristata) seal hunt ended on 15 June with the smallest kill of harp seals in five years, despite the federal government twice extending the seal hunting season which lasted a month longer than normal. Approximately 91,000 harp seals were killed out of a total quota of 275,000, a figure that sealers blamed on various factors such as the low price of pelts and rising fuel costs.
Pointing out that this year was also the first since 1995 without a direct federal government subsidy for seal meat, Rick Smith of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said that the industry had admitted even before the hunt that there were over 100,000 harp seal pelts stockpiled and unsold from 1999. There is little or no demand for seal products, he stated, and the hunt, the largest for marine mammals anywhere in the world, is not economically sustainable. A worldwide day of protest against the Canadian hunt, organised by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, Citizens for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other groups, was held on 3 May, with about 20 protests planned outside Canadian embassies, consulates and government offices in 10 countries around the world.
The reduced hunt this year affected a local rotary club in Newfoundland which was reported on 27 April as having issued an appeal on radio to find seal meat since their annual flipper dinner was in jeopardy due to their inability to find any seal meat to buy. Meanwhile the Newfoundland Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, John Efford, was quoted on 25 May as calling for a major reduction in the total number of seals as the only solution to the continued state of diminished cod stocks. John Efford's comments followed the publication on 24 May of a Fisheries Resource Conservation Council report on the conservation requirements for northern cod, the recommendations of which included the setting up of "seal exclusion zones" in which any seals found would be shot.
In a separate development it was revealed on 30 April that the South Korean government has approved the importation of seal oil and seal pelts, Tina Fagan of the Canadian Sealers Association (CSA) saying that they had spent a lot of time trying to break into that market. It was then reported on 4 May that the CSA had finally lost its funding from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans as of 31 March and was in danger of being forced to close down. For more information on the Canadian seal hunt, see www.canadasealhunt.ca. (Sources: CP - 15 Jun 2000; Halifax Chronicle Herald - 30 Apr 2000; IFAW - 16 Jun 2000; Reuters - 4 May 2000; Saint John Telegraph Journal - 31 May 2000; St. John's Evening Telegram - 27 Apr, 4, 10, 25 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Finland government increases number of seal hunt licences - The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced in May that it was extending the hunting period for the endangered Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) to include the period of 1 June - 30 August 2000. In addition, the government announced on 2 June that it was granting licences to shoot an extra 40 grey seals in the Gulf of Bothnia before the end of the current hunting season in July (bringing the total for the current hunting season to 100), and that it is to increase the number of licences for the 2000-2001 hunting season by 40, allowing a total of 100 grey seals to be killed during the season. The 1998-1999 quota was for 30 seals.
The Baltic Sea population of grey seals is one of the most endangered populations of seals in the world, a 1997 scientific study concluding that the level of hunting that the population could sustain was close to zero. Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Recommendation 9/1, to which Finland is a signatory, recommended that the hunting of grey, ringed (Phoca hispida botnica) and harbour (Phoca vitulina vitulina) seals be banned by all signatories. The Finnish Government's decision also undermines the HELCOM Project on Seals which is currently looking closely at the complex issues surrounding seals-fisheries interactions in the Baltic Sea. Among the many concerns at the hunting of grey seals in Finland is that the number of seals shot will be understated, seals being wounded and killed but not counted in the official statistics. For more information, contact Antti Halkka, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. (Source: Finnish Association for Nature Conservation - Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Hundreds of pinnipeds killed by Canadian fish farms in 1999 - It has been revealed that almost 700 pinnipeds, including 470 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), 133 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) and 87 Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were killed under predator control permits by the British Columbia fish farming industry in 1999. It has also been reported that more than 5,000 pinnipeds were legally killed by the industry during the 1990s. Predator control permits can be obtained by fish farms from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to allow them to shoot animals that attack their fish farms, there being no limits on the number of animals killed. Most of the pinnipeds killed were in the area of Vancouver Island.
Representatives of the salmon farming industry met with government officials on 24 May to discuss how to reduce the number of pinnipeds killed and the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association said that it is currently putting together a committee to develop and test non-lethal control systems. In order to eliminate pinniped predation and reduce other environmental problems caused by fish farming, organisations such as Friends of Clayoquot Sound have been urging a move from open sea cage fish farms to land-based closed loop systems.
Meanwhile on 7 June Friends of Clayoquot Sound announced that they had found a pinniped carcase washed ashore near a fish farm in Clayoquot Sound with two weighted bags tied around the remnants of its body and that the bags matched identical ones found on a nearby fish farm. Predator control licences stipulate that licensees are required to dispose of the bodies "on shore by burial above the high water mark". Clayoquot Sound was recently designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The discovery of the carcase and the announcement of the number of pinnipeds killed both come shortly after the DFO carried out an investigation of the killing of sea lions on Vancouver Island (see News, 27 April 2000). For more information, contact Edward May, Friends of Clayoquot Sound. (CP - 14 Jun 2000; Friends of Clayoquot Sound - 22 Apr, 7 Jun 2000; Vancouver Sun - 14 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Australian trawlers allowed to kill up to 60 fur seals - The Australian federal government has allowed two ships trawling off Tasmania to kill up to 30 Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) each in their nets this season. Under the terms of the licences, each trawler will be allowed to kill 15 fur seals under normal operation and then up to a further 15 fur seals if it continues under a scientific permit. Any seals killed while conducting scientific trials on devices to minimise accidental catches will not be counted. The measure is in response to last year when the two ships together killed almost 90 fur seals.
The details were revealed in a letter dated 20 June from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to Greenpeace, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Humane Society International. It was also announced that the federal Fisheries Minister, Mr Truss, will launch a code of practice prepared by the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association to minimise harm to marine mammals. The Humane Society International described the licence conditions as unacceptable, campaigner Nicola Beynon pointing out that the seals caught in the nets die slowly from drowning or strangulation. For more information, contact Nicola Beynon. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald - 23 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Sea lion found shot to death in California - On 2 May a large California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) was found dead with gunshot wounds at Bolsa Chica State Beach in California's Orange County. Vicki Tales of the Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center (FSLMMC) said that the sea lion had been shot in the head and that an autopsy would be performed at the Center. A woman who saw the beached sea lion before it was recovered said that it appeared to be in great pain before dying. Vicki Tales pointed out that this wasn't the first act of violence against a sea lion in the area and that a year ago the Center had received a sea lion which had to be euthanased after someone had put a firecracker in a fish and then fed it to the sea lion, destroying the sea lion's jaw. The National Marine Fisheries Service, who are investigating the shooting, said that the incident was the 21st potential shooting of a sea lion in California this year, 77 such incidents having been reported last year. For more information, contact FSLMMC. (Source: Orange County Register - 3, 4 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Lobster fishing ban in Hawai'i to protect monk seals - The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) banned at the start of June any further fishing for lobster in Hawaiian waters this year in a move applauded by conservation groups concerned about the survival of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Hawaiian lobster stocks are currently depleted and are a key food source for the monk seals. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team also welcomed the development. The move came just a few days before a U.S. District Court judge, Judge King, was to rule on a preliminary injunction requesting the ban (see News, 8 March 2000), Judge King eventually ruling the issue moot due to the NMFS decision but stating that the injunction would probably have been granted as "the data strongly suggest that the fishery contributes to the starvation of the monk seals". The environmental groups involved will continue an ongoing law suit seeking longer-term protection for the monk seal. For more information, contact the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund. (Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 22 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Seal pups rescued from homes and markets in China - Between February and April the Dalian Spotted Seal Nature Reserve in China's Liaoning province was able to re-release a total of 15 rehabilitated spotted seal pups (Phoca largha) which had been illegally caught by fishermen and which were rescued from fishermen's homes and markets. The rehabilitation was assisted by funding from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)'s Emergency Rescue Program and the Ministry of Agriculture's Fisheries Department. The funding also allowed the Reserve to print and distribute seal protection public awareness leaflets, the release events generating a large amount of local public interest, concern and awareness. For more information, contact Grace Gabriel, IFAW China. (Source: IFAW China - Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Argentinean law prohibits capture of marine mammals - In a move caused by dismay at the number of marine mammals being captured and dying in captivity in Argentina, the legislature of Chubut Province approved law #4597 on 25 April which prohibits the capture of marine mammals using any method in the Province's waters and coasts. The law includes provision for the temporary rescue and rehabilitation of stranded marine mammals, stipulating that the marine mammal cannot be kept in permanent captivity and must be released back into its natural environment once it has been rehabilitated. The law also invites other coastal provinces in Argentina to adopt similar measures along their coasts. SCS Note: South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) are among the marine mammals found in the Province. For more information, contact Gabriela Bellazzi of the Wild Earth Foundation's Fauna Department. (Source: Wild Earth Foundation - May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Northwest Atlantic harp seal population assessed - A National Marine Mammal Review Committee meeting in Ottawa, Canada, on 11-12 April reviewed the most recent information on the status of the northwest Atlantic harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) population and concluded that the population estimate for 2000 is 5.2 million seals with a 95% probability that the figure is between 4.0 and 6.4 million. Population models considered by the meeting calculated that the harp seal population has been stable since 1996 but that it would decline if hunting continues at the current level and age structure. It was also estimated that total human-caused removals from the harp seal population due to hunting in Canada and Greenland as well as fisheries bycatch have been around 465,000 seals each year since 1997. The Stock Status Report noted that commercial fish species only make up a small portion of harp seal diet and that "due to the complex nature of interactions within ecosystems, it is not possible to quantify the impact this predation is having on the status of commercial fish stocks".
The Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Herb Dhaliwal, also announced on 11 May that the three additional members of the "Eminent Panel on Seal Management" (see News, 27 April 2000) are to be John Harwood of the United Kingdom's Sea Mammal Research Unit, David Vardy of the Public Utilities Commission of Newfoundland, and Solange Brault of the University of Massachusetts in the United States. (Sources: Department of Fisheries and Oceans - 11 May 2000; DFO Stock Status Report E1-01 - Apr 2000; Sou'wester - 1 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
New Zealand cancels research programme due to branding - The New Zealand Minister for Conservation, Sandra Lee, has announced that a branding programme on New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) which first took place last summer in the country's subantarctic Auckland Islands has been cancelled following concerns about the effects of the branding on the welfare of the sea lions. The decision comes shortly after a similar programme was cancelled in Australia due to welfare concerns (see News, 27 April 2000). A scientific consultant to the squid fishery, Martin Cawthorn, argued that the branding programme was important for monitoring the sea lion population and that the techniques used in New Zealand were different from those used on the Australian Macquarie Island, wound infection not having been a problem with the New Zealand research programme. (Source: Antarctican - 10 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Namibian seal hunt criticised - The announcement by the Namibian government that the Cabinet has approved a recommendation by the Fisheries Minister, Abraham Iyambo, to double the number of concession holders for the annual South African fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) hunt from two to four, has met with criticism from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Sarah Scarth of IFAW said on 19 June that there were serious question marks over the sustainability of the current level of bull seal hunting, questioned claims that Namibia will benefit economically by expanding the industry, and pointed out that there is no scientific evidence that a seal cull would benefit Namibia's fisheries. Ms Scarth also questioned the viability of a proposed seal museum in Henties Bay saying that it was "highly unlikely that tourists will be attracted to view exhibits that display graphic views of cruel and inhumane seal hunts." The Namibian sealing season starts on 1 August, the hunting quota in 1999 having been for 30,000 seal pups and 5,000 bulls. For more information, contact Sarah Scarth. (Source: Panafrican News Agency - 19 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Crabeater seal numbers thought to be down - The early results of a multinational survey in Antarctica appear to indicate that numbers of crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus), generally believed to be the most abundant large wild mammal in the world, are much less than previously thought. The six nation Antarctic Pack Ice Seal Survey was carried out around much of Antarctica last summer as part of research aimed at building a picture of the Antarctic ecosystem ahead of possible large scale krill fishing in the region. The early indication of a reduced estimate in crabeater seal numbers was revealed by Australian biologist Colin Southwell who led the survey of the Australian sector of the Antarctic. Satellite tracking of the seals showed that they spend almost all of the night in the water foraging and that most are hauled out on the ice and resting by midday, allowing scientists a six hour window in which to count them. (Source: Antarctican - 20 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Scottish Minister rejects seal cull - During a fact-finding visit to the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) in St. Andrews, the Scottish Executive's Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs, John Home Robertson, commented that a "widespread cull of seals would not perhaps be the most appropriate solution to the problem" of diminishing salmon stocks in Scottish rivers. Scientists at SMRU are currently carrying out research into the impact that grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are having on stocks of whitefish in Scottish waters. The SMRU's Director, Phil Hammond, commented that "there tends to be a common misconception that by culling a large number of grey seals there would no longer be a problem with depleting fish stocks". (Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 17 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Puzzling sea lion deaths in California - An unusually high number of dead California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) have washed up in California's Ventura County recently, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reporting 150 dead sea lions as having washed ashore in the county between 1 May and 7 June, 70 of these since 1 June. A small number of dead harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) have also washed ashore. Marine biologists are puzzled by the deaths. NMFS wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro commented that more sea lions tend to wash up on Ventura County beaches due to prevailing marine currents and advised the public not to handle the sea lions due to the amount of bacteria that they contain. Shelbi Stoudt of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito said that it is possible that a bacteria or virus is attacking the population but that it is difficult to tell without performing an autopsy on a fresh carcass and that the sea lions which have washed up probably died at sea a week before. For more information, contact Joe Cordaro. (Sources: Los Angeles Times - 3 Jun 2000; Ventura County Star - 9 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Hawaiian monk seals to benefit from MPA initiative - On 26 May the United States President, Bill Clinton, ordered federal agencies to establish a comprehensive national system of marine protected areas (MPAs) throughout U.S. marine waters to protect marine life from a growing list of human-caused threats. The announcement was greeted with approval by marine scientists and conservationists who have been increasingly calling for a far greater number of areas to be covered by MPAs, a growing number of marine scientists saying that MPAs are the most effective means of safeguarding marine wildlife against the threats of overfishing and habitat destruction. Less than one tenth of one percent of the ocean within U.S. jurisdiction is currently afforded the highest level of protection - a total ban on fishing and other extractive uses of resources.
As a first step, President Clinton directed the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior to work with the state of Hawaii and the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council (WPFMC) to develop a plan within 90 days to afford permanent protection to the coral reef ecosystem of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Clinton ordered the Secretaries to assess ongoing efforts to protect the coral reef ecosystem, including proposed no-take ecological reserves and the work of the WPFMC. The agencies involved will, among other tasks, have to identify further measures that are needed to protect the threatened and endangered species of the ecosystem, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). For more information, see the Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI) web site. (Sources: CMC - 26 May 2000; ENS - 26 May 2000; MCBI - 26 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Climate changes and pollution affecting Arctic pinnipeds - A scientific gathering of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States heard evidence on 18 May of the effects of climate changes such as thinning sea ice on Arctic wildlife including pinnipeds. Sue Moore of the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle observed that "as goes the ice, so go the pinniped populations", retreating ice fields eliminating haulout areas for walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) and seals. Moore said that the ice pack in recent years has retreated as much as 200 km north of Alaska's Arctic shore, a distance making it difficult for walruses to reach the coastal clam beds for feeding, adding nutritional stresses that could bring starvation, particularly to walrus calves.
Seals which typically give birth on shorefast ice were also reported as being hit hard by earlier springs, mothers abandoning pups too young to fend for themselves when the ice melts. Alaskan natives reported having seen large numbers of stranded and starving seal pups after an unusually warm 1996-97 winter and spring, and dead pups were reported as washing up on beaches throughout the Bering Strait region. Scientists are coming to believe that the different climate changes in the Arctic, including wetter summers and drier winters, are a result of a steady rise in temperatures in the region.
Alaskan natives also reported to the International Conference on Arctic Development, Pollution and Biomarkers of Human Health meeting in Anchorage on 1 May that they are beginning to avoid eating traditional marine mammals due to the fear that they are contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals and other toxins. Increasing observations of tumours, lesions, spots and sores in wild animals have been documented by the Alaska Native Science Commission in a Traditional Knowledge and Contaminant Project over the past 4 years. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 19 May 2000; Congressional Research Service [from Anchorage Daily News] - 6 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Influenza B virus found in seals - Scientists working in the Netherlands have found the influenza B virus in seals, the first time that the virus has been found in an animal other than a human. Retrospective testing on blood samples found the virus in 2% of seals that stranded on the Dutch coast since 1995, the virus being identical to that found in humans in the Netherlands that year. The scientist who made the discovery, Professor Albert Osterhaus from the National Influenza Centre at Erasmus University, believes that the virus was first transmitted from humans to seals and that it "may pose a direct threat to humans" if human immunity to the virus were to diminish and the virus were to be transmitted back from seals to humans. Professor Osterhaus' advice to the public was therefore "if you find these animals at the beach, just don't touch them. Stay away and wait until a professional comes." The blood samples were supplied by the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC) in Pieterburen and Professor Osterhaus' research is published in the journal Science. For more information, contact the SRRC. (Sources: BBC News Online - 11 May 2000; Discovery.com - 11 May 2000; Toronto Globe and Mail - 13 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
U.S. Navy cancels acoustic tests - Environmentalists have applauded the U.S. Navy's decision on 25 May to cancel controversial high intensity acoustic tests off the New York and New Jersey coasts. The decision was reached after the National Marine Fisheries Service told the Navy that it would have to consult formally with it regarding the potential harm of the tests on endangered marine wildlife and came in the wake of growing protest at the effects that acoustic sources have on cetaceans and other marine wildlife. The submarine detection tests, part of the Navy's Littoral Warfare Advanced Development (LWAD) Program, were to involve the use of experimental low frequency active sonar technology. The cancellation of the tests follows closely the stranding of over a dozen cetaceans in the Bahamas in March which many have linked to an earlier series of LWAD tests which were being carried out there at the time. For more information, see the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) media release. (Sources: ENS - 29 May 2000; NRDC - 25 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Fishing vessel runs aground on Hawaiian reef - It was reported on 12 June that the owner of the Swordman, a 26 metre longliner fishing vessel which ran aground on a coral reef in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, will be given a demand letter ordering the removal of the vessel to prevent damage to the reef and marine life. It is thought that the vessel, which was carrying over 20,000 litres of diesel fuel, may have a ruptured fuel tank. The longliner also carried kilometres of monofilament main line as well as thousands of branch lines containing hooks that could entangle and hook endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) which inhabit the area. United States federal and state authorities are acting together to prevent pollution and consider salvage efforts. (Source: ENS - 12 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Certification programme launched for Galápagos tour boats - In an effort to minimise the effects on the environment of the nearly 90 tour boats that transport 60,000 tourists around the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands each year, the Rainforest Alliance and the local organisation Corporation for Conservation and Development launched the SmartVoyager certification programme for tour boat operators at the end of May. The annual certification process will aim to ensure that boats do not disturb wildlife, spill oil and sewage, throw rubbish overboard, catch fish for food or sale, or transport non-indigenous organisms from the mainland and between islands. The Galápagos Islands are home to a great variety of wildlife, including the Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) and the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis). For more information, see the SmartVoyager web page. (Source: ENN - 22 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Initiatives to strengthen marine protection in North America - It was announced on 24 May that the Pew Charitable Trusts has launched the new independent Pew Oceans Commission with a remit to "assess the condition of America's oceans and living marine resources, and set national priorities to restore and protect them for future generations". The Commission's focus will be on "the impacts of coastal development, pollution, fishing practices, climate change, and invasive species on marine life in U.S. waters". It will hold regional meetings and issue several reports before delivering a final set of recommendations to Congress and the nation in 2002. For more information, see the Commission's web site. (Sources: Pew Oceans Commission - May 2000; SeaWeb Ocean Update - Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Herb Dhaliwal, the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced on 8 June that he intends to create a nine member Minister's Advisory Council on Oceans which will provide him with expert advice on broad strategic issues relating to oceans, on establishing strategic alliances among oceans stakeholders and on ways of collaborating on oceans issues. The Council and its membership will be announced at the Coastal Zone Canada 2000 conference in Saint John, New Brunswick, on 17 September. For more information, see the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) press release. (Source: DFO - 8 Jun 2000) (25 June 2000)
Swedish scientists say "Nessie" may be a marine mammal - A team of Swedish scientists investigating the possible existence of "Nessie", the fabled monster said to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness, has revealed that the monster may in fact be a marine mammal. During a sonic survey of the loch in March the Scandinavian Global Underwater Search Team found a series of unidentifiable sounds that fell into a frequency matched only by those produced by marine mammals such as the elephant seal (Mirounga sp.), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) and killer whale. The team said that the sounds, described as being like a pig grunting or person snoring, were similar to those found in Swedish and Norwegian lakes that are also rumoured to be inhabited by water monsters. The team expects to continue studying Loch Ness in October. (Source: London Sunday Times - 21 May 2000) (25 June 2000)
Ice conditions affect Canadian seal hunt - The portion of the east Canadian harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) hunt taking place in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this year was affected by the early breaking up and melting of the ice in the Gulf at the end of an unusually warm winter. Inadequate and thin ice floes made life very difficult for pupping and as a result lower numbers of harp seals were observed in less concentrated gatherings than usual. Due to the difficulties of hunters reaching the seals because of the thin ice and the wider than usual distribution of the seals, the number of seals killed this year in the Gulf was down, one report stating that only 3,000 seals had been killed out of a Gulf quota of 45,000.
The reduced hunt was welcomed by animal protection groups. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), who are observing the hunt, pointed out however that a much larger number of harp seal pups than usual have died this year due to the ice conditions, with fewer places for the mothers to give birth, abandonment of pups caused by a late winter storm, and the breaking up of ice beneath the pups. Blaming climate change for the ice conditions, probably due to global warming, IFAW's Canadian director Rick Smith commented that these were the worst conditions he had seen and that many young seals were dying even before the hunt had begun. IFAW reported that it had observed a large number of abandoned seal pups and that one pup that it had rescued had injuries to a mangled flipper caused by being jammed in the ice. The International Wildlife Coalition's Patricia Gray pointed out that due to the ice conditions a large number of seals were being shot from boats this year and that sealers in small moving boats had little chance of a clean kill, resulting in wounded seals dying in distress.
IFAW announced on 30 March that it has been able to obtain video footage of sealers breaking the law during the hunt in the Gulf by failing to kill seals quickly and humanely. IFAW's Rick Smith said that he had watched one sealer putting a steel hook through the head of a seal that was trying to escape and dragging it, still alive, back to the boat. "Much of the recorded activity over the last couple of days", he said, "clearly constitutes a violation of the Criminal Code of Canada's prohibition against unnecessary cruelty to animals" and "it's clear that current federal government sealing regulations and enforcement efforts are completely inadequate to deal with the problem."
It was reported that ice conditions were normal for the much larger hunt which was scheduled to begin on 10 April off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. However there were reports that the hunt there may be greatly reduced due to low pelt prices, high fuel and ammunition prices, increased insurance rates and the risk of possible damage to boats. An initial price list showed that the top price for a harp seal pelt would be C$15 as opposed to C$25 last year. On 25 April it was reported that the hunt to date has been slow with many sealers staying ashore.
With regards to the sinking in 1997 of a sealing boat, the Gilbert D, after it was crushed by ice off the Magdalen Islands, a report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada on the sinking has revealed that the federal watchdog for ship safety, Transport Canada Ship Safety (TCSS), allows the use of vessels for the Canadian seal hunt that are not ice-strengthened. The report indicated that the TCSS is aware that fishing vessels are inadequate for navigation through ice but allows them to go anyway, while also noting that the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) issues seal hunting permits to vessels that aren't designed for ice navigation. The Gilbert D was a wood-covered fishing vessel with a fibreglass hull, a type also generally used in the Newfoundland seal hunt even though it is not designed for the ice packs.
Meanwhile, more than 100 retired Newfoundland fishermen who under a buyout scheme sold their groundfish licences and agreed to permanently get out of the fishery in previous years are complaining since finding out this year that this also applies to commercial sealing. Arguing that they should still be allowed to go sealing as it is a hunt rather than a fishery, and that many people who aren't fishermen have commercial sealing licences, the fishermen are trying to get the DFO to reinstate their commercial sealing privileges.
On 25 March IFAW launched a new web site http://www.canadasealhunt.ca which covers the east coast seal hunts and which has been designed to enable Canadians to be more completely informed on issues surrounding the hunt. The site, which is in both English and French, includes background information on the hunt, latest news, links to other sites, an action page for those wishing to stop the hunt, and images and video of the hunt. (Sources: Charlottetown Guardian - 20, 23, 25, 29 Mar 2000; CNN - 30 Mar 2000; IFAW - 21,30 Mar 2000; St. John's Evening Telegram - 17 Mar 2000, 14, 25 Apr 2000; Toronto Star - 25 Mar 2000, 6 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Canadian Fisheries Minister announces Panel on Seal Management - The Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Herb Dhaliwal, announced on 11 April the formation of an independent panel to evaluate the current state of scientific knowledge of the seal populations in Atlantic Canada and to provide advice on a long-term strategy for their management. The panel, which will be chaired by Dr. Ian Mclaren of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and which will have an additional three members, is expected to issue its report by autumn this year. For more information, and the panel's Terms of Reference, see the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Press Release.
The announcement came as the DFO was hosting a National Marine Mammal Review Committee meeting in Ottawa on 11-12 April to review the most recent information on the status of the northwest Atlantic harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) population. The Committee concluded that the harp seal population has been stable since 1996 and that the population estimate for 2000 is 5.2 million seals (with a 95% probability that the number lies between 4.0 and 6.4 million). It also calculated that hunting (including those seals 'struck and lost' during hunting) and bycatch in the lumpfish fishery has accounted for around 465,000 harp seals being killed each year since 1997. For more information, including the meeting's Statement of Conclusions, see the DFO Press Release. (Sources: DFO - 11, 13 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Norwegian seal hunt quotas and regulations released - The Norwegian government released on 6 March the hunt quotas for harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in the West Ice and East Ice hunting areas. Norwegian vessels were allocated a quota of 17,500 adult harp seals and 11,200 adult hooded seals on the West Ice. Non-suckling young seals could be killed in place of adults, in which case 2 juvenile harp seals were deemed equal to one adult and 1.5 juvenile hooded seals were deemed equal to one adult. The killing of harp seals was permitted from 10 April, hooded seals from 22 March, both hunts ending on 5 May, this date to be extended if weather conditions required.
On the East Ice Norwegian vessels were allocated a quota of 5,000 adult harp seals. Non-suckling young seals could be killed in place of adults, in which case 2.5 juvenile harp seals were deemed equal to one adult. The East Ice hunt was scheduled to start on 23 March and end on 20 April with the extension of this closing date being permitted if weather conditions required.
On 9 February the Norwegian parliament asked the Minister of Fisheries, Lars Peder Brekk, to increase the seal quotas significantly and to work to increase the international market for seal products. Brekk promised to encourage increased sealing by tying new permits for prawn fishing to sealing permits, commenting however that "we cannot live with the fact that sealing is subsidised with 17 million Norwegian Kroner this year". It was reported earlier in the year that the sealing industry was in difficulty with fewer crew members having experience in sealing and vessels being in poor condition.
Seal hunter Arnfinn Karlsen was reported on 1 February as saying that the focus had to be placed on product development and sales and that he was confident that the seal hunt would become a self-supporting trade in the long run. Karlsen is planning to open a factory, Polargott A/S, in Tjørevåg this summer which will produce, among other things, seal flippers and dog food containing seal as an ingredient. It was reported that Norwegian banks are showing no interest in getting involved with projects in the seal product trade, the factory being a collaborative project between the Ministry of Fisheries and the Norwegian Fisheries Association who have provided 3 million Kroner to Polargott. Another company, Tromsø-based Rieber A/S, which receives various types of seal skins from Canada, was quoted as saying that "it is Canada that helps us to maintain this business".
It was announced that on 7 March anti-sealing organisations were planning to hold an international day of demonstrations in the USA and Europe against the Norwegian seal hunt, including a phone-in to the Norwegian Embassy in Washington DC. The USA demonstrations were organised by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT). For more information on the Norwegian seal hunt, contact NOAH's Anton Krag. (Sources: Aftenposten - 5 Jan, 9 Feb 2000; CAFT - 5, 7 Mar 2000; Fiskeribladet - 1 Feb 2000; NOAH - 6 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
Russian president vetoes animal welfare bill - The Russian president Vladimir Putin vetoed an animal protection bill on 5 January which had passed through the Russian parliament by 273 votes to 1 and which would, among other aspects, have had the effect of outlawing seal hunting in Russia (see News, 8 March 2000). The Norwegian paper Fiskeribladet, included a quote that the bill "would have in reality closed all access to Russian hunting in the East Ice, and probably also the Norwegian hunt (there)" and added that it was of great importance that the Russian hunt for seals was maintained. (Sources: Animal People - Mar 2000; Fiskeribladet - 1 Feb 2000) (27 April 2000)
Authorities investigate killing of sea lions in British Columbia - The Canadian federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating the killing of 15-20 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) which were found on 20 April heaped in a pit near Tofino on British Columbia's Vancouver Island. The manager of a nearby fish farm, Creative Salmon, has admitted that it shot the sea lions but claims that the killings were legal under Canadian law as the sea lions were killed over a period of a month and a half as 'problem animals'. Local environmental group Friends of Clayoquot Sound has expressed outrage at the killings and is urging the adoption of non-lethal deterrence methods, with an eventual move to closed-loop fish farms on land rather than the use of open sea cage systems. For more information, contact Edward May, Friends of Clayoquot Sound. (Sources: Friends of Clayoquot Sound - 21 Apr 2000; Vancouver Province - 23, 25 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Hot iron branding of elephant seals stopped in Australia - The hot iron branding of Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) by Australian Antarctic Division research scientists on Australia's subantarctic Macquarie Island has been ordered to be stopped by Australian Environment Minister Robert Hill after concerns were raised by a report produced by Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife officers who visited the island. The evidence collected in the report showed that the brands had created large weeping sores and infected wounds on many seals, with branded seals almost three times as likely to be in poor physical condition as unbranded seals. Since 1993 about 14,000 weaned Southern elephant seal pups have been branded with an identifying code for the purposes of helping to understand unexplained and dramatic population changes. Shortly after the decision it was revealed that University of Tasmania zoologists have also scrapped plans to test hot iron branding on fur seals at Kangaroo Island in South Australia. (Sources: Antarctican 3 Apr 2000; Melbourne Age - 29, 31 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
Judge asked to ban trawling to protect Steller sea lions - The American Oceans Campaign, Greenpeace and Sierra Club Alaska asked a federal court in Seattle on 30 March to place an immediate moratorium on trawling for groundfish in critical habitat areas of the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). The action follows the court's January decision that the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is in continuing violation of the Endangered Species Act in failing to evaluate adequately the impact of the fisheries on Steller sea lions (see News, 8 March 2000). Paul Clarke, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, commented that "the clock is ticking towards Steller sea lion extinction, but NMFS still allows areas essential to the species to remain a major focus for the trawl fisheries". For more information, see the Greenpeace USA Press Release of 30 March 2000 entitled "Groups Ask Court for Tougher Protections for Endangered Sea Lions", and see the NMFS page on Steller sea lion resources. (Sources: ENS - 31 Mar 2000; Greenpeace USA - 30 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
Sea lion deaths cause early squid fishery closure in New Zealand - The squid fishery around New Zealand's sub-antarctic Auckland Islands, which usually runs until May, was closed early at the beginning of March when the estimated number of endangered New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) caught and killed in the trawl nets reached 65, the maximum permitted. An editorial in the Christchurch Press stated that only half of the squid quota had been caught when the fishery ended, with as much as NZ$50 million lost, but that the sacrifice was unavoidable given that the days of ocean plunder are drawing to a close and that disregard for marine animals is no longer tolerable. Marine mammal escape devices are being tested to see whether or not they successfully expel sea lions from squid nets but New Zealand Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson said that there was not enough information available from the trials to determine the devices' effectiveness and that further research with underwater cameras would provide that information.
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (RFBPS) welcomed the news of the early closure but pointed out that the number of kills may actually have exceeded 65 and urged the industry to develop alternative methods for catching squid around the islands such as the use of jiggers instead of trawling. The RFBPS also called for an extension of the size of the current marine mammal sanctuary around the islands to 100km and for the closure of other fisheries around the islands. For more information, contact the RFBPS' Barry Weeber. (Sources: Christchurch Press - 9 Mar 2000; Reuters - 7 Mar 2000; RFBPS - 7 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
U.K. Conservative politicians call for seals to be given contraceptives - Conservative party politicians in the United Kingdom have called for contraceptives to be administered to grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in Scottish waters, arguing that a restriction in seal numbers would preserve fish stocks. Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish, the deputy Conservative leader in the House of Lords, and David Davidson, an industry spokesman, said that urgent action was needed to save the fishing industry. The Scottish Fisheries Minister, John Home Robertson, replied that the Scottish Executive had considered dart-injected contraceptives but that this involved considerable practical problems. (Source: London Times - 12 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Campaign planned to lure back seals in California - In an effort to attract seals back to the beach that bears their name but where they are now rarely seen due to the effects of industrial development, the Sierra Club and the Chamber of Commerce in Seal Beach, Orange County, are planning a conservation project to reintroduce an entire marine ecosystem to the Seal Beach area. The plan, which would improve the area's wetlands by planting kelp forests offshore and mangrove trees and sea grass in wetlands areas of the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, would require the approval of state legislators and the California Coastal Commission. A city-wide "Save Our Seals" fund-raising campaign will be launched later this month. Some opposition to the plan has arisen, noticeably from commercial fishermen, but others are hoping that the project will lead to the cleaning up of the coastal waters off Seal Beach which are among the most polluted in Orange County. The Seal Beach proposal is part of an effort by the Sierra Club to seek federal protection for 20% of Southern California's 1,400 km coastline, only 1% of the coastline currently having such protection. (Source: Los Angeles Times - 8 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Lawsuit filed in Hawaii to stop U.S. Navy testing sonar system - Arguing that a new sonar system being tested by the U.S. Navy could pose a threat to marine life, ten national and Hawaiian environmental groups and a member of the Hawaii County Council filed a lawsuit to stop the testing on 29 February in a Honolulu federal court. The suit alleges that the Navy is violating environmental laws by putting funding into the SURTASS LFA sonar system (see News, 16 November 1999) before completing an analysis of the system's environmental effects. It also accuses the Navy of conducting a biased environmental study designed to justify the expenditures already made rather than a study to evaluate objectively the potential for harm to marine life. The suit seeks an injunction to prevent further testing until the environmental impact statement is completed and considered adequate by the federal court. For more information, see the Ocean Mammal Institute web site. (Source: ENS - 17 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
Sea lions caught up in Chinese aquarium's financial problems - Ten sea lions of unidentified species and eight South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), along with eight bottlenose dolphins and eight false killer whales, are the focus of a business squabble between the 13-month old Beijing Aquarium and the American firm hired to supply and care for them, JV China Inc. of Lompoc, California. The problems began after low attendances apparently caused the aquarium to run short of cash. JV China complains that it hasn't been paid in nearly a year and both sides have traded accusations of mismanagement, breach of contract and endangering the marine mammals. In February the American company suspended the dolphin and sea lion shows for lack of payment, although they still look after the animals. The aquarium reportedly responded by trying to cancel the contract and force the American company to sell its animals. In return, JV China accused the aquarium of failing to maintain a safe home for the animals, saying that broken gates had dangerous sharp edges and claiming that the aquarium had refused to supply chlorine for the water, claims which are disputed by the aquarium. Both sides are currently in negotiations to resolve the situation. (Source: AP - 17 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Iranians buy ex-Soviet Navy marine mammals - A total of 27 pinnipeds and cetaceans, including sea lions of unidentified species, walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), dolphins and Beluga whales, have been bought by Iran from the former Soviet Navy's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, after the Crimean authorities decided that they could not afford to keep them any more. It is thought that the marine mammals, transported by air to an undisclosed Iranian base on the Persian Gulf, were used by the Soviet Navy for military activities such as detecting mines and carrying explosive charges, and that Iran might be using them as part of its constant struggle for control of the Gulf and its entrance at the narrow Straits of Hormuz. (Source: London Times - 10 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
Report reveals extent of New Zealand fur seal bycatch - Data collated by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (RFBPS) has revealed that an estimated total of greater than 10,000 New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) were drowned in trawl nets in New Zealand's fisheries between 1989 and 1998. The data is contained in a report by the RFBPS which indicates that fur seals are drowned in significant numbers in trawl nets in the west coast hoki fishery (with over 5,600 fur seals drowned from 1989-1998), the trawl squid fishery west of the Snares Islands, and the southern blue whiting fishery around the Bounty Islands. The report states that populations of several fur seal colonies on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, adjacent to the west coast hoki fishery, have been declining over the last five years. For more information, contact the RFBPS's Barry Weeber. (Source: RFBPS - 14 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Alaskan natives rescue seal pup after killing mother - Native hunters from Akhiok in Alaska rescued an unborn harbour seal pup (Phoca vitulina richardsi) after killing its pregnant mother. The fully-formed male pup was delivered by caesarean section and then kept alive overnight by one of the hunters, Willie Eluska, who bottle-fed it with rehydrating fluid throughout the night. With the help of the National Marine Fisheries Service the pup was then flown to Seward SeaLife Center in Alaska via the home of veterinarian Ada Berry. Willie Eluska said afterwards that he had got pretty attached to the pup overnight and that while he was keeping it wet and feeding it "it was just like I was caring for my own child". He added that it had changed his whole perspective on hunting and that he and his brothers would now only hunt between August and December to avoid killing pregnant seals. Seward SeaLife Center plans to return the pup to the wild this summer. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 20 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Direct effects of French oil spill on seals still unknown - The oil spill from the tanker Erika (see News, 8 March 2000) has contaminated up to 400 km of French coastline and there were reports on 24 April that some oil from the tanker was still being washed ashore. Up to 15,000 tons of oil is still believed to be trapped in the Erika's holds and the difficult operation to pump it out is not expected to be finished before September.
Neither the Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins (CRMM) in La Rochelle nor Océanopolis in Brest have been able to confirm yet that either the local grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) population at Belle L'Il or grey seal pups visiting the French coast from U.K. populations were actually affected by the oil spill. No significant increase in the number of stranded seals affected by oil was found and tests are still ongoing to determine the source of the contamination on those seals that were oiled. Both Océanopolis and CRMM normally receive seals affected by oil each winter, caused by oil tankers cleaning their tanks at sea during bad weather.
A total of thirty seals were taken in by Océanopolis over the winter period, the highest number since the facility opened, of which 6 were oiled, 2-3 of these badly and the others with several patches of oil on their coats. Océanopolis explains the high number of seals rescued as being caused by the very bad weather at the end of 1999 as well as by an increase in reports of stranded seals generated by the large number of volunteers cleaning up the beaches along the French coast after the spill. Neither Océanopolis nor CRMM feel that disturbance to seals by volunteers was a factor in increasing the number of seals needing rescuing since the usual haul-out sites, further north than the spill, were not touched by the oil. The CRMM rehabilitated 3 seals over the 1999/2000 winter period, compared to 12 in 1997/98 and 10 in 1998/99. For more information, contact Cécile Vincent, Océanopolis, or CRMM's Eric Poncelet. (Sources: CRMM - personal communication; Océanopolis - personal communication; Reuters - 24 April 2000) (27 April 2000)
Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors opposes killing of pinnipeds - The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors went on record on 4 April as saying that it wants to see non-lethal solutions to the problem of the predation of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) on salmon and steelhead (see News, 8 March 2000). The unanimous resolution will be forwarded to Washington D.C. where it will join commentary on last year's report to Congress by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service which recommended allowing fishermen and others to kill California sea lions and harbour seals under certain circumstances. (Source: San Jose Mercury News - 5 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Skinning seals - a visitor attraction in the Canadian Arctic - The new Canadian territory of Nunavut is incorporating seal skinning as an attraction as it sells itself as a niche market for well-off tourists eager to experience something out of the ordinary. Included in many attractions such as hiking, kayaking and rock-face climbing are the skinning contests held every April in the capital Iqaluit. At these contests tourists are offered meat carved from freshly killed seals and are invited to take part in the skinning of the seals and other wildlife. The head of Nunavut tourism, Madeleine Redfern, commented that the territory is viewing such exotic places as the Serengeti, South Asia, Nepal and Thailand as being its rivals for prosperous tourists. (Source: Reuters - 24 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
'Homer' the seal makes himself at home in New Zealand - A sub-adult male Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) weighing more than two tonnes has become quite a celebrity and caught the attention of the international media by hauling out in the town of Gisborne on New Zealand's North Island since the beginning of April. The seal, named 'Homer' after the TV cartoon character 'Homer Simpson', has made the town's main boat ramp his territory and has so far crunched cars, boat trailers, a rubbish bin and a tree while trying to scratch himself. Lumbering around the parking lot near the ramp, Homer has approached empty cars, reared onto his hindquarters and then brought down his massive bulk on bumpers and mirrors, squashing them. The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) has advised members of the public not to approach Homer due to his size and to the fact that he can get quite aggressive at times. In the meantime local fishermen say that Homer is blocking the boat ramp and stopping them from entering the water but no-one has been willing to try and shift him. (Sources: AP - 12, 19 Apr 2000; London Evening Standard - 14 Apr 2000; New Zealand DOC - 29 Mar 2000, 14 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Scientists find that marine mammals 'glide' to dive - Scientists using video cameras attached to the backs of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), a Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), dolphins and a whale have found that these marine mammals increase the time that they can spend diving deep underwater by 'gliding' to greater depths rather than using constant swimming strokes. The various species were found to start their dives with a few powerful swimming strokes and then rely on gravity for most of the rest of their descent, taking advantage of the change in their buoyancy that occurs with increasing pressure and depth as the air inside their lungs compresses. The reduced energy expenditure and thus oxygen consumption allowed the marine mammals to remain submerged for extended periods. For more information on the research, which was published in the 7 April issue of the journal Science, see the researchers' web site or contact Terrie Williams. (Sources: AP - 7 Apr 2000; AScribe News - 6 Apr 2000; San Antonio Express-News - 6 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Irish Seal Sanctuary appeals for help - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS), which takes in around 25 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) each year, has appealed for a volunteer experienced in handling seals to assist it by working for 3-4 months each year over the busy winter period. Anyone who would like to help out, even if for just one season, should contact James Barnett, British Divers Marine Life Rescue. The release of 'Bridget', the 100th seal to pass through the sanctuary, was planned for 16 April with the event broadcast live on radio, television and the internet. No further seals will be released by the Sanctuary prior to the development of the ISS's new site north of Dublin. (Sources: ISS - 10 Apr 2000; James Barnett - 11 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
European Union warns governments to conserve nature - The European Commission warned European Union (EU) governments on 16 March that it could suspend payments of Structural Fund money to any country whose spending plans fail to follow EU legislation designed to protect wildlife. The Commission is concerned that a number of countries have failed to implement the EU Habitats and Birds directives. The environmental group WWF commented that the two directives were the last chance for several endangered European species, including the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). (Source: Reuters - 17 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
Related News... The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) awarded the first two of its sustainable fishery labels on 3 March. The two fisheries receiving certification were a herring fishery carried out by independent gill netters in the U.K.'s Thames estuary and a rock lobster fishery off western Australia (accounting for one-fifth of the country's commercial fish catch). The label was introduced with the intention of reducing the unsustainable exploitation of marine resources while maintaining the marine environment's biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes. Fisheries using the label are required to be independently verified by a third party as being compatible with long-term sustainable yield, as complying with relevant laws and as having effective monitoring and management systems. For more information, see the MSC web site or contact the MSC Secretariat. (Source: ENS - 6 Mar 2000) (27 April 2000)
The United Kingdom announced on 12 April that it is to introduce new measures to phase out and dispose of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Environment Minister Michael Meacher said that the Environmental Protection Regulations 2000 (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) are intended to reduce environmental damage by the chemicals. The new regulations, which give effect to a European Union directive which sets a target date of 2010 for phasing out and disposal of identifiable PCBs, will apply only to England and Wales, similar regulations being introduced separately for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Except for certain specific exemptions, PCBs and associated equipment will have to be disposed of by December 31, 2000. PCBs have been shown to harm marine wildlife, including pinnipeds. For more information, see a Copy of the Regulations. (Source: ENS - 13 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
In order to reduce the number of marine animals killed by being caught in abandoned fishing equipment, Japan's national federation of fishery associations has begun a three-year project to collect broken nets, traps and other equipment lost at sea by commercial fishing fleets. A study by Kagoshima University's Tatsuro Matsuoka found an average of one 'ghost' net for every 20 square metres of 20- to 40-metre-deep areas along the sea bed off the coast of Kyushu. Up to 40% of the ghost nets were found to be catching fish as they floated with the ocean currents and more than 30 types of marine life were caught in the nets. As an illustration of the magnitude of the problem, Matsuoka's research team estimated that roughly 200,000 to 500,000 octopuses, or 100 to 200 tons, were caught in ghost nets each year, equivalent to the region's total annual catch. (Source: Asahi Shimbun - 24 Apr 2000) (27 April 2000)
Canadian seal hunt news - With the annual Canadian east coast harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) hunt due in late March early April the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Herb Dhaliwal, announced on 21 December 1999 that this year's hunt quotas for harp seals and hooded seals will remain at the 1999 levels of 275,000 and 10,000 respectively. Regarding the harp seal quota, the Minister said that "Based on the best departmental science at this time, there is no information that would justify a change." The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) countered by calling the quota level unsustainable and scientifically unjustifiable. "I'm not sure whose advice the minister has been heeding, but it isn't the scientific community's - this is completely irresponsible" commented IFAW's national director Rick Smith. The harvest of several hundred grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) will also be allowed in areas other than Sable Island.
The announcement of the quotas came after the Sierra Club of Canada and IFAW had called on 10 December 1999 for Herb Dhaliwal to reduce the size of the hunt so as not to imperil the harp seal population, arguing that the best available science indicated that the quota was perhaps three times too high. The organisations' request was made as a paper by the International Marine Mammal Association's David Johnston, Peter Meisenheimer and David Lavigne was published in Conservation Biology showing that the total human-caused mortality of harp seals from 1996 to 1998 exceeded potential biological removal levels by 1.5 to 5.9 times. This was due not only to those seals killed in the reported hunt but also to those seals killed but not reported, those taken by the hunt in Greenland, and those caught incidentally as a result of commercial fishing operations. One of the authors, Peter Meisenheimer, said that "Our research has shown that the harp seal population is very likely in decline. Furthermore, there is a considerable risk that the population will be seriously depleted before a decline is detected by current census methods."
On 2 February the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced that it would impose new conditions on commercial sealing licenses issued for this year's hunt, banning the killing of 'blueback' (up to 14 month old) hooded seals and 'whitecoat' (up to 4 week old) harp seals. The DFO deemed the conditions necessary due to a 15 December 1999 ruling by the Newfoundland Court of Appeal which struck down as unconstitutional section 27 of the Marine Mammal Regulations, which prohibits the buying or selling of blueback and whitecoat seals, ruling that the jurisdiction of the sale of seal pelts is provincial not federal. Herb Dhaliwal has announced that the federal government will appeal the ruling. A spokesman for the DFO said that the new licence conditions, which raised protests by sealers and the Newfoundland government, were aimed at keeping public opinion from turning against the entire seal hunt amid fears that if sealers were shown killing pups as soon as they were born then there would be a backlash against the industry. The court battle began in November 1996 when 101 Newfoundland sealers were charged with illegally selling blueback pelts. In a separate case, a Newfoundland sealer, one of seven sealers charged last year under the Marine Mammals Protection Act, was convicted on 15 December 1999 of hunting hooded seals on a whelping patch (the area where pups are born).
It was reported on 8 January that the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) recommended in a letter to the DFO that proposed amendments to regulations governing the hunt should include stricter measures. These would aim to ensure humane killing, including sealers taking extra measures to ensure that a seal is dead before bleeding and skinning it, as well as a greater emphasis on enforcement, including more observers on sealing vessels, more fisheries officers on patrol, and a dedicated ship to patrol the hunt. The CVMA also recommended that population studies be carried out to ensure the survival of the species. The recommendations arose from observations made by CVMA observers at the hunt in 1998 and 1999.
Meanwhile John Efford, the Newfoundland Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, called on 8 February for photographers to be banned from recording the seal hunt. Efford's position was backed up by Tina Fagan, the Canadian Sealers Association Executive Director, who called for a two-year moratorium on the use of video or still cameras. Previous pictures and film obtained at the hunt by groups such as IFAW have shown acts of cruelty during the hunt, deemed illegal under the Criminal Code (see News, 7 October 1999). For more information on the Canadian east coast seal hunt, contact IFAW.
(Sources: Charlottetown Guardian - 9 Feb 2000, 3 Mar 2000; CP - 15 Dec 1999, 2, 8 Feb 2000; DFO News Release - 21 Dec 1999, 2 Feb 2000; Ottawa Citizen - 11, 22 Dec 1999; St. John's Evening Telegram - 24, 25 Nov 1999, 15 Dec 1999, 8 Jan 2000, 1, 9 Feb 2000) (8 March 2000)
Norwegians hunt seals from U.K. population - It has been reported that the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries is permitting a hunt for 400 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) this year between Lista and Stad on the coast of Western Norway. It is not known how many grey seals, which travel across from populations in the U.K, there are in the area and it is probable that the numbers vary strongly. When questioned as to how they could instigate a hunt for 400 seals when they do not know how many seals there actually are in the area, the Directorate of Fisheries responded that this year's hunt was looked upon as an experiment in which interest in hunting the seals would be determined at the same time as information of interest to Norwegian marine research would be gained. The first hunting period is between 2 January and 30 April 2000. (Source: Nationen - Feb 2000) (8 March 2000)
Namibia urges its people to eat seal meat - The Namibian government called on its people, who have traditionally shunned eating seal products, to "develop a taste for seal meat" and announced at the beginning of February that it will significantly increase the number of South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) to be culled at the Cape Cross and Luderitz breeding colonies this year. The Namibian Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Abraham Iyambo, claimed that the increased cull was needed to protect fisheries, a claim countered by Mike Baker of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Gavin Fuller of the Wildlife Society of Namibia who both pointed out that no scientific evidence has been shown to indicate that an increased seal cull would actually benefit fisheries. The Namibian government is still refusing to reveal how many fur seals were culled last year, judging the figure to be too politically sensitive. For more information, contact Gavin Fuller. (Sources: London Sunday Telegraph - 13 Feb 2000; The Namibian - 10 Feb 2000) (8 March 2000)
Santa Cruz commission hears evidence on killing pinnipeds - At a hearing on 3 February the Santa Cruz County Fish and Game Advisory Commission heard evidence from various groups arguing that seals and sea lions are being treated as scapegoats for currently depleted fish stocks. The Commission had previously asked the County Board of Supervisors to endorse a recommendation by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service to remove California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) from the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Commission had also asked the Board of Supervisors to urge Congress to reinstate provisions of federal law allowing fishermen to kill pinnipeds threatening their catch if non-lethal techniques fail. On 7 December 1999 the Board of Supervisors refused to support the recommendations, saying that there was not enough evidence indicating that pinnipeds were largely to blame for the decline in local salmon and steelhead populations, and referred the matter back to the Commission to hold a public hearing. The Commission will now consider information from the hearing and make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. For more information, see item 76 on the Board of Supervisors' Agenda and Minutes. (Sources: AP - 8 Dec 1999; San Jose Mercury News - 7, 8 Dec 1999; Santa Cruz County - 7 Dec 1999; Santa Cruz Sentinel - 4 Feb 2000) (8 March 2000)
Man charged with shooting sea lions - Following a 22-month investigation, Ralph Boyington, a worker for the Alaska Marine Highway System, was charged in federal court in Anchorage, Alaska, on 16 December 1999 with killing Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the Stikine River area near Wrangell in February 1998. The investigation began after three sea lions were found shot dead, National Marine Fisheries Service agents subsequently recovering a semiautomatic assault rifle, believed to have been the weapon used in the killings, from Boyington's home. It is unknown why Boyington shot the sea lions, the possibility of target practice having been suggested. The misdemeanour charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a US$100,000 fine. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 17 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
Scientists link sea lion deaths to toxic algae - A team of scientists using ultra-sensitive molecular detection techniques have traced the deaths and illness of more than 400 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) along the Californian coast in 1998 to a bloom of toxic diatom-type algae (Pseudo-nitzchia australis) (see News, 9 June 1998). The study published in the 6 January 2000 issue of Nature indicated that the algae produced a deadly neurotoxin called domoic acid which attacks brain cells, an effect backed up by post-mortems of those sea lions that died and by the repeated seizures, weaving heads, muscle spasms, depression and abnormal scratching exhibited by affected sea lions. The sea lions were infected by eating large quantities of anchovies and other small marine species that had fed on the algae. The study said that domoic acid could explain sea lion die-offs in 1992, 1988, 1986 and 1978, while similar toxin-producing algae may well have caused previous die-offs of other marine life.
For more information, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) press release or contact The Marine Mammal Center's Frances Gulland. (Sources: AP - 6 Jan 2000; MBARI - 5 Jan 2000; San Francisco Chronicle - 6 Jan 2000; San Jose Mercury News - 6 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Fisherman requests licence to shoot seals in New South Wales - Citing the loss of portions of his catch to seals, Ron Snape, a professional fisherman in the Australian town of Narooma, New South Wales, has applied for a licence to shoot Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) that share his fishing grounds around nearby Montague Island. Regional National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manager Tim Shepherd said that the NPWS was "very, very reticent to issue a licence to kill seals.", adding that seals were worth a lot to the Narooma economy with wildlife-watching boat trips to Montague Island. CSIRO wildlife ecologist Peter Shaughnessy added that not only would culling probably be ineffective but that it would also be dangerous to the public at Montague Island. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald - 22 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Steller sea lion protection ruled inadequate - For the second time in six months a U.S. federal District Court judge in Seattle has ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is providing inadequate protection for the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) (see News, 16 November 1999). On 25 January Judge Zilly issued his opinion that the NMFS continues to violate the Endangered Species Act in its management of the commercial fisheries of North Pacific groundfish which share Alaskan waters with the sea lions. In a decision applauded by environmental groups, Judge Zilly's opinion stated that the biological study carried out by the NMFS is "limited in scope, heavy on general background information and deficient in focused and meaningful discussion and analysis", and that the study fails to evaluate adequately the effect of the fisheries on the sea lions' critical habitat. As a result he issued a summary judgement sought by Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and Trustees for Alaska on behalf of Greenpeace, the American Oceans Campaign and the Sierra Club, ordering NMFS to re-do its study of how the fisheries affect Steller sea lions.
In the meantime on 25 January the NMFS issued an emergency interim rule implementing regulations, effective from 20 January through to 19 July 2000, in order to 'avoid the likelihood that the pollock fisheries off Alaska will jeopardize the continued existence of the western population of Steller sea lions or adversely modify its critical habitat."
For further information on Judge Zilly's ruling, see the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund press release. The NMFS regulation [Federal Register Vol. 65, No. 16 pp3892-3902] can be obtained on the Federal Register. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 28 Jan 2000; AP - 27 Jan 2000; Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund - 27 Jan 00; Federal Register - 25 Jan 2000; Reuters - 31 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Sea lion dies in aquarium after experiments - Timber, a 2 and a half year old male Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), died at Vancouver Aquarium on 12 November 1999 after going into cardiac arrest following the administration of anaesthetic in order to take a routine blood sample. Timber was one of five Steller sea lions taken from the wild as a pup, and one of ten studied at the aquarium over the last six years, as part of a series of fasting experiments intended to help determine why numbers of the species are declining so dramatically in the wild. Peter Hamilton of Life Force, a long-time critic of the sea lions' captivity, rejected the experiments as meaningless, commenting that scientists should be concentrating instead on researching the depletion of food resources in the wild. (Source: Vancouver Province - 17 Nov 1999) (8 March 2000)
Hawaiian court asked to protect monk seals by closing fishery - The Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, on behalf of the Greenpeace Foundation, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Turtle Island Restoration Network, filed a motion in February with the Hawaiian federal courts, seeking a preliminary injunction preventing the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from opening this year. In a move intended to offer protection to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi), for which the lobster is an important dietary component, the motion cited new scientific evidence linking the lobster fishery to the monk seals' decline. The original lawsuit was filed in January, suing representatives of the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce for violating the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to manage the lobster and bottomfish fisheries properly to avoid harming the monk seals. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team, a group of scientists selected by the NMFS to help the monk seal avoid extinction, called last month for the closure of the fishery, while the Marine Mammal Commission has repeatedly urged the NMFS to ban lobster fishing around the monk seal's breeding colonies. The motion for a preliminary injunction is scheduled to be heard on 21 April.
For more information, see the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund's 26 Jan 2000 and 24 Feb 2000 press releases. (Sources: Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund - 26 Jan 2000, 24 Feb 2000; ENS - 29 Feb 2000; Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 27 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Russian arctic governors oppose new seal protection law - The governors of the Russian arctic regions of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk urged President Boris Yeltsin in December 1999 to veto a recently passed animal welfare bill which would make seal hunting illegal. On 1 December 1999 the State Duma passed, by 273 votes to 1, a 22 page bill forbidding a wide range of activities causing cruelty to animals, including seal hunting for furs. The bill was subsequently passed by the Federation Council later in the month and must be passed by the President to become law, Boris Yeltsin having now been replaced by Vladimir Putin as Russian President since Yeltsin's resignation on 1 January. The governors are arguing that the fur trade is important to their local economies. A recent report showed Russia as emerging as one of the three largest fur-consuming countries in the world, along with South Korea and China. (Sources: Animal People Jan/Feb 2000; Reuters - 24 Dec 1999; St. Petersburg Times - 28 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
Party held to celebrate San Francisco's Pier 39 sea lions - The California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) who have inhabited Pier 39 in San Francisco for the last 10 years were celebrated in a January party by those at the pier with 3,000 children being given free boat rides and other sea lion-related entertainment being provided. Over the last decade the sea lions who haul out on the pier, once regarded as pests by pier officials, have steadily attracted a growing number of tourists who generate income in the area, a number of shops, exhibits and viewing areas having been built up around the haulout. One girl who took part in the celebrations, Sera Duncan, 8, commented that "It would be fun to be a sea lion. You eat whatever you want. You sleep all day. And there's no homework." but Selena Diaz, 9, disagreed, saying that she preferred being a human being as "You can watch TV and you don't have to keep running away from sharks." (Source: San Francisco Chronicle - 20 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Inuit hold "Last Seal of the Millennium" contest - While other people around the world celebrated the dawn of the new Millennium in their own way, the Inuit of Grise Fjord, located on the southern tip of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, celebrated with a "Last Seal of the Millennium" competition for the community's women. The winner, using a .303-calibre rifle to kill her seal, earned a C$250 first prize in the annual contest which was followed the next day by the men going out to hunt for their "First Seal of the New Millennium". Events such as seal hunts are common in the Arctic as northerners celebrate the season. (Source: CP - 31 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
Testing of seal scaring device rejected in California - The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously on 10 December 1999 to deny permission to the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to test a recently developed pulse-power acoustic scaring device designed to frighten California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) away from recreational fishermen (see News, 16 November 1999). Among various objections, the commissioners decided that the NMFS could not prove that the tests would not permanently harm sea lions and other marine life. Commission Chairwoman Sara Wan also publicly criticised federal officials for their predator-control approach to the problem, commenting that the reductions in fish stocks experienced by fishermen had been caused by overfishing and other poor management practices, and not by the sea lions. For more information, contact the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Source: San Diego Union-Tribune - 11 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
South African seal rehabilitation centre proposed - Lenie 't Hart, Director of the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC) in Pieterburen, Netherlands, called during a trip to South Africa for a rescue and rehabilitation centre to be set up for the country's South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). The setting up of an official rehabilitation centre might solve the stand-off currently existing between the Department of Marine and Coastal Management and Nelda and Francois Hugo, who claim that seals are being grossly neglected and are operating an informal seal rehabilitation centre from their yacht in the Hout Bay harbour. The Department is arguing that the Hugos' activities are attracting potentially dangerous seals into the harbour while the Hugos counter that seals are being driven into the harbour through hunger caused by overfishing. For more information, contact the SRRC. (Source: SA Sunday Times - 12 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
Northstar protests heat up - It was reported on 2 March that eight Greenpeace activists have set up camp on the Arctic ice to protest and monitor BP Amoco's Northstar Project, the first offshore oil production program in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast. Northstar will be developed from Seal Island, a manmade island about six miles (10 km) offshore, from where up to 65,000 barrels a day of crude oil will be fed through subsea and above-ground pipelines to the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. Construction is expected to take two years. Conservationists fear that oil and gas exploration and extraction in many areas, including the Beaufort Sea, will disturb the habitat, food supply and health of Arctic marine mammals such as bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and walrus (Odobenus rosmarus). Opposition to the project is also based, among other aspects such as global warming, on the disaster that would be caused by an oil spill in the extremely harsh Arctic environment, an environmental impact statement on Northstar indicating a 25 percent chance of a major spill over the life of the project. On 25 January a group of BP Amoco shareholders filed a resolution in London forcing the company to put its Arctic oil expansion plans to a shareholders' vote at its Annual General Meeting on 13 April. (Sources: ENN - 2 Mar 2000; ENS - 26 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Oil spill in France affects seals - Several grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the small population on France's Brittany coast were affected when the oil tanker Erika broke up in stormy seas on 12 December 1999, spilling at least 12,000 tons of heavy diesel oil. The leaked oil contaminated about 10 miles (16 km) of the French coast and the estuary of the Loire River. Several seals, some oiled and some in difficulty due to the disturbance caused by the clean-up process, were taken to Océanopolis in Brest and the Institut de la Mer et du Littoral's Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins (CRMM) in La Rochelle for cleaning and rehabilitation. For more information, contact CRMM or the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. (Sources: CRMM (personal comm.) - 8 Mar 2000; ENS - 31 Dec 1999, 3 Jan 2000; Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - 27 Dec 1999, 7,15 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Puzzling level of Australian sea lion mortality observed - Research scientist Dr. Peter Shaughnessy of the Australian federal research organisation CSIRO said on 28 February that Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) pups had been observed dying in record numbers on Dangerous Reef in South Australia and that the population of the rare species was stagnating as a result. Dr. Shaughnessy's research showed that the pup mortality rate at the Dangerous Reef colony during the 1999 breeding season was 165 out of 406 pups, a mortality rate of 41 per cent and a record for the colony, mortality rates of 10 and 13 percent having been recorded at the species' other two main colonies. Commenting that the two likely causes of death, hookworm and a pilchard die-off across Australia's west coast, had been ruled out after a seven-month CSIRO survey, Dr. Shaughnessy said that the more likely causes of death were infanticide by aggressive adult sea lions and entanglement in shark nets used by fishermen, with other factors such as food shortages a possibility. No definite cause has yet been found however and the stagnation and decline of sea lion populations caused by high mortality rates may endanger the species. (Sources: Adelaide Advertiser - 28 Jan 2000; Melbourne Age - 29 Feb 2000) (8 March 2000)
La Jolla seal reserve status confirmed - San Diego City Council voted on 23 November 1999, by 5 votes to 4, to reaffirm their earlier decision to give permanent designation to the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) reserve at Seal Rock and 1.4 acres (0.6 ha) of surrounding water off La Jolla, California (see News, 16 November 1999). The matter of whether to extend the reserve to include nearby Children's Pool beach has been left unresolved. The organisation La Jolla Friends of the Seals (LJFS) reported that the first live seal pup born on the Casa Beach (Children's Pool Beach) in the year 2000, "Valentine", was born on 16 February, followed by "Negrita" on 1 March and "Tiger" on 2 March. The LJFS, which runs a docent program to protect the seals from disturbance and educate the public, reported that the new arrivals had aroused a tremendous amount of interest with the media and with the public, an estimated 20,000 visitors having been recorded on the weekend of 19-20 February. For more information, see the LJFS web site. (Sources: LJFS - 16 Feb 2000, 3 Mar 2000; San Diego Union-Tribune - 24 Nov 1999) (8 March 2000)
Hawaiian monk seal pup possibly killed by boat - A Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) pup born on 4 July 1999 on a beach at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai was found dead in September 1999 by a couple kayaking a few kilometres away, officials learned recently. The couple reported that the dead pup was bleeding from the nose and mouth with one eye badly damaged and that they believed that an inflatable boat circling nearby may have hit the seal and was looking for it in the water. Three out of four pups of the endangered monk seal species born on Kauai since 1989 have now been found dead, one having drowned after swallowing a hook. (Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 6 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
New Zealand pinniped news - The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) scientist Simon Childerhouse has reported part way through a three-month stay on the subantarctic Auckland Islands that pupping levels for the threatened New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) population appear to have bounced back to the levels before the mass mortality in 1998. Last year four sea lions were noticed with symptoms characteristic of the previous season's mysterious illness but were otherwise healthy. For more information, contact the DOC through its web site. (Sources: DOC Press Release - 20 Jan 2000; Southland Times - 21 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
The DOC reported on 24 December 1999 that "Rolly", the remarkably placid juvenile Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) that had been visiting the New Zealand east coast at intervals during 1999, had chosen to spend Christmas moulting on the east coast, with reports that he was resting on the beach at Tolaga Bay. The DOC requested that Rolly be treated with respect and erected signs advising people to keep their distance. (Source: DOC Press Release - 24 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
A white pointer shark seen off the Kaikoura coast in December 1999 is thought to have been feeding on seals in the area, two shark attacks on seals having been reported. As a result the DOC advised divers and people who might want to swim with seals to be aware of the increased risk. There are a number of New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) colonies along the Kaikoura coast with the major ones on the Kaikoura Peninsula and at Ohau Point. (Source: DOC Press Release - 23 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
The New Zealand Minister for Conservation, Sandra Lee, welcomed on 20 January the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report into the management of the country's marine environment. Commenting that the report clearly states that research into marine ecosystems has been sorely underfunded in recent years Ms Lee declared that the marine environment was a priority area for her and that she would be working hard to increase funding in this area. The major recommendation of the report was the development of a long term strategy for sustainably managing New Zealand's marine environment, through the formation of a Task Force. The New Zealand Marine Reserves Act is currently under review. (Source: DOC Press Release - 20 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Three teenagers attacked in the surf at Oreti Beach in Southland on 31 December 1999 may have been the victim of an aggressive New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) or, much less likely, a New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri). The three teenagers, two of whom were 13 and the other 16, suffered a gash in the arm, a cut hand and a punctured leg. A New Zealand sea lion last created difficulties in 1995 when it chased fishermen out of the water and children off Omaui Beach near Bluff. (Source: Southland Times - 5 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
The backyard of Bill Wilson of Taieri Mouth, 38km southwest of Dunedin, played host this summer to a New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) called "Mum" who gave birth to a pup there on 2 January. Mum has given birth to three pups in the last four years in Mr. Wilson's backyard, a fact which he puts down to the protection afforded by his private property. The pup was named "Waituke" by Mr. Wilson, a play on the name of the Y2K bug. (Source: Christchurch Press - 5 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
California Coastal National Monument created - The United States President, Bill Clinton, signed a proclamation on 11 January creating the California Coastal National Monument, thereby offering additional federal protection to the thousands of islands, rocks, exposed reefs and pinnacles up to 12 miles (19 km) offshore along the 840 mile (1350 km) California coast. The area covered by the national monument includes important foraging and breeding habitat for various species of marine mammals including the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus), the Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), the Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi), the Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) and the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi).
For more information, see the proclamation on the Federal Register [Vol. 65, No. 11 pp2821-2823]. (Sources: ENN - 11 Jan 2000; ENS - 11 Jan 2000; Federal Register - 18 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Turkish government maintains ban on trawlers - SAD-AFAG, the Turkish organisation working to protect the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), announced on 3 March that the Turkish government has decided to maintain a no-fishing protection zone covering 16 miles (26 km) of the Cilician Basin coastline. Some of the monk seal's last breeding caves in the region exist in the protected area and there had been fears that the critically endangered monk seals would be put at severe risk when industrial fishermen petitioned the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to lift the ban on trawling and industrial fishing within the zone. For more information, see the SAD-AFAG 26 Nov 1999 and 3 Mar 2000 press releases on the Monachus Guardian web site. (Sources: SAD-AFAG - 26 Nov 1999, 3 Mar 2000) (8 March 2000)
Argentinean program releases first fur seals - It was announced in January by the Program of Pinniped Rescue and Rehabilitation in the La Plata River, a program of the Buenos Aires National Aquarium since 1998, that it released its first eight South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis), all males, on 6 December 1999. As well as researching the health status of the wild pinniped population in the area the Program rescued a total of 14 seals, aged between 7 months and 2 years old, that stranded in 1999 on the Argentinean side of the La Plata and Paraná Rivers, six of which subsequently died. The seals, which originated from the rookery on Lobos Island in Uruguay, were all released at the fur seal rookery near the city of Mar del Plata. For more information, contact Diego Alejandro Albareda, Coordinator of the Program. (Source: Program of Pinniped Rescue and Rehabilitation in the La Plata River - 31 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Mexico scraps plans for salt works - The salt evaporation facility planned by the Mexican government and Mitsubishi Corp. for Laguna San Ignacio in Mexico's Baja California Sur (See News, 16 November 1999) was cancelled by Mexico on 2 March. The project faced opposition from environmentalists due to its potential effect, among other species, on grey whales, harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) and Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). President Ernesto Zedillo said that the deciding factor was the national and world importance of the nearby Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve.
On 3 February the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Greenpeace had released the results of a Japanese public opinion poll indicating that, of those of an opinion, 75% opposed plans to build the salt evaporation facility. Earlier, the California Coastal Commission adopted a resolution on 11 January, 8 votes to 1, asking Mitsubishi Corp. to withdraw its plans to build the facility. On 30 November 1999 UNESCO's World Heritage Committee unanimously adopted a report by an August 1999 fact-finding mission to the area which recommended that a thorough monitoring of the area be carried out. (Sources: CNN - 2 Mar 2000; CRS Weekly Marine Mammal Summaries - 3 Jan 2000, 14 Jan 2000, 3 Mar 2000) (8 March 2000)
Brucella antibodies found in Antarctic seals - Chilean scientists from the Instituto Antártico Chileno are carrying out further investigations into an occurrence of Brucella antibodies in samples from 5 out of 16 Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) and a Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) obtained at Cape Shirreff on the northern coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. The discovery is the first ever of antibodies to the serious reproductive disease Brucellosis in Antarctic seals, no evidence of the full blown disease itself having yet been described in Antarctica. The Brucella bacteria have previously been found in wild marine mammals off Scotland and in captive U.S. marine mammals. Antarctic tourist guides have been warned to take extra precautions to deal with potential contact. (Source: ENS - 18 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Australian locals fight to save Salty the seal - Members of the community in the Australian town of Corinella have been striving to save the life of an old seal which arrived at the town in January and which the authorities plan to euthanase because of its age and frailty (it has no teeth, is blind in one eye, has an infection in the other, and is underweight). The locals are providing Salty with regular meals of fish and say that the seal returned to Corinella within a day after it was taken to Walkerville and released. The Natural Resources and Environment Department has arranged for a Melbourne Zoo veterinarian to inspect Salty's condition. (Source: Melbourne Age - 24 Feb 2000) (8 March 2000)
Seals found in River Thames - In what environmentalists are pointing to as evidence that the U.K.'s River Thames is becoming less polluted and that a wide range of marine life is returning to its waters, seals have recently been seen in areas of the river where they have not been seen for many years. Individuals have been spotted recently swimming near London's Millennium Dome and as far as Teddington Lock in Middlesex in the west, where a seal pup with white fur was seen hauled out outside a pub in December 1999. Some seals have also started hauling out on the many sand and mud banks that appear at low tide along the Westminster reaches. Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and dolphins were common in the upper reaches of the Thames until the early 19th century when the river became increasingly congested with boats and polluted by the millions of gallons of raw sewage poured into it. (Source: London Sunday Times - 19 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
U.K. to review its Habitats Directive protection - Following pressure from wildlife protection organisations, the UK government is to review its list of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the EC Habitats Directive with a view to adding more sites to protect key habitats and species. At a special European Union meeting in Paris on 16 November 1999, the UK agreed to reopen its list for several species including the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and the common seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina). For more information, contact David Cowdrey, WWF-UK, at +44-(0)1483-412386.
In the meantime the conservation organisation WWF named, on 27 January, ten species under threat in Europe, including the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and warned that Europe has one last chance to save these and other endangered species. The organisation criticised the nations of the European Union for having broken every deadline for putting the Habitats Directive into practice. For more information, see the WWF press release. (Sources: Habitat Dec/Jan 2000; WWF - 27 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
U.S. and Russia discuss Caspian seals - The precarious status of the Caspian seal (Phoca caspica) population was one of the main subjects discussed by marine mammal scientists from the United States and Russia who met for the 15th meeting of the Marine Mammal Project of the U.S.-Russia Environmental Agreement from 9-13 November 1999 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. The status of the Caspian seal has caused concern in recent years and the participants discussed such factors as high concentrations of various pollutants, abnormal pathology, and increased incidents of disease with mass mortality events. The participants, aware that there is a lack of information on the current population status and that no survey of the population has been carried out for ten years, strongly recommended a breeding season abundance survey of the species in February 2000. This was deemed especially necessary given plans for major oil and gas development in the Caspian Sea. It was also noted at the meeting that there is a need for population abundance surveys of Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica), spotted seals (Phoca largha) and ribbon seals (Phoca fasciata). Discussions also included pinniped bycatch in the Japanese salmon drift net fishery and the increasing illegal poaching of walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). (Source: U.S.-Russian Marine Mammal Press Release & Protocol) (8 March 2000)
Grey seals come ashore on Prince Edward Island - It was reported on 3 March that in recent weeks grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), a majority of which are pups, have been found on beaches, in backyards and even on roadways in Canada's Prince Edward Island. Pat Gray, President of the Canadian Animal Distress Network, said that some of the seals have been found to be emaciated and some have been hit by cars, while two were shot at and one was ravaged by coyotes or dogs. Members of the Network and other organisations have received over 60 calls in recent weeks about seals on shore. This year approximately 1,000 seals have been observed in Hillsborough Bay, a site far closer to shore than usual, due to a lack of ice in their usual birthing grounds. For more information, contact Pat Gray. (Sources: Charlottetown Guardian - 2 Feb 2000, 3 Mar 2000) (8 March 2000)
Stranding and Rehabilitation News - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) has released figures for its seal rehabilitation activities over the last two years. Receiving in excess of 200 calls each year, the sanctuary rescued 28 seals in 1998-99 of which 8 died and 23 seals in 1999-2000 of which 4 died. A full report will be available later in the year. The seal rehabilitation pool, "Loch Emma", which was recently constructed at the centre and which is believed to be the largest seal rehab pool in the world is proving to be a success. For more information, contact the ISS's Terry Flanagan. (Source: ISS Ripples Newsletters) (8 March 2000)
In January the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC) in Pieterburen, the Netherlands, found itself with over 120 seals at the centre and issued an urgent appeal for volunteers experienced in handling, tube feeding and force-feeding harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and young grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). The SRRC has experienced a tremendous increase in the number of seals needing rehabilitation in the last few years, noticeably more seals arriving at the centre with lung worm and other respiratory problems. For more information, contact the SRRC. (Source: SRRC - 13 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
The Coast Guard cutter "Point Doran" from Everett, Washington, USA, helped to re-release two six-month-old female Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) back into the waters off Smith Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on 27 January. Workers at the Naval Ordnance Center on Indian Island had found one of the seals three weeks earlier and the other on 23 January, both seals being chilled, hungry and underweight. Chimacum veterinarian Joyce Murphy spent US$2,500 of her own money to rehabilitate the seals, one of which also spent some time at Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. (Source: Everett Daily Herald - 28 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
A large influx of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups needing rehabilitation in the north of Scotland during the winter led to the Orkney Seal Rescue centre becoming full. As a result two teams of volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue carried out a successful rescue mission at the beginning of December 1999 to transport 9 seal pups from Orkney down to the RSPCA's wildlife hospital in Norfolk by road and ferry. Three weeks earlier 10 seal pups were flown down from Scotland to Norfolk by plane. In January the Chairman of Orkney Seal Rescue, Ross Flett, launched an appeal for funds needed to keep the centre from being forced to close down. For more information, contact Ross Flett. (Sources: London Daily Mail - 18 Jan 2000; WDCS - 6 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
The unexpected death of a large, apparently healthy, hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) resting on Sagamore Beach, Cape Cod, USA, has prompted experts from the Cape Cod Marine Mammal Stranding Network to warn the public to stay away from any seals that they find hauled out. A member of the Network said that the seal was continually pestered by members of the public with one man feeding it cookies and a woman trying to feed it fish. Signs advising the public to stay away from the seal were stolen. An autopsy revealed no cause of death but experts think that stress from human interference may have contributed to its death. For more information, contact the Network at +1-508-743-9805. (Source: Cape Cod Times - 13 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
In brief ... - It was reported that on 14 February the local Chamber of Commerce and business owners in Seal Beach, California, planned to petition City Council officials to allow the anchoring of a barge offshore to provide an artificial habitat which would attract seals and sea lions in order to boost tourism. (Source: CRS Weekly Summary - 3 Mar 2000) (8 March 2000)
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee designated eleven new Natural World Heritage Sites in December 1999, including Península Valdés in Argentina, an important site for the Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) and South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens). (Source: WDCS - 13 Dec 1999) (8 March 2000)
The Chilean government has extended a moratorium on the killing of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) for an additional five years, the original moratorium having been instituted in 1995. Amendments to the Chilean marine mammal regulations made on 21 October 1999, of which the moratorium extension was part, also included a ban on the import of marine mammals into Chile. For more information, contact Yayais Cabrera, Centre for Marine Mammals Research Leviathan. (Source: Leviathan - 30 Nov 1999) (8 March 2000)
The U.N. General Assembly has adopted a resolution aimed at improving co-operation to protect the world's oceans. This will involve an annual week-long review by all states and NGOs where the problems of the oceans and seas will be prioritised for action. The next meeting will be held from 30 May to 2 June 2000 and will examine the Secretary General's annual report on oceans and the law of the seas, with "an emphasis on identifying areas where co-ordination and co-operation at intergovernmental and interagency levels should be enhanced." (Source: Habitat - Dec/Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner and Canadian Minister for the Environment David Anderson formally agreed on 19 January to protect the west coast transboundary Georgia Basin/Puget Sound area in order to "preserve and enhance the environmental quality and sustainability of the region". The protected area extends from Seattle to the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Several pinniped species are found in the region. (Source: ENS - 25 Jan 2000) (8 March 2000)
Although Belgium's Antwerp Zoo closed down its dolphinarium in 1998, the zoo has resisted appeals to transform the vacated installation into a multimedia centre devoted to ocean life and whale preservation. Instead it has decided to transform the old pool into an "Aquaforum" in which 8 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) will perform what the Zoo describes as a "detonating show!". The show is expected to begin from Easter 2000. Anyone wishing to comment should contact Antwerp Zoo (Tel: +32(0)3/202.45.40). (8 March 2000)
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