Seal Conservation Society: 2001 News Digest

Calls for seal cull in Germany are dismissed - In the middle of July, the Chairman of the Regional Fishery Association in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Mr Wilhelm Jacobs, claimed that a growing harbour seal population (Phoca vitulina vitulina) was leading to an insufficient food supply for the seals and that many coastal fishermen also now saw their way of life threatened. Mr Jacobs said that serious consideration should therefore be given to hunting and contraception in order to reduce the seal population. In the middle of August, the Regional Fishery Association in Schleswig-Holstein followed by demanding that the seal population be halved. In response however, the Environment Minister Klaus Müller said "Whoever claims that it is due to the seals that their nets stay empty should instead take a look at themselves. The numbers of plaice and other flatfish which have drastically decreased is a home-made problem in a not particularly sustainable fishery". Commenting that the cause of reduced fish stocks was overfishing of the North Sea, Mr Müller said that "the call for hunting or the use of contraceptive pills for seals is not the answer".

The Schutzstation Wattenmeer, a local non-governmental organisation, rejected the demands with a substantial analysis of the situation, while some fishermen were also quick to defend the seals. "I do not know of one fisherman on the Wadden Sea coast who wants to kill a seal", said Alfred Krippner, Chairman of the Büsum Fishing Society, "Seals have never been rivals to we fishermen and when there are lots of seals about then that is a good sign that the sea is healthy and clean". See also News Digest, 3 September 2001. For more information, contact WWF Germany's Hans-Ulrich Roesner at roesner@wwf.de. (Source: WWF Wattenmeer International - Issue 3 2001) (5 November 2001)

Danish fishermen call for seal cull - Danish fishermen called at the end of June for a cull of 6,000-11,000 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) in Danish waters, saying that the seals are competition to their set net fishing activities. The call, made by fishermen for whom fishing is not their main source of income, was for a cull to be divided between the areas of the Baltic Sea, the Kattegat, Skagerrak, Limfjord and the Wadden Sea. It was also reported that the Danish government had previously attempted to get a ban on hunting seals lifted through the framework of the trilateral "Cooperation for the Protection of the Wadden Sea". For more information on seals in Denmark and the calls for a cull there, contact Bo Håkansson of Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (Danish Society for the Conservation of Nature) at boh@dn.dk. (Source: WWF Wattenmeer International - Issue 3 2001) (5 November 2001)

Tasmanian fisherman calls for cull as Council warns of aggressive seals - Bob Gillam, a fisherman from Wynyard was reported on 6 September as having claimed that seals were now in "plague proportions" around Tasmania, Australia, and as having called for a seal cull. Mr Gillam said that the seals were now a safety hazard for fishermen in smaller boats and were costing the Tasmanian fishing industry millions of dollars in lost catches. The Tasmanian Fishing Industry Council was reported the next day as claiming that increasingly aggressive seals may soon cause physical damage to fishermen, the Council's Chief Executive, Bob Lister, adding that survey results on the seals' impacts would shortly be released and that a committee looking into the problem may soon have to seriously consider a seal cull. (Sources: ABC - 6 Sep, 7 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Leading U.K. scientist warns against seal cull - The Director of the United Kingdom's Sea Mammal Research Unit, Professor Ian Boyd, warned in a speech at the British Association's Festival of Science conference at the beginning of September that research was incomplete but that early results indicated that a cull of seals in United Kingdom waters could cause an irreversible decline in the seal population. "The research definitely suggests that we should not be culling seals. There's too much uncertainty in the population dynamics of seals", Professor Boyd told the conference, adding that "culling would be a shot in the dark and the long-term effects would not be known". Professor Boyd said therefore that "culling seals is not something we should be doing for good biological reasons" and described culling as a "blunt instrument with unpredictable results".

On the subject of the effects of seals on commercial fish catches, Professor Boyd said "By taking seals out of the sea through a cull doesn't mean that more fish will be available to the fishermen, because seals might take non-catch species, or non-commercial age classes, or even species that compete with, or prey on, species caught by fishermen." Fisheries representatives, who have lobbied strongly in recent years for a cull or other means of seal population control, responded by calling yet again for seal numbers to be controlled. For more information, contact Professor Boyd at ilb@st-and.ac.uk. (Sources: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 11 Sep, 17 Sep 2001; FIS - 18 Sep 2001; London Independent - 6 Sep 2001; IntraFish - 7 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Cooperative asks Québec government to relax rules on polluted seal fat - The Cooperative Les Quatres Mains from Les Escoumins on Québec's North Shore in Canada has asked the provincial government to relax its regulations on the amounts of heavy metals allowed in seal fat, saying that otherwise it will lose a lucrative contract. The Cooperative has signed a contract with the international trading company Epsilon to supply it with the bones and genitals of 3,000 seals, eventually up to 10,000 seals, in order to make natural medicines in China. However the seal fat contains excessive levels of heavy metals according to provincial standards and thus the Cooperative will not be able to dispose of it. If the regulations are not relaxed by December then Epsilon will turn to Newfoundland fishermen to supply it. For more information on the Canadian seal hunt, contact the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org or see http://www.canadasealhunt.ca.(Source: CJBR-AM - 9 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Plans to turn Canadian fish plant into seal tannery - It was revealed on 24 October that there are plans in Newfoundland to convert the Burgeo Fish Plant, which has been virtually idle for nine years, into a seal tannery that could employ up to 100 people. Earle McCurdy of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers' Union has said that the Union will work with the owners to get the new tannery up and running. For more information on the Canadian seal hunt, contact the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org or see http://www.canadasealhunt.ca. (Source: CBN-AM - 24 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

State of Washington seeks to extend licence to kill sea lions - The U.S. state of Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife wrote a letter to the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on 12 September requesting a 5-year extension to the state's authorisation to kill predatory California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) at the Ballard Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal. The Department justified the request by saying that while sea lion numbers and predation rates in the area had declined, the winter run of steelhead remained depressed and therefore the Department wanted the ability to kill sea lions if any significant predation on the fish species should re-occur. Public comments on the application should be submitted to NMFS by 19 November 2001. For more information, including copies of the letter and the related Federal Register entry, see http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/mmamals/Ballard.html. (Source: NMFS - Downloaded from web site on 30 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Scottish seal rescue centre owner receives death threat - Ross Flett, owner of the Orkney Seal Rescue centre in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, discovered a chilling death threat on 25 October when he found that a seal-shaped metal sign at the top of the road leading to the centre had been decapitated and the letters UNXT, standing for "You Next", had been painted onto the sign. Mr Flett commented that it was a "pretty violent threat" and that he was "horrified that someone should attack my property and threaten me in this way". The attack is the fourth on Mr Flett's property that he has suffered since setting up the centre 13 years ago to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups, including one incident where a newborn grey seal pup was taken from a beach, clubbed, and left hanging on a fence at the entrance to the centre (see News Digest, 7 October 1999).

The threat came after eight grey seals, including five heavily pregnant females, were found dead on a beach on South Ronaldsay, Orkney, on 20 October, and others were reported as washing up around the coast. Despite the veterinary surgeon used by the police arriving to the conclusion that there was no evidence that the seals had been shot, Mr Flett arranged for the head of one of the seals to be given an x-ray examination by a different veterinary surgeon who found that its skull contained fragments of metal consistent with the seal having been shot. Mr Flett commented that he believed that the seals had all been illegally shot on the nearby Pentland Skerries on separate occasions, possibly by fishermen in a bid to protect fish stocks, and were being washed ashore by the tides. He has asked the police to carry out a full investigation into the incident, and further commented "It sickens me to think that there are individuals in our community who are prepared to carry out this annual slaughter of our wildlife and are more than likely to carry on this slaughter unless they are deprived from having the freedom to use firearms." For more information, contact Ross Flett at SelkieSave@aol.com.

(Sources: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 26 Oct 2001; BBC - 22 Oct 2001; London Daily Mail - 23 Oct 2001; London Times - 26 Oct 2001; Orkney Seal Rescue - 20 Oct, 23 Oct, 24 Oct 2001; PA - 22 Oct 2001 x3; Scotsman - 23 Oct, 25 Oct, 26 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Vagrant leopard seal killed in Chile - A team of wildlife rescue volunteers from the Natural Sciences and Archaeology Museum of San Antonio and other groups rescued an injured subadult 2.4m-long male leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) on 9 October that stranded on the beach to the north of Punta de Tralca, Comuna de El Quisco, Province of San Antonio. Examination of the seal showed that it had a large inflammation on the upper frontal section of its head and approximately ten small wounds on the lower back near its tail which appeared to have been caused by some form of hook. Despite round-the-clock veterinary care the seal died the next morning, a subsequent autopsy revealing severe cranial damage and multiple haematomas. It is thought that the seal's injuries were the result of a brutal attack, possibly by fishermen who may have confused the seal for a South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), a species known to be killed by some fishermen in a misguided attempt to protect fisheries. The leopard seal is a protected species under Chilean legislation. For more information, contact the Museum's José Luis Brito at museo_imsa@hotmail.com. (Sources: José Luis Brito [pers. comm.] - 11 Oct, 20 Oct, 22 Oct 2001; Natural Sciences and Archaeology Museum of San Antonio - 9 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Greenland says global demand for sealskin growing - An increased global demand for sealskin means that domestic stocks in Greenland are in short supply, according to Greenland's Minister for Hunting, Hans Enoksen as reported on 26 October. Figures from the Greenland Skin Trading Company show that 74,000 tanned skins were sold for export last year, while 19,000 skins were sold to sewing centres in Greenland. Most Greenlandic communities have publicly-funded sewing centres which cost more than US$200,000 to support. (Source: Nunatsiaq News - 26 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Alaskan walrus hunters return empty-handed - It was reported on 29 October that native hunters from Dillingham in the U.S. state of Alaska had returned from their annual walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) hunt on Round Island having killed no walruses. Two boats containing the hunters could not reach the island, being forced to turn back by high seas, winds over 110km/h, blowing snow and blizzard conditions. One other Bristol Bay community, Clarks Point, killed a walrus earlier in the month, part of the 20 walrus per year quota spread between the local communities, while another community went a week later and returned empty-handed, having only found one walrus in the water. It is thought that the walruses could either be elsewhere feeding or that they have perhaps migrated north early this year. Hunters said that economic factors had also had an effect this year and voiced complaints as to the cost of the hunt and the insufficient level of funding, US$9,000, that they had received from the Eskimo Walrus Commission. (Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 29 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Agencies hold walrus ivory sale in Alaska - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Eskimo Walrus Commission cosponsored a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) ivory sale on 26 October. An estimated 230kg of walrus tusks, most of which had been salvaged from walrus carcasses washed up along the Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea or the Arctic Ocean, were sold to Alaskan Natives, mostly for use as artwork, carvings and jewellery. Earnings from the sale will be given to the Walrus Conservation Fund for research and education grants. For more information, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Marine Mammals Management at fw7_mmm_comment@fws.gov. (Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 27 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

U.S. Council recommends plan to limit fish catches and protect sea lions - The North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended conservation measures on 5 October to reduce Alaska pollock, cod and mackerel catches by an estimated 5-10 percent. The restrictions are intended to protect declining populations of endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) that feed on these species, although environmentalists have fought for broader restrictions and bigger cutbacks in the catch. The Council had considered various competing plans, including both those favoured by the fishing industry and environmentalists, one plan having proposed cutting catches by 31-55 percent. The Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs) approved by the Council include gear-type restrictions, area closures, divided fishing seasons, and landing limits specific to fish stock, time of year and area. The RPAs will be forwarded to the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for final approval.

The American Oceans Campaign (AOC), Greenpeace and the Sierra Club Alaska have all been sharply critical of the Council's review process. In a letter dated 4 October, leaders of all three groups wrote "Again and again we have gone before the Council and proposed solutions, only to be rebuffed or ignored ... We urge the Council to recognise the myopic focus on commercial fishery production." The groups are likely to take the final plan back to the courts for review. Earlier on 7 September NMFS' new Director, William Hogarth, said that the proposed new rules for commercial fishing in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska would not halt the decline in the Steller sea lions there. "Even if we remove all the fisheries in the waters", Mr. Hogarth said, "over the next six to eight years the status of the Steller sea lions will still have a negative decline." At the same time, AOC's Phil Kline said that any new fishing plan that didn't reverse the decline in Steller sea lion populations was "unconscionable".

The associated 2002 Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish fisheries is now available from http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/biop2002/final.htm (2.8 MB). For previous news on the issue, see News Digest, 3 September 2001. For more information, contact AOC at info@americanoceans.org. (Sources: AP - 7 Sep 2001; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 7 Sep 2001; FIS - 5 Sep, 8 Oct 2001; NMFS - 19 Oct 2001; Seattle Times - 8 Sep, 6 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

"Declaration on Responsible Fisheries" launched with some opposition - A UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)-sponsored fisheries conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, adopted the "Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem" on 4 October in order to try and reinforce responsible and sustainable fisheries worldwide. There was some controversy at the meeting as several delegates, noticeably Japan which did not adopt the Declaration, argued that the remit of the declaration should be expanded to include the management of "living marine resources", including marine mammals. Australia, the United States and New Zealand successfully opposed this move. A copy of the Conference's Summary Report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) can be obtained from http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/sd/sdice/. (Sources: IISD Report - 7 Oct 2001; Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society - 16 Oct 2001; WorldCatch - 3 Oct, 5 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Group releases photos of sea lion pups born near controversial fish farm site - In a media release on 12 September the organisation Friends of Sceale Bay, which is opposing the proposed siting of a fish farm near an Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) colony in Sceale Bay, South Australia (see News Digest, 3 September 2001), issued photos of newly born sea lion pups at the colony. The photos, taken by marine mammal scientist Peter Shaughnessy, represent the first visuals confirming Sceale Bay's Cape Blanche as a breeding site for the species. The application for the new fish farm site, which would be only 3km away from the colony, is still being considered. For more information, contact Grant Hobson of Friends of Sceale Bay at granthobson@bigpond.com. (Source: Friends of Sceale Bay - 12 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Namibian Ministry blames bad weather for low hake catches - The Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources was reported on 20 September as stating that recent bad weather along the coast was responsible for poor hake catches. Fishing crews had originally blamed South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) for the low quantities of hake caught when the hake season opened in May and hake stocks were relatively good, saying that the seals were taking the fish from the hooks as fast as the lines were pulled out. The recent spate of bad weather was described as the same as that experienced in 1996 when hake catches were also very low. Earlier on 1 August Namibia's new Marine Resources Act of 2000 officially replaced the previous Sea Fisheries Act of 1992. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources said that one of the objectives of the new Act was to incorporate seals and sea birds into the legislation. For more information on Namibian seals, contact the Wildlife Society of Namibia at wildlife_society@yahoo.com / wildlife@iway.na or visit their web site at http://www.orusovo.com/wildlife/seals.htm. (Sources: FIS - 20 Sep 2001; Namibian - 30 Jul 2001) (5 November 2001)

U.K. MPs vote in favour of Marine Wildlife Conservation Bill - Marine conservation organisations in England and Wales were delighted when the Marine Wildlife Conservation Bill passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 26 October, and thus took a step closer to being made law. The Bill, a Private Members Bill proposed by John Randall MP, is intended to create a new designation to protect and manage nationally important wildlife sites in the marine environment. It will also provide greater enforcement powers for marine conservation measures. The text of the Bill, which will cover territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles from the coast around England and Wales, can be found at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmbills/008/2002008.htm and the Bill's Explanatory Notes at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmbills/008/en/02008x--.htm. For more information, contact the Marine Conservation Society at info@mcsuk.org. (Sources: Ananova - 26 Oct 2001; Marine Conservation Society - 25 Oct 2001; The Marine Connection - 15 Oct 2001; Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society - 29 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

U.S. Government urged to strengthen Marine Mammal Protection Act - Politicians, wildlife officials and non-governmental organisations urged Congress on 11 October to tighten the Marine Mammal Protection Act in order to protect marine mammals from threats such as injuries caused by boaters, commercial fishing nets and Navy sonar equipment. At the hearing held by the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans, the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), William Hogarth, also said that more funding was required in order to provide adequate information on marine mammal species. Mr. Hogarth pointed out that the NMFS is currently only able to study 20 of the 144 marine animals under its jurisdiction. (Sources: Humane Society of the United States - 11 Oct 2001; Planet Ark / Reuters - 12 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

WWF maps out Arctic conservation plan - A meeting of leaders from the international conservation organisation WWF's offices in eight Arctic countries met on 6-7 September in Toronto, Canada, to map out a plan to counter the "major accelerating threats" facing the Arctic's fragile ecosystems. The meeting emphasised three major threats: ill-planned development, uncontrolled climate change, and toxic pollutants. Monte Hummel, Head of WWF-Canada who hosted the meeting, commented "Development has already degraded most of the world's pristine habitats; the Arctic is one of our last chances to put conservation first". United Nations Environment Programme scientists have estimated that 40 percent of the region's wildlife and ecosystems, including various pinniped species, will be critically disturbed by 2050 if growth in the region occurs at even half the levels seen since 1990. For more information, contact WWF-Canada at panda@wwfcanada.org. (Source: ENS - 10 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Additional Scottish seal sites nominated as conservation areas - Under the European Community's Habitats Directive, the Scottish Executive decided on a further list of sites to be forwarded to the European Commission on 10 September as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), including two sites with harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) as a feature of special interest. The two sites are Ascrib, Isay and Dunvegan in Highland, and the South East Islay Skerries in Argyll & Bute. It was further revealed in October that the Scottish Executive has decided to propose the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary as an SAC with the harbour seal as a feature of special interest. Public consultation on the new site is open until 14 January 2002. For more information on the first two sites, contact Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)'s Sandy MacLennan at sandy.maclennan@snh.gov.uk. For more information on the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary site, contact SNH at tayside@snh.gov.uk. (Sources: SNH - 19 Sep, 22 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

U.S. Bill rider reverses court decisions on Glacier Bay National Park - A rider attached at the start of October to the 2002 Interior Appropriations Bill by Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens has reversed two court decisions which required an impact study to be carried out before cruise ship traffic could be increased in the Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (see News Digest, 19 March 2001). The rider immediately boosts the cruise ship limit from 107 to 139 and maintains the limit at that level for a minimum of two years. Kevin Collins, Director of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) commented "This is an outrageous disregard for the judicial process, the health of the park, and basic common sense." SCS Note: There are concerns at the possible impacts of cruise ship traffic on the park's resources and wildlife, including Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi). For more information, contact the NPCA at npca@npca.org. (Source: ENS - 12 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Federal body advises public on seal pup disturbance in northwestern U.S. - The Northwest Regional Office of the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued guidelines on "Sharing the shore with Harbor seal Pups in the Pacific Northwest". The guidelines describe the behaviour of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), the times that pups are born and their vulnerability to disturbance. They then outline ways in which responsible wildlife viewing can be carried out, and what to do and who to inform if a seal pup is found. For more information, see http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1seals/harbor.htm. (Source: NMFS - downloaded from web site 30 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Scientists analyse disturbance to seals caused by boat traffic - In a study over four consecutive Augusts from 1997-2000, scientists in the U.S. state of Maine observing the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina concolor) population in Gun Point Cove, Casco Bay, southern Gulf of Maine, recorded the numbers of seals hauled out, the levels of boat traffic and environmental conditions. They found that by far the single strongest factor affecting haul-out numbers was the level of boat traffic in the cove, observing 85 incidents where the seals were flushed off their haul-out ledges, of which 93% were caused by boats. Both motor boats and paddled boats caused disturbance, over 55% of paddled boats causing seals to flush into the water. The scientists also observed no enforcement of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act in Gun Point Cove to minimise such disturbance. The study recommends education of boaters and clear regulations as a first step in reducing the impacts of boaters on harbour seals in the Gulf of Maine. The published study, by Barbara Lelli and David Harris, can be found at http://www.macalester.edu/environmentalstudies/MacEnvReview/harbor_seal.htm. For more information, contact David Harris at deharris@usm.maine.edu. (Source: MARMAM - 25 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Seals disturbed by inconsiderate jet-skiers in England - Passengers aboard a boat making a seal watching trip from Herne Bay, Kent, in August were astonished and angry when three men with children on personal watercraft sped past them, ignoring their signals, and beached on a sandbank where harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) were hauled out, disturbing the seals into the water. The owner of the seal watching boat, Mike Turner of Wildlife Sailing, commented that such incidents of disturbance by speedboats and jet-skis have been on the increase and that the men "did not seem to know or care what they had done". For more information, contact Mike Turner at info@wildlifesailing.com. (Sources: Herne Bay Gazette - 9 Aug 2001; Mike Turner [pers. comm.] - 17 Aug, 28 Aug 2001) (5 November 2001)

Caspian seal exhibition created - The Azerbaijan non-governmental organisation Gulum has developed a travelling exhibition dedicated to the plight of the vulnerable Caspian seal (Phoca caspica). The exhibition, designed to show youngsters that the sea is filled with beauty and diversity, and to develop love for the nature around them at an early age, is part of Gulum's Khazar Program, a long-term multi-stage environmental education programme for pre-school age children. (Source: Caucasus Environmental News Bulletin #36 [item 6/2 - scroll down]) (5 November 2001)

Wandering hooded seals stranding in large numbers - Marine mammal conservation and rehabilitation organisations have been astounded at the large number of hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) that have so far stranded or been sighted this year down the western and eastern coasts of the North Atlantic. By the end of October a total of 129 individuals, mostly dead or live strandings, had been reported from as far south as the tropical Caribbean island of Antigua in the west and the Canary Islands in the east. Individuals of the species have been reported from the eastern seaboard of the United States, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Guadeloupe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, France, Spain and Portugal.

The reasons for the wanderings of this Arctic species are currently unknown. The Seal Conservation Society and the Caribbean Marine Mammal Laboratory at the Universidad Metropolitana in Puerto Rico are coordinating, in participation with government organisations, research establishments and rescue and rehabilitation organisations, the collection and analysis of stranding data and samples in order to attempt to determine the cause of this anomaly. For more information, contact the Society at info@pinnipeds.org or the Laboratory's Antonio Mignucci-Giannoni at mignucci@caribe.net. (Sources: El Pais - 24 Aug 2001 [in Spanish]; Irish Seal Sanctuary - Downloaded from web site 30 Oct 2001; Various pers. comms.; Virginian-Pilot - 8 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Seal rescued from pontoon in Chile - On 27 August a team of rescuers that included naval personnel and José Luis Brito of the Natural Sciences and Archaeology Museum of San Antonio rescued a 200kg 6-7 year old male South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) that had been trapped in the hold of a pontoon in the port of San Antonio. The visibly dehydrated and weakened sea lion was first noticed in the 3 metre deep hold on 25 August and it is thought that it had fallen through an open manhole cover on the pontoon several days previously. The sea lion was eventually rescued by sea water being pumped into the pontoon until it could swim out. For more information, contact José Luis Brito at museo_imsa@hotmail.com. (Source: Natural Sciences and Archaeology Museum of San Antonio - 27 Aug 2001) (5 November 2001)

Mediterranean monk seal pup rescued in Mauritania - The Mauritanian Centre National de Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches (CNROP) took in a female Mediterranean monk seal pup (Monachus monachus) for rehabilitation on 18 September after the pup was found with head wounds. It is thought that the action of the waves may have dashed the pup onto rocks, a problem that has caused serious injuries to pups in the past. The pup was reported to be recovering well two days after its arrival, showing normalised temperature and reflexes, and on 8 October was reported as having started eating fish independently in her pool. [SCS Note - The Mediterranean monk seal is a critically endangered species and it is thought that there are perhaps only less than 400 remaining in the wild]. For more information, contact CNROP's Khallahi Mohamed Fall at medfall_khall@hotmail.com) or Lenie 't Hart of the SRRC Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre at pieterburen_seals@wxs.nl. (Sources: Khallahi Mohamed Fall [pers. corr.] - 23 Sep 2001; Lenie 't Hart [pers. corr.] - 8 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Two albino seal pups held at U.K. rescue centres - Two albino harbour seal pups (Phoca vitulina vitulina) are currently being held by seal rescue and rehabilitation centres in the United Kingdom. The first is at the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and is described as having pink eyes and fawn markings where its spots should be. For more information, contact the Sanctuary's Paul King at +44-(0)1507-473346. The second is a female pup which was rescued in July 2000 and is still at Save Our Seals (SOS) in Norfolk. For more information, contact SOS' Harry Nicholson at seals@saveourseals.co.uk. Albinism is a rare occurrence in pinnipeds. (Sources: Harry Nicholson [pers. corr.] - 16 Sep 2001; Paul King [pers. corr.] - 16 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Sea Shepherd provides funding for South African seal rescue - The organisation Sea Shepherd International announced on 18 October that it is to grant ongoing financial assistance to Francois Hugo of the Sea Lion Rescue Centre in Hout Bay, South Africa. Providing the Centre with an initial emergency grant of US$5,000 to overhaul its motorcraft "Foxhound", Sea Shepherd President Paul Watson commented that "what is needed immediately is the support of non-government organisations for the actions of individuals who are trying to save as many seals as they can from the effects of over-fishing and pollution". Sea Shepherd's advisory board member in South Africa, Herbert Heinrich, stated that the organisation is looking for a South African corporation or group to match this funding or to step in to carry the financial burden, and added that there is a need to develop a workable rescue and rehabilitation centre in Hout Bay. For more information, contact Sea Shepherd International at seashepherd@seashepherd.org and Francois Hugo at sasealion@wam.co.za. (Source: Sea Shepherd International - 18 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Marine wildlife rescue volunteers to be trained in Brazil - The organisation Instituto Sea Shepherd Brasil (ISSB) announced on 17 September that it has launched a partnered initiative with the oil company Texaco to train more than 300 volunteers to become qualified marine wildlife rescuers in the event of an oil spill. The "Friends of the Sea" project will involve the creation of a network of coastal marine mammal first-aid centres and training in 10 locations along the entire Brazilian coast that have significant ecological resources considered vulnerable to oil spills. The project will also implement the country's first oiled wildlife rescue plan. For more information, contact the ISSB at seashepherd@terra.com.br. (Source: Sea Shepherd International - 17 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Scottish strandings organisation puts out appeal for volunteers - The Cetacean Research and Rescue Unit (CRRU) in Gardenstown, Aberdeenshire, issued an appeal in September for volunteers to come forward and assist it in the rescue of seals and cetaceans in Scotland. The CRRU offers a training course in first aid and care for marine mammals as part of the U.K.-wide "Marine Mammal Medic" course run by British Divers Marine Life Rescue. Senior rescue coordinator Kevin Robinson commented that the course is open to all and that the organisation is working to build up a network of people around the Scottish coast trained in marine mammal rescues. For more information, contact Kevin Robinson at kev.robinson@crru.org.uk. (Source: BBC - 17 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

New Zealand advises public to leave stranded fur seal pups alone - The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) in Kaitaia warned the public in the far north on 31 August that they should leave stranded New Zealand fur seal pups (Arctocephalus forsteri) alone and that weakened or dying pups were just casualties of one of the species' many "survival of the fittest" battles. The pups which are found in fairly large numbers in the far north are mostly pups born the previous season that have weaned from their mothers between July and September. The DOC has a policy of minimal intervention with respect to seals. However it says that it would like to be notified as quickly as possible if a seal has obvious injuries, is entangled in marine debris, or is posing a threat to the public or being harassed by dogs or people. For more information, contact the DOC's Nicky Syddall at +64-(0)9-408-6014. (Source: New Zealand DOC - 31 Aug 2001) (5 November 2001)

Irish Seal Sanctuary holds National Seal Week - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) announced in October that it was organising a series of country-wide events to take place in a National Seal Week from 28 October to 4 November in order to highlight the plight of the country's seals. Events included seal releases, talks to local schoolchildren, the opening of the Sanctuary to the public and the release of a rehabilitated hooded seal in the Sanctuary's care. The Sanctuary is also currently working to get as many people round the world as possible to assist it with faxes and letters in lobbying the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) to provide the Sanctuary with funding in the forthcoming budget. For more information, contact ISS' Terry Flanagan at flanagan@indigo.ie or see the ISS web site at http://www.irishsealsanctuary.com. (Source: ISS - Downloaded from web site 30 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

U.K. sanctuary shows TV to rescued seal pups - It was reported on 23 October that two rescued harbour seal pups (Phoca vitulina vitulina) are being shown videos of BBC Television's series The Blue Planet in their pen at the Hunstanton Sea Life and Marine Sanctuary in Norfolk, England. Workers at the sanctuary said that the two four-month-old seals, which were rescued two months beforehand suffering from lung worm and are not expected to be released until next year, watch the video quite regularly. The Sanctuary's manager Nigel Croasdale commented "The sights and sounds from sections featuring our coast will help familiarise the pups with the surroundings they'll actually experience when we release them back to the wild." For more information, contact the Sanctuary's Keiran Copeland at +44-(0)1485-533576. (Source: BBC - 23 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Relief as Wally the walrus found alive and well - Worried members of the public in Cook Inlet in the U.S. state of Alaska were relieved on 6 October when Wally, a Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) which has lived in the Inlet for at least 15 years and which has become a popular local character, was seen alive by a biologist. Concerns had been raised several days earlier when a pilot had spotted a walrus corpse washed ashore and then the next day had seen that its head, along with its tusks, had been removed. During the time he has lived in the Inlet, Wally has taken a place in many people's hearts, particularly those of local fishermen and oil workers, and many people who have spent time on the west side of the Inlet have a story about him. One fisherman recounted the time that he took a nap on the beach only to wake up and find Wally happily dozing about 3 metres away from him. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 4 Oct, 7 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Charter boat operators in Tasmania adopt accreditation programme - Thirty five charter boat operators in the Australian state of Tasmania announced in September that they have adopted an accreditation programme and voluntary code of conduct which covers environmental protection and responsible fisheries management. Rocky Carosi, President of the Sea Charter Boat Operators of Tasmania, said that the group is also developing guidelines on marine species such as seals, and that the initiative has been taken to demonstrate that the industry is acting in a responsible way. (Source: ABC - 19 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Irish organisation issues guidelines for open sea swimmers - Following several reports of incidents in which over-friendly seals caused alarm to open sea swimmers and divers, the Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) issued a series of guidelines this summer to help minimise the problem. Commenting that, to their knowledge, seal approaches to humans are of a friendly and curious nature, the Sanctuary advised, among other measures, that swimmers do not swim alone, do not panic if approached by a seal, do not encourage physical contact, cease energetic swimming, and warn other swimmers in the water. Members of the public were asked to report any such interactions to the Sanctuary. For more information, contact the ISS at flanagan@indigo.ie or see http://www.wildireland.ie/irishsealsanctuary/html/guidelines.htm. (Source: ISS - downloaded from web site 30 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Public urged not to feed friendly seal - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Cornwall, England, was reported on 4 September as having warned people not to feed a grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) that appears to have become tame and has been seen in Newquay and Padstow. There are fears that the seal, which has been tagged by staff from the National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall, has become dependent on humans for food handouts and may bite a member of the public. For more information, contact the National Seal Sanctuary at seals@sealsanctuary.co.uk. (Source: This is Cornwall - 4 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Macquarie Island elephant seal research vetoed in Australia - It was announced on 25 September that the Tasmanian Environment Minister David Llewellyn had overruled his Parks and Wildlife Service and vetoed permits for sampling and tagging research on Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) on subantarctic Macquarie Island. The move followed requests by the Tasmanian Conservation Trust and Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown that the permits be denied. Scientists will only be allowed to remove electronic data loggers already fitted to some of the seals. Mr Llewellyn said that his decision was in order to uphold his promise that no new research on the species on the island would be carried out until a complete review of practices was undertaken following previous problems with a different research programme (see News Digest, 19 March 2001). The lead research scientist, Corey Bradshaw of the University of Tasmania's Antarctic Wildlife Research Unit, expressed dismay at the decision, arguing that the research had received all appropriate animal ethics clearances and that the multi-year conservation project initiated in 1999 would now lose precious data. For more information, contact Corey Bradshaw at corey.bradshaw@utas.edu.au and the Tasmanian Conservation Trust at tct@southcom.com.au. (Sources: ABC - 22 Sep, 23 Sep, 24 Sep, 25 Sep 2001; Antarctican - 27 Sep 2001; MARMAM - 28 Sep, 3 Oct 2001; Melbourne Age - 26 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

U.K. scientists to use seal cameras to study foraging behaviour - Research scientists from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at St. Andrews University in Scotland have revealed a project to tag grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) with £4,500 miniature digital video cameras over the next two years in order to gain a better understanding of the food that they eat and the areas in which they are eating. It is thought that the project may provide crucial evidence regarding fishermen's claims that the seals are depriving them of commercially caught fish. SMRU's Sascha Hooker has already carried out similar research on Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in South Georgia where cameras were attached to six mothers and useful data was obtained. For more information, contact Sascha Hooker at sh43@st-and.ac.uk. (Sources: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 17 Sep 2001; London Daily Mail - 17 Sep 2001; SMRU - Downloaded from web site 30 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Ringed seal tracked during Arctic migration for first time - Scientists working from Little Diomede Island, Alaska, USA, in the Bering Strait have satellite tracked an Arctic ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida) during its spring migration northward in open sea ice for the first ever time. The seal travelled over 700km and made dives to depths of over 50m during the seven week tracking period. The new information generated by the study provides valuable data, Marine Mammals Coordinator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Bob Small, commenting that it is important to learn about the species' migration patterns so that scientists have baseline data in order to evaluate changes in the species' behaviour over the years, particularly if there are environmental changes in the region. The study involved close cooperation with and the assistance of local Alaskan native residents. For more information, contact Bob Small at bob_small@fishgame.state.ak.us. (Sources: ScienceDaily / National Science Foundation - 30 Oct 2001; Seattle Times - 31 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Study reveals deep-diving sea lions on edge of physical limit - A study looking at the diving of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) and New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) may help explain why certain species of marine mammals seem particularly vulnerable to changes in their food supply or other environmental stresses. It was found that the two sea lion species, whose populations are declining, stay underwater so long foraging on the ocean floor that they have to use anaerobic metabolism to keep diving, effectively limiting their ability to extend their dive times if food supply is limited. In contrast, individuals of the fur seal species, which is thriving, were found to dive for shallow prey only to the extent of their aerobic capacity, thus leaving greater scope for increased dive times if necessary. The study, by Daniel Costa, Nicholas Gales and Michael Goebel, was published in the July issue of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology (Part A). For more information, contact Dan Costa at costa@biology.ucsc.edu. (Source: SeaWeb Ocean Update - Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Fur seal pups recognise mother's call within days of birth - A study of Subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) pups and mothers on remote Amsterdam Island has found that the pups are able to recognise their mother's call within 2-5 days of birth. The study, carried out by scientists from the Université Jean Monnet in France, found that the mother delayed her departure for her first feeding trip to sea until after her pup was able to recognise her. The pup's ability to recognise its mother is crucial for its survival as the pup must be able to locate its mother within a large seal colony on her return from her feeding trip which may last several days or weeks. The study found that pups took less than 11 minutes to locate their mother when she returned from her first feeding trip. The research findings, by Isabelle Charrier, N. Mathevon and P. Jouventin, were published in Nature vol. 412 no. 6850. For more information, contact Isabelle Charrier at isabelle.charrier@wanadoo.fr. (Sources: BBC - 29 Aug 2001, MARMAM - 10 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Steller sea lions "lassoed" in Alaska for study - Between 1997 and 2001, 171 endangered Steller sea lion juveniles (Eumetopias jubatus) have been captured for health studies or satellite tagging using an unusual method. Scientists had previously encountered problems trapping the juveniles until underwater photographer Shane Moore, an old cowboy from Wyoming, suggested that the sea lions could be lassoed underwater. Scuba divers with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game soon confirmed that the young sea lions' curiosity meant that by dangling a herring on a pole, divers could coax them to stick their head through a noose that allowed them to be hauled to the surface without being harmed. Each juvenile sea lion weighs up to about 140kg. A narrated video of the sea lion studies was presented at the 21st Annual Scientific Diving Symposium of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences in Seward in September. For more information, contact Don Calkins, Alaska SeaLife Center's Steller Sea Lion Program Manager, at don_calkins@alaskasealife.org. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 24 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Scientists find seals with less closely-related parents have more offspring - A team of scientists at Cambridge University in the U.K. which studied grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), pilot whales and albatrosses found that animals whose parents were more distantly-related genetically produced above-average numbers of offspring. The scientists compared genetic markers in individuals of all three species to determine the similarity of their parents and then tracked the individuals to record the number of offspring that they bore. For more information, contact Cambridge University's Bill Amos at w.amos@zoo.cam.ac.uk. (Source: ENN - 9 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Albino sea lion pup born in Galápagos Islands - Scientists from the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands have confirmed that an albino Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) was born on the island of Floreana, following a report of its sighting on 9 August. Examination of the pup, probably a female, showed it to have a white-yellowish pelage, pink flippers, ears and nose, violet irises, white vibrissae and eyelashes, and white claws. The pup was suffering from severe photophobia, eye infection, a low level of hearing, and lesions in the flippers. It is thought that the pup's life expectancy will be limited and it will be periodically monitored. An albino sea lion was previously photographed on the islands in 1984. For more information, contact Sandie Salazar at ssalazar@fcdarwin.org.ec. (Sources: Charles Darwin Foundation - 11 Sep 2001 [In Spanish - SCS has English translation]; El Comercio de Ecuador - 5 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Fur seals venturing further north in Australia - Scientists researching the migratory patterns of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) in Australia have found that their range is extending a little further north each year, regular sightings now occurring on the mid north coast of New South Wales in the spring. Martin Smith, a ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service commented that the wandering individuals are usually weaned yearlings, and that there has been a marked increase in the numbers of calls from members of the public concerned that the seals are injured, these calls nearly always being unfounded. Populations of the species have been increasing since they were protected by national legislation in 1975. (Source: ABC - 22 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Elephant seals arrive early in California - Nearly 400 Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) were reported as having come ashore near San Simeon in the U.S. state of California by 18 October, weeks earlier than usual. Scientists do not know whether some factor such as weather or food supplies led to the early arrival, Susan McDonald of Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES) commenting "It's really hard to say. This year, they started coming in the end of August. By October 2, we had more than 100. Last year, we didn't have 100 on this beach until mid-October." A full survey of the seals by docents and scientists will take place in November, assisted by a US$40,000 grant from the state Department of Resources. For more information, contact FES at fes@thegrid.net. (Source: AP - 19 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Subantarctic fur seal visits Western Australian capital - A young adult female Subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) was found resting on 3 September at the street-front wall of a house in the Perth suburb of Cottesloe after having dragged herself up the beach, over high dunes and across the street. A marine park ranger from the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) managed to encourage the seal back over the road and into the dune vegetation. The seal, which appeared healthy but slightly underweight, was then monitored during the day by a group of residents who took turns to keep an eye on it. The CALM ranger said that the seal was tired and would be allowed to return to the water in her own time. One or two, sometimes three Subantarctic fur seals a year, are found this far north after following cold currents along the coast. (Source: West Australian - 4 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Northern elephant seal observed in Russian Commander Islands - A 3-4 year-old Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) was observed hauled out on Cape Ygo-Vostochnyi, Medniy Island, from the beginning of August to the end of September. The seal, reported to be the first observation of the species in the Commander Islands, was found among a breeding colony of fur seals and sea lions. Vladimir Sevostianov of the Commander Islands and B.C. Nature Protection and Conservation Association, who observed the seal, reported that a tag on the seal indicated that it had been tagged near San Francisco in the U.S. state of California. For more information, contact Vladimir Sevostianov at seaotter3@hotmail.com. (Source: Vladimir Sevostianov - 16 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Harbour seal population increasing on Maine coast - Preliminary results from the 2001 state-wide survey of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) in Maine, USA, indicate that the count may exceed 31,000, more than six times the count recorded in 1976. The abundance of seals in the state's waters is the result of a plentiful food supply, a relatively clean environment, and legal protection since 1972. Professor James Gilbert who is heading the survey commented that "at least back to the turn of the last century, we probably have more now than ever before." Before 1905 the state paid a US$1 bounty on harbour seals in order to reduce their populations to help fish stocks, resulting in the near extermination of seal populations along some parts of the Maine coast but with no noticeable effect on fish catches. The results of the survey, which also included the radio-tracking of 30 seals, will be compiled in December. For more information, contact Professor Gilbert at gilbert@umenfa.maine.edu. (Source: AP - 10 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Leopard seal visits New Zealand beach - A leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), an Antarctic pinniped species, was reported on 29 October as having recently paid an unusual visit to the beach at Rapahoe on New Zealand's west coast. Local Department of Conservation (DOC) staff inspected the seal and advised the public that it was dangerous to approach it. It is thought that the leopard seal could be the same one that was sighted at Punakaiki on 11 September. Leopard seals are only occasional visitors to New Zealand's shores and seldom remain around any one site for more than a few days before heading off again. (Source: New Zealand DOC - 29 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

California sea lion and killer whale observed at Steller sea lion haulout - Scientists from the Alaska SeaLife Center, USA, were interested to observe a female California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) hauling out on 2 August on the Chiswell Island Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) rookery 56 km south of Seward. California sea lions are rare in Alaska and the sea lion was only the fourth of its species that researchers have seen on Chiswell since remote cameras were installed there in the summer of 1999. The live feed from these cameras has also allowed the scientists to observe a killer whale (orca) which has been seen patrolling the island off and on since late July. The killer whale is a 30+ year-old transient female that specialises in feeding at sea lion haulouts and rookeries throughout south-central Alaska. The scientists have not yet witnessed the killer whale killing any sea lions over the remote video feed but some of the local tour boat captains have seen her with a sea lion in her mouth. For more information, contact Don Calkins, the Center's Steller Sea Lion Program Manager, at don_calkins@alaskasealife.org. (Source: Alaska SeaLife Center - 28 Aug 2001) (5 November 2001)

Thick Antarctic ice causing problems for seals - It was reported on 31 October that scientists on Antarctica's coast this summer are recording some of the thickest ice ever seen and are warning that this may be affecting seal and penguin populations. Both New Zealand's Scott Base and the U.S.'s McMurdo Base in McMurdo Sound were reported as being blocked in by heavy sea ice, while on the other side of the continent a U.S. research ship is reported to have managed to free itself from extensive ice fields in Marguerite Bay. Scientists said that the ice was affecting penguins and seals which are having to travel further to access the sea. A group of researchers has found less than 150 adult Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) at one study site extending from Scott Base to Cape Evans, less than a third of the number seen by this time last year. (Source: AFP - 31 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Organisation plans to use trained sea lions in the wild - The organisation Waves Consulting has revealed that it proposes to develop a new programme in which it will train sea lions and then release them into the wild for use in the leisure industry. The Sea Lions in Open Seas (SOS) programme, offering the "world's first open ocean sea lion interactions", will be in three phases. Phase I will use a natural bay containing a training pen system to house and train a population of sea lions, while Phase II will introduce beach, swim and dive interactions with the public, either in a captive situation or in "specially selected open ocean sites". Phase III will expand to international markets and involve the opening of new facilities with established vacation resorts. Waves Consulting has also registered the new internet domain name sealions.info, and requested information and assistance for the new site on 2 October. For more information, see http://www.wavesconsulting.com/page551626.htm. (Sources: MARMAM - 2 Oct 2001; Waves Consulting - downloaded from web site 10 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Captivity Briefs ...
Detroit Zoo in Michigan, USA, opened its new "Arctic Ring of Life" exhibit on 20 October. As well as being the world's largest polar bear exhibit with seven polar bears, the 1.7 hectare exhibit also includes four harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), one rescued grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), one rescued harp seal (Phoca groenlandica), four Arctic foxes and two snowy owls. (Source: Excite News - 25 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

News in Brief ...

The member states of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) agreed in London, United Kingdom, on 5 October to ban ship paints containing organotin compounds that are harmful to marine wildlife. Use of the compounds will be restricted as of 1 January 2003 and banned outright by 1 January 2008. (Sources: ENS - 9 Oct 2001; New Scientist - 5 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

After more than ten years of stop-start discussions, Alaska (USA) and Chukotka (Russia) are now seriously looking at the establishment of an international park across the Bering Strait that would include and protect lands in both countries. (Source: Nunatsiaq News - 26 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Meetings...
As part of the 2001 Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Vancouver, Canada, the National Marine Fisheries Service's Office of Protected Resources will be hosting the workshop Viewing Marine Mammals in the Wild: A Workshop to Discuss Responsible Guidelines and Regulations for Minimizing Disturbance on 28 November 2001. For more information, contact Trevor Spradlin at Trevor.Spradlin@noaa.gov or see http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/MMWatch/Biennial_wkshp01.html. (5 November 2001)

The 16th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society will take place from 7-11 April 2002 in Liège, Belgium, with the theme Marine Mammal Health from Individuals to Populations. Presentations will include: The impacts of global changes on marine mammals; Multidisciplinary approaches of emerging diseases; and Effects of chemical pollution. Papers on the subject of pinnipeds will be presented at the meeting. For more information, see http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs/ecs-2002.htm. (5 November 2001)

The 139th American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)'s Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, on 13-17 July 2002 will include a 2-3 day Aquatic Animal / Aquaculture Medicine Program. For more information, contact Skip Jack at jack@cvm.msstate.edu. (5 November 2001)

Resources...
The Uruguayan marine mammal conservation and rescue/rehabilitation organisation Protección de Fauna Marina (PROFAUMA - Marine Life Protection) has launched its new web site at http://www.interdia.com/profauma. The site is currently only in Spanish but there are plans to launch an English-language version in the near future. (5 November 2001)

The Environmental Research Bureau (ERB), which works to conserve marine wildlife and their habitats in Greece, including the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal, has launched its new web site in English and Spanish at http://www.calypso-erb.cjb.net. (5 November 2001)

Features ... - The following pinniped-related feature articles have recently appeared in the media:

Glacier Bay provides new birthing ground for Steller sea lions ... - [The thriving population of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Glacier Bay, Alaska, USA] (Source: National Parks Conservation Association Magazine - Sep/Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Panel taking stock of Alaska's ocean health - [The visit of the Pew Oceans Commission to the U.S. state of Alaska] (Source: ENN / Reuters - 28 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

Seal stories: The tides and times of living in a changing world - [A speech on the changing levels of pinniped populations by Professor Ian Boyd of the U.K.'s Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU)] (Source: SMRU - 5 Sep 2001) (5 November 2001)

The harbinger seals of San Francisco Bay [Effects of disturbance, pollution etc. on harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in San Francisco Bay, California, USA] (Source: East Bay Express - 3 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

The West's most isolated community [A look at a remote Arctic community in Greenland] (Source: BBC - 27 Oct 2001) (5 November 2001)

Too close for comfort: Concern about the growing trend in public interactions with wild marine mammals [A discussion of some of the issues] - (Source: Society for Marine Mammalogy Newsletter - Fall 2001 [scroll down]) (5 November 2001)

Galápagos sea lions killed and mutilated - Widespread condemnation followed the discovery of 15 dead Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki), 11 male and 4 female, at the tourist site of "La Loberia" on the island of San Cristóbal on 14 July. Inspection of the sea lions revealed that they had been killed by blows to the head, possibly caused by metallic objects, and that the genital organs of the males had been removed by knife. It is thought that the attack, carried out at night by more than one person, was probably in order to obtain the male genitals for the aphrodisiac trade, and that the females were possibly accidental victims because of the poor light at the time of the attack.

Communities on the Galápagos Islands reacted to the killings with shock. The Association of Naturalist Guides of Galápagos led a march in Puerto Ayora, joined by more than 200 people, expressing their outrage at the act, while another march also took place on San Cristóbal. On 20 July, the Charles Darwin Foundation announced that a reward of US$4,000 had been raised from various donors across the islands for those who could provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of the killing. On 25 July the organisation Sea Shepherd Conservation Society also offered a US$1,000 reward. It was reported that an investigative committee led by the Governor of the Province had been formed and that an investigation was being conducted by the National Police with support from the National Park Service and Ecuadorian Navy. For more information, contact Paola Díaz, Charles Darwin Research Station, at infocdrs@fcdarwin.org.ec or visit http://www.darwinfoundation.org. (Sources: BBC - 19 Jul 2001 [N.B. - number of fatalities incorrect]; Charles Darwin Foundation - 17 Jul, 18 Jul, 20 Jul, 24 Jul 2001; London Sunday Express - 22 Jul 2001; Nando Times - 18 Jul 2001; Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - 25 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Harp seal hunt a "year-round slaughter" says welfare organisation - The organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) issued a press release on 16 July pointing out that although the Canadian commercial harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) hunt had just ended two days beforehand, the hunt was continuing in Greenland. It is estimated that about 210,000 harp seals were killed in the Canadian hunt, which lasts between 15 November and 15 May, or until the quota can be reached. An estimated 100,000 harp seals were killed last year in Greenland, where the essentially unregulated hunt lasts between June and November. IFAW's Rebecca Aldworth said "This has become a year-round slaughter. The population is under constant threat of hunting, except for a few short weeks when the pups are first born". For more information, contact IFAW at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org or visit http://www.canadasealhunt.ca. (Sources: IFAW - 16 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Finnish hunters begin killing increased number of grey seals - It was reported that hunters in Finland began their officially-sanctioned hunt for Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on 1 August. A total of 60 seal-hunting licences were issued for the Gulf of Bothnia region, allowing for the killing of 180 seals. The total number of seals to be killed is an increase on last year's figure of 100 (see News Digest, 25 June 2000). SCS Note - The Baltic grey seal population is now only just recovering from years of exploitation and pollution-related illness, and there are serious concerns as to the effects that hunting will have on the population. It was revealed in June that an additional 180 seals are also to be killed on the Swedish side of the Gulf this year. For more information on seal hunting in Finland, contact Antti Halkka, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, at antti.halkka@sll.fi and WWF Finland's Anita Mäkinen at anita.makinen@wwf.fi. (Source: AFP - 1 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Australian fishermen illegally killing fur seals - It was reported on 9 July that commercial and recreational fishermen in the state of Victoria are illegally killing hundreds of Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) in Bass Strait. Frustrated police and wildlife authorities admit that many fishermen carry guns on their boats to kill seals, and that they have little or no chance to catch the culprits as most shootings happen away from the public gaze. The fishermen say that the killing is in order to stop predation of fish by the seals and to protect their fishing gear. One fishermen said "I've seen 60 seals shot in one night. I know trawlers shoot them.". Another source also stated that in recent years some fishermen have been involved in cruel killings at seal colonies, using semi-automatic guns to "pepper them with bullets". A representative of the federal government office Environment Australia said "We do have problems with sections of the (fishing) community and people tip us off, but they're too scared to go to court."

The Australian office of the Humane Society International (HSI) immediately condemned the situation. HSI's Rebecca Brand said that the organisation "has been calling for a ban on fishermen carrying firearms and greater observer coverage in these fisheries for years. These latest reports of trigger-happy fishermen show why such a ban is now even more of a necessity". It is an offence under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to take, injure, move or kill pinnipeds without a permit, and offences are punishable by fines of up to AUS$110,000 or up to 2 years imprisonment for an individual, AUS$550,000 for a corporation. HSI called on the federal government to investigate fully the recent reports of illegal shooting and to prosecute any breaches of the Act. For more information, contact Rebecca Brand at rebecca@hsi.org.au. (Sources: HSI Australia - 9 Jul 2001; Melbourne Herald Sun - 9 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Guards on Chilean fish farms shooting large numbers of sea lions - Guards on salmon farms, called "salmon watchers", armed with high-calibre weapons are shooting large numbers of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and other native wildlife in southern Chile, it was reported on 10 July. Environmentalists, artisan fishermen, tourism enterprises and people living beside fish farms in the coastal communities of Chiloe and Aysen are complaining at the killing, and Chilean writer Pablo Huneeus, who lives in and navigates the area regularly, said that "you can find dead, wounded and bleeding sea lions all over the place" and that "during the night this place looks like an aquatic Far West, but without a sheriff".

Despite regulations forbidding the shooting of sea lions, several Chilean magazines specialising in fishing and aquaculture are encouraging businessmen to "protect their fish from the bandits", using graphics to portray the sea lions as bandits. Organisations such as Terram, Terra Australis, and Ecoceanos say that during the 1980s and 1990s some 5,000 - 6,000 sea lions were killed. The "salmon watchers" usually use 8mm diameter ammunition or "expansive bullets", while the use of carbide to poison the sea lions is also employed. Butchered sea lions are tied near the raft cages as a sign of warning to other sea lions. Ecoceanos has informed the authorities of the situation and has warned them that several salmon farming operations are currently seeking permits to legalise the killing of the sea lions. For more information, contact Ecoceanos at ecoceano@entelchile.net. (Source: Ecoceanos News - 10 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Fishermen in Germany seek permission to cull seals - Fishermen in Germany have called for permission to carry out a cull of seals in the country's waters, claiming that the population of seals is fast-growing and affecting the amount of fish that they catch. Lothar Fischer of the German Fisheries Association was quoted as saying "There used to be seal-hunters who dealt with this. We need them again. These animals are threatening our very existence". Environmentalists are opposing any move back to seal hunting, Ingo Bokermann of Greenpeace Germany replying that "To blame seals for the over-fishing of the sea is like blaming woodpeckers for chopping down the rainforest". Seals are currently protected under German law. [SCS Note - Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) are found in German waters]. (Source: Ananova - 8 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Subsidised sealing industry is costly for Norway - A newspaper article on 31 May revealed that over the last 18 years the Norwegian government has spent 720 million NOK to keep the country's sealing and whaling industries going, a considerably greater amount than the income actually generated from these activities. One of the reasons for this large subsidy is the government's belief that killing marine mammals will benefit the country's fishing industry by making more fish available. Almost 40 million NOK has been allocated for the 2001 season, while the income from seal and whale hunting accounts for about 1/2000 of the 30-40 billion NOK generated each year from the sale and export of Norwegian sea food.

Meanwhile, on 29 June it was reported that good weather conditions this year had allowed the two Norwegian boats sealing on the West Ice to return with 6,800 harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata). The total Norwegian quota of 5,000 adult seals on the East Ice was also taken. [SCS Note - 2.5 harp seal pups are deemed equivalent to one adult on the East Ice. The West Ice conversion factors for harp and hooded seal pups are 2 and 1.5 respectively]. For more information on Norwegian sealing, contact Anton Krag, NOAH, at anton@noahonline.org. (Sources: High North Alliance - 29 Jun 2001; InterSeafood.com - 31 May 2001 [in Norwegian - contact SCS for translation]) (3 September 2001)

Namibian organisation distances itself from seal hunt - In an open letter dated 24 July, the organisation Wildlife Society of Namibia said that in no way should it be linked to the country's annual hunt of South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). The letter follows the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources' use of the Society's name in an attempt to back up the Ministry's claims that the seal hunt is humane. Despite frequent approaches to the Ministry, the Society has been unable to gain access to observe the hunt for several years, and is in fact concerned at welfare problems associated with the hunt. The Society also announced in the letter that it has secured the services of a consultant to undertake a scientific assessment of seals and sealing in Namibia, as well as to review the seal census and the determination of seal quotas. This year's hunt began at Cape Cross and Luderitz in July. For more information on the Namibian seal hunt, contact the Society at wildlife@iway.na or visit the Society's seals page at http://www.orusovo.com/wildlife/seals.htm. (Source: Wildlife Society of Namibia - 24 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Government in Québec discusses investment in seal product enterprise - Government representatives were due to meet on 15 August to discuss the revival of a seal skin processing enterprise in Québec's Gaspé Peninsula, Canada. An initial meeting took place the week before with Gaspé's deputy Guy Lelièvre in order to discuss putting together a financial package. A new shareholder is reportedly ready to invest CAN$115,000 in the enterprise if the contribution from the government in Québec reaches CAN$300,000. (Source: CJRG-FM - 13 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Calls for seal cull in Scotland rebuffed by government and conservationists - The Scottish Executive denied that it had any plans to carry out a seal cull following comments in support of a cull by the Highlands and Islands Minister Alistair Morrison which were reported on 15 July. The Executive said that according to the latest scientific evidence, little would be achieved from a cull of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) in Scottish waters. Mr Morrison's comments were however supported by a number of Members of the Scottish Parliament amid fishing industry claims that seals are consuming more fish than fishermen are allowed to catch. The Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs Committee has already recommended that powers be granted to shoot seals where there is evidence to show that they are responsible for a decline in salmon stocks at sea.

It was also reported on 17 July that Scottish Member of the European Parliament Struan Stevenson had met with international marine wildlife experts in Brussels and that he would be putting a case to the European Commission for seals in the North Sea to be culled in order to protect fish stocks. The Anglo Scottish Fish Producers Organisation and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation were also reported as being in favour of the controlling of seal numbers. However a number of conservation and animal welfare organisations, including Animal Concern, Advocates for Animals, Orkney Seal Rescue, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Seal Conservation Society, the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and the Scottish SPCA all publicly opposed the calls for a cull. SWT issued a press release on 17 August saying that it believed that "there is currently no justification, ecological or otherwise, for the culling of seals to protect fish stocks" and that "changes to the current fisheries policy are needed, rather than seal culling, to reverse the drastic depletion of fish stocks in Scottish waters." For more information, and contact details for the above organisations, contact the Seal Conservation Society at info@pinnipeds.org.

(Sources: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 18 Jul, 18 Aug 2001; Ananova - 17 Jul 2001; Animal Concern - 16 Jul 2001; BBC - 16 Jul, 17 Jul, 17 Aug 2001; FIS - 20 Jul 2001; London Guardian - 16 Jul 2001; Orcadian - 19 Jul 2001; Scotland on Sunday - 15 Jul 2001; Scotsman - 8 Aug 2001 [in Gaelic with English summary]; Scottish Daily Mail - 16 Jul 2001; SWT - 17 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Russian State Committee supports development of alternatives to seal hunt - In a letter dated 25 June to the Russian Parliament's Committee on Ecology, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Committee on Fisheries, said that it supported the Committee on Ecology's proposal to look at relevant socio-economic development programmes to provide alternatives to the killing of whitecoat harp seal pups (Phoca groenlandica) in the White Sea. The issues surrounding a prohibition of such killing were discussed at a meeting of the Scientific-Consultative Council on Marine Mammals which included sealers and coastal dwellers, scientists and representatives of environmental organisations including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). For more information, contact IFAW-Russia's Masha Vorontsova at mvorontsova@ifaw.org. (Source: State Committee on Fisheries - 25 Jun 2001) (3 September 2001)

U.S. organisation calls for relaxation of Marine Mammal Protection Act - The U.S. "wise-use" organisation Alliance for America adopted a resolution at its annual "Fly In" at Washington, D.C., on 20 May, calling for the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to be amended to allow the importation of seal products. The Alliance's resolution followed a presentation by an Inuit representative from Canada. Describing the MMPA as an "animal rights-inspired" Act, the Alliance also resolved to work to inform the American public and legislators about their views on the Act. (Source: Alliance for America - 20 May 2001) (3 September 2001)

Uruguayan study shows that sea lions do not affect fisheries catch - A study carried out by Uruguayan scientist Diana Szteren, where 48 trips were made on artisanal fishing boats at four localities along the Uruguayan coast, concluded that neither the presence of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) near the boats, nor the "damage" to potential catch that they were seen causing, had a bearing on the amount of fish actually caught by the boats. The research trips, carried out between July 1997 and March 1998, found that the estimated consumption by sea lions ranged from 0.81% - 20.3% of the fishermen's potential catch, depending on location. However the actual amount of fish caught by the boats did not depend on whether sea lions were present or not, the number of sea lions present, or how many fish the sea lions were seen eating near the boats. The shooting of sea lions by fisherman in order to protect their catch is a recognised problem in Uruguay but the scale of such shooting is currently unknown. For more information, contact Diana Szteren at szteren@adinet.com.uy. (Source: Diana Szteren [pers. comm.] - Jul-Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Tasmanian fish farmers may use "bean bag" bullets to deter pinnipeds - Special bullets developed for police crowd control may be used by fish farmers in the Australian state of Tasmania to scare pinnipeds off from attacking salmon farms. The use of the bullets, a collection of pellets with enough force to spin a pinniped but not to break its skin, was one of the "graduated deterrents" contained in a draft report discussed by the Marine and Marine Industries Council at a meeting on 3 August. The Council, which had been asked by Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn last year to prepare a seal strategy, also discussed other measures including the use of small firecrackers called "seal crackers". The current method of control used in Tasmania is the capture and translocation of seals, Marine Council Chairman Tony Harrison saying that the main culprits are Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). The discussion of the report comes after several recent instances of injuries to fish farm workers, including one worker who suffered severe knee injuries in July when struck by a 300kg seal that had been caught between netting. (Sources: ABC - 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 2 Aug 2001; Hobart Mercury - 3 Aug 2001; Melbourne Age - 4 Aug 2001; WorldCatch - 3 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Revised Steller sea lion Biological Opinion released for consultation - The U.S. federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released on 20 August its revised Draft Biological Opinion (BiOp) and Incidental Take Statement on the impact of the Alaskan groundfish fisheries on the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) population. Jim Balsiger, the NMFS' Alaska Regional Administrator, said that the revised BiOp considered new satellite telemetry data that reveals where the sea lions travel, allowing the fine-tuning of fishing seasons and closure areas. Environmentalists on the Committee that carried out the fine-tuning are reported not to be in full support of the Committee's conclusions and have problems in particular with relying on the new telemetry data. Final action by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council based on the BiOp is scheduled for early October. The NMFS is requesting comments on the draft BiOp up to 21 September 2001, and the BiOp and various supporting documents can be viewed at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/biop2002/draft.htm. The related draft Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures, for which comments are requested up to 15 October 2001, is available at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/seis/sslpm/default.htm.

An additional document, the 106pp report "A Review of Proposed Fishery Management Actions and the Decline of Steller Sea Lions, Eumetopias jubatus, in Alaska" has also been released by the Alaska Steller Sea Lion Restoration Team, set up by the Governor of Alaska in September 2000. The report is available at http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/rir/5j01-04/5J01-04.pdf (800k). In the meantime, it has been announced that three independent experts have been appointed to work with Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. as part of the Marine Stewardship Council's "sustainable fishery" certification process for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska pollock fisheries. The At-Sea Processors Association applied for certification in January. (Sources: FIS - 8 Aug, 20 Aug 2001; WorldCatch - 27 Jul, 21 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Sea lion births prove importance of proposed Australian fish farm site - The organisation Friends of Sceale Bay revealed on 13 August that, on the previous day, state and federal scientists had counted 100 Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) and 40 New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) at Cape Blanche, South Australia, 3 km away from a proposed fish farm site. More importantly however, they also recorded at least 5 newborn Australian sea lion pups suckling off their mothers next to afterbirth tissue, thus confirming the site as a pupping site for the species. Grant Hobson of Friends of Sceale Bay said that this provided an even stronger reason for the fish farm development not to go ahead. The proposal for the fish farm, which is being considered by the State's Development Assessment Commission, was declared a "controlled action" on 6 July by the federal Environment Minister Robert Hill under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Environment Australia is currently waiting for species impact information from the developer as part of the process. For more information, contact Tony Flaherty of the Marine & Coastal Community Network at mccnsa@senet.com.au. For previous news, see News Digest, 6 July 2001. (Sources: ABC - 16 Aug 2001; Friends of Sceale Bay - 13 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Further high-level seal mortality observed in Caspian Sea - A high-level mortality of Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) has again been observed in the Caspian Sea this year, although the parameters of the mortality appear to be different from the mass mortality last year when canine distemper virus (CDV) was identified as the principle cause (see News Digest, 2 November 2000). An increased mortality rate for the species was observed in May-June, appearing to be localised in Azerbaijan. Scientists from the Caspian Environment Programme's Ecotoxicology Project (ECOTOX) travelled to Azerbaijan at the end of June to take samples from dead seals and to make health assessments of live seals. The cause of the mortalities has not yet been identified and the samples are currently being analysed by international laboratories. For more information, contact Susan Wilson, ECOTOX Seal Team Leader, at suewilson@marinelife.demon.co.uk. (Source: Susan Wilson [pers. comm.] - Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Wildlife put at risk by diesel spill in Prince William Sound - Authorities were worried about the effects on wildlife after a 55m fishing vessel hit a rock ledge and sank in Alaska's Prince William Sound on 4 August, leaking about 130,000 litres of diesel fuel into the Sound. On 7 July it was reported that workers had spotted endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) swimming through the diesel, which by 7 August had spread to cover almost 100 square kilometres of the northern Sound, an area rich with wildlife. A cleanup operation was immediately launched by the authorities and seven oiled birds were recovered. It is not yet known what effects the spill had on the area's pinnipeds and officials were continuing to monitor shorelines and wildlife. The spill is the largest in the Sound since the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 7 Aug 2001; FIS - 7 Aug 2001; Reuters - 7 Aug, 9 Aug 2001; San Francisco Chronicle - 7 Aug 2001; USA Today - 7 Aug 2001; WorldCatch - 7 Aug, 10 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Group looks at effects of marine vessel sewage on marine mammals - On 26 August the organisation Oceans Blue Foundation placed a public request for information to assist it in gathering evidence and data on the effects of sewage on marine mammals. The Foundation's research is aimed at allowing it to make recommendations for regulatory action prohibiting the discharge of sewage by recreational boaters, non-pleasure craft and commercial passenger vessels. Areas of interest include the microbiological contamination of marine mammals from human waste discharges, and the effects of sewage-induced algal blooms. For more information, contact the Foundation's Howard Breen at research@oceansblue.org. (Source: MARMAM - 26 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Concern as Hawaiian marine reserve placed under review - The Hawaiian environmental organisation KAHEA expressed great concern when it was revealed in July that the Executive Orders that established the 34 million hectare Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve have been placed under "legal review" by the U.S.'s Bush Administration (see News Digest, 5 February 2001). The Reserve, which was completed in January this year, provides protection for habitat and species, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi), along a 1,930km chain of Hawaiian islands. KAHEA and others have produced a report rebutting the claims by fisheries interests which they say led to the review. The report "A Search for the Truth: Impacts of the Executive Orders Establishing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve in the Context of the "Review"" can be obtained at http://www.kahea.org. KAHEA commented: "We are adamant that any weakening of the Reserve would seriously compromise the minimal protection measures that have been agreed to after significant concessions were made". For more information, contact Cha Smith, KAHEA, at kahea-alliance@hawaii.rr.com. (Sources: KAHEA - 23 Jul, 26 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Finland establishes grey seal protected areas - The Finnish government decided on 9 August to establish seven large protected areas for grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), covering the species' most important haulouts on rocky islets around the Finnish coast from the middle of the Gulf of Finland up to the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia. The decision comes after many years of campaigning by WWF Finland and others to have the government designate protected areas to protect the species. Designation will create a 900m buffer zone around the core haulouts which is fully protected year-round, activities such as boating, fishing, and landing on to the islets being forbidden. Disturbance will be prohibited from February to June in other parts of the protected areas, although there are some exceptions to the rule, e.g. for professional fishermen. Hunting will be prohibited in the entire protected area. For more information, contact WWF Finland's Anita Mäkinen at anita.makinen@wwf.fi. (Source: WWF - 15 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Proposed seal protected areas added to in Scotland - Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) announced on 6 August that, after representations from organisations and the public, the Scottish Executive has decided to submit the South East Islay Skerries site to the European Commission as a candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive (see News Digest, 7 October 1999). The site, in the west of Scotland, is being proposed due to its importance for harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina). SNH also announced at the same time that the Dornoch Firth and Morrich More site in Scotland's Highland region was submitted to the Commission on 20 July as a candidate SAC and that harbour seals have been added as one of the site's special interests. For more information, contact Sandy MacLennan, SNH Natura Project Manager, at sandy.maclennan@snh.gov.uk. (Sources: SNH - 6 Aug, 7 Aug, 9 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Climate change poses threat to Saimaa seals - The organisation WWF warned on 25 July that global warming poses a new threat to Saimaa seals (Phoca hispida saimensis), a subspecies of ringed seal found only in Finland's Lake Saimaa, and of which there are only 250 individuals left. Saimaa seals normally give birth in February and suckle their young in lairs constructed in snow-drifts on the ice which provide protection against cold weather and predators. However, more unpredictable and warmer weather this year resulted in less snow and the species faced problems as a result, being unable to construct lairs or having their lairs melt and collapse. WWF warned that a repeat of such warmer weather in future winters could have disastrous consequences for the survival of the population, and urged governments to swiftly ratify the Kyoto Protocol in order to combat global warming. For more information, contact WWF Finland's Anita Mäkinen at anita.makinen@wwf.fi. (Source: WWF - 25 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Galápagos Marine Reserve recommended as World Heritage Site - Ecuador's Minister of the Environment, Lourdes Luque de Jaramillo, is preparing for the likely declaration of the country's Galápagos Marine Reserve as a UNESCO World Heritage Site after the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee recommended its listing at a meeting in June. Designation of the Reserve, which consists of a 40 nautical mile zone around the islands, would afford greater protection for the important species found there, including the Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) and the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis). The decision comes as marine poaching activity in the area is on the rise. The final decision on the listing, the Galápagos Islands themselves having been listed as a World Heritage Site in 1978, will be made at the Committee's next meeting in Helsinki on 11-16 December. Paul Watson, President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which has been helping to patrol Galápagos waters in the "Sirenian", commented "We hope that this decision also brings heightened awareness from the international community that the Galápagos need protection from political and economic interests that have been largely blind to the preservation of this rich habitat." For more information, contact Paola Díaz, Charles Darwin Research Station, at infocdrs@fcdarwin.org.ec. (Sources: ENS - 11 Jul 2001; Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - 9 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Deepening Port Phillip Bay in Australia may affect marine mammals - It was reported on 24 August that conservationists are concerned that dredging or explosives which could be used to deepen the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, may pose significant environmental risks to the area's marine mammals. In particular, groups are pointing out that Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and dolphin colonies in a proposed Port Phillip Heads marine park could be at risk. The Victorian Channels Authority, which is conducting feasibility studies into the operation, said that it was aware of the significant environmental issues surrounding the project and was about to begin a community consultation programme. It has not however ruled out the use of explosives. The entrance to the bay needs to be deepened to accommodate larger ships. A preliminary report will be handed to the government in October with a view to completing the project in 2004. For more information, contact the Dolphin Research Institute through http://www.dolphinresearch.org.au. (Source: Melbourne Age - 24 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Organisation calls for a cap on Antarctic tourism - The organisation Antarctic and Southern Oceans Coalition (ASOC) called for a cap on the number of annual tourists to Antarctica at the 14th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July, after warnings that there may be a rapid expansion in tourism there over the next few years. ASOC suggested that the cap could be applied for a fixed period e.g. 20 years, and that it should also include constraints on activities, sites visited, and transportation methods. The concerns came as the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) decided to relax its eligibility for membership and allow member vessels to carry an unlimited number of passengers. IAATO is predicting that the number of Antarctic tourists will more than double from nearly 14,000 in 2000-1 to 30,000 by 2005-6. One IAATO member said "In my personal opinion we're on the hinge of large scale entrepreneurial money coming into the industry". For more information, contact Beth Clark, The Antarctica Project, at antarctica@igc.org. (Sources: Antarctican - 26 Jun, 10 Jul, 16 Jul 2001; ASOC - Jul 2001; ECO - 9-20 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Concerns over electrical link across Bass Strait, Australia - Karen Evans of the University of Tasmania placed a public request for information on 8 August regarding the potential effects of government plans to lay a high voltage (HVDC) cable on the sea-bed between Victoria and Tasmania. There are concerns regarding the impact of emissions from the cable on the marine environment, including the release of electrolysis chemicals, the generation of an electrical field around the cable which includes stray current "extending 100-150 kilometres from each HVDC electrode", the creation of a magnetic field by the cable, and the dissipation of heat into the environment. Bass Strait is home to a number of Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) colonies and frequented by New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri). The company involved has produced a draft "Integrated Impact Assessment Statement" (IIAS). For more information, contact Karen Evans at evansk@utas.edu.au. (Source: MARMAM - 8 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Seals on "fast-track" diet monitored after release in Northern Ireland - Two six-week old 21kg harbour seal pups (Phoca vitulina vitulina), "Rona" and "Star", took part in innovative research in Northern Ireland when they were released at Ballykinler, County Down, on 14 August. Both seals had been found as motherless newly-born 7kg pups on 2-3 July and taken to the Tara Seal Research Centre in Portaferry where they were fed a special high-fat liquid diet containing animal milk substitute, salmon oil, digestive enzymes, mackerel and lecithin. Their rehabilitation is a continuation of ongoing research by the Centre's Dr. Susan Wilson to develop a liquid diet which will approximate as closely as possible harbour seal mothers' milk in the wild, thus allowing the pups to gain weight at similar rates to wild pups. This "fast-track" method allows rehabilitated pups to rejoin other weaned seal pups in the wild at the time when they gather together to socialise and learn to feed for themselves. Both seal pups were fitted with radio-tags and will be tracked over the next few months to confirm that they are foraging naturally in the wild. Early reports confirm that both pups are doing well. For more information, contact Susan Wilson at suewilson@marinelife.demon.co.uk. (Sources: Irish News - 16 Aug 2001; Tara Seal Research Centre - 14 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Wandering hooded seals found in Caribbean - A remarkable total of seven hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) were sighted or found stranded in the Caribbean region between 20 July and 12 August. Three of these, in Bermuda, St. Barthélémy (north Guadeloupe), and Anguilla, were rescued but died in care, while one was sighted at San Salvador Island, Bahamas, but then found dead on shore. Another seal has been sighted twice at the Providenciales Islands, Turks and Caicos. The remaining two were rescued and are currently undergoing rehabilitation on Puerto Rico, one of them a female named "Iranú" having been found on the island and the other, a male named "Wadadli", having been found on Antigua. It is not yet known why so many hooded seals, an Arctic species, have been found so far south this year, and the Caribbean Stranding Network is coordinating documentation of these sightings and strandings, including necropsies. Scientists are already investigating the stranding of an increasing number of young hooded seals along the U.S. Atlantic coast this year. For more information, contact Antonio Mignucci-Giannoni, Caribbean Stranding Network, at mignucci@caribe.net. (Sources: Antonio Mignucci-Giannoni [pers. comm.] - Jul / Aug 2001; MARMAM - 23 Jul, 14 Aug 2001; Sami Hassani [pers. comm.] - Aug 2001; Washington Post - 14 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Subantarctic fur seals cause stir on Indian Ocean islands - Wandering Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis) caused some excitement when they turned up outside their normal range in July and August. The first of the seals was observed on 11 July on the island of Rodrigues, 650km northeast of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, on one of the island's beaches. It was then spotted again on a different part of the island the next day and fortunately two fishermen who captured it in a basket were persuaded to return it to the lagoon. The seal, which became a local celebrity, seemed to be in good condition and was described as playful and inquisitive. It made its way out to sea on 12 July and has not been seen since. For more information, contact Leonie Salmon, Shoals of Capricorn Programme, at shoals.rod@intnet.mu.

Two Subantarctic fur seals were later found on the island of Mauritius, one of them on 31 July. Both were captured and taken for rehabilitation to the Mauritian Wild Life Foundation's Sanctuary at Rivière Noire, the sanctuary reporting that one of the seals appeared healthy but that the other one had a wound on its back and was being treated with antibiotics. Due to the lack of facilities on the island to treat the seals, it was decided to transfer them to the East London Aquarium in South Africa. It was reported on 17 August that the injured seal had died, but the remaining one was expected to arrive in South Africa on 24 August. It is not yet known whether the seal observed on Rodrigues was one of those later found on Mauritius. For more information, contact Isabelle Lenoir of the Mauritian Wild Life Sanctuary at mwfbriver@intnet.mu, and Willie Maritz of the East London Aquarium at fela@iafrica.com. (Sources: East Cape Weekend - 18 Aug 2001; Jeremy David [pers. comm.] - Jul 2001; J.I.M. Mosaheb / Noel Wan Sai Cheong [pers. comm.] - Aug 2001; Leonie Salmon [pers. comm.] - Jul-Aug 2001; Mike Meyer [pers. comm.] - Jul-Aug 2001; Willie Maritz [pers. comm.] - Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Two Arctic seals found in British waters - A four-month-old female hooded seal pup (Cystophora cristata) named "T Rex" was released back into the wild off the Scottish island of Orkney on 12 August after having been transported there from Wales, where she had been rescued after coming ashore on a popular holiday beach three weeks earlier. In a carefully planned operation, the seal was transported north by Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR), who had taken care of her in Milford Haven, Wales, and then taken across from the Scottish mainland to Orkney by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). The seal then spent the night at Orkney Seal Rescue before being released on an Orkney beach the next morning. BDMLR's Alistair Jack said "We've given her every chance to get home - now it's up to her to find her way back to the Arctic". It is thought to have been the first time that a hooded seal has been found in Wales. For more information, contact WMLR's Terry Leadbetter at Trr.WMLR@tesco.net. (Sources: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 6 Aug, 13 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

In the meantime, it was reported on 30 July that an Arctic ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida) had been observed at Cullivoe, Yell, in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, only the second record of the species in the islands. The only other definite record was a ringed seal shot on Whalsay in 1968. (Source: Shetland Wildlife News - 30 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Irish sanctuary develops new rehabilitation pool - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) announced earlier this year that it has built a newly-designed seal rehabilitation pool called "Loch Emma", intended to be both flexible and cost-effective. The pool is made of flexible liner, enabling any shape of pool to be built and has a specially-designed physical and biological filtration system. The ISS intends to build another 6-8 of the pools once it has moved to a new site. Loch Emma measures approximately 25m x 7.5m x 1.5m. For more information, contact the ISS's Brendan Price at flanagan@indigo.ie, and see http://www.wildireland.ie/irishsealsanctuary/html/lemma.htm. (Source: ISS - 20 Apr 2001) (3 September 2001)

South African rehabilitator concerned at current seal rehabilitation regime - The seal rehabilitator Francois Hugo of Seal Alert SA in Cape Town called on 4 August for a public workshop to be convened to look at the "crisis in seal welfare". The call came after concerns were raised by Seal Alert SA and the Wildlife Action Group about the treatment of a South African fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) rescued by the authorities on 18-19 July. Seal Alert SA is urging that a proper seal rehabilitation facility be set up in the region. For more information, contact Francois Hugo at sasealion@wam.co.za and Sherryn Thompson, Wildlife Action Group, at sherryn@mweb.co.za.(Sources: Seal Alert SA - 18 Jul, 4 Aug, 12 Aug, 19 Aug 2001; Wildlife Action Group - 19 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Seal rescued from salmon fishing river by "Wimbledon" net - The organisation Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR) came to the aid of a grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) named "Sammy" when it rescued the seal from the river Teifi in Cenarth, Wales. The seal had found its way 15km up the river to Cenarth the previous October, but locals were becoming concerned that, despite having become a local attraction, the seal was at risk of being shot by fishermen as two fish runs were about to start. After three failed attempts to catch Sammy in the fast-flowing and awkwardly contoured river, WMLR ordered a specially designed net from the same company that makes nets for Wimbledon and Lords cricket ground. The net, measuring 27m by 21m, was a success and Sammy was eventually caught and released back into the sea on 12 June. For more information, contact WMLR's Terry Leadbetter at Trr.WMLR@tesco.net. (Source: WMLR - 19 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Trapped seal rescued from Canadian pond - On 10 July, a harbour seal pup (Phoca vitulina concolor) that had been trapped for around five days in a duck pond in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, was rescued and re-released into Halifax Harbour by Department of Fisheries and Oceans official Jerry Conway. The seal is believed to have made its way into the pond down a canal system and it had become a local celebrity over the previous days. More than 100 people had watched on 9 July as city crews armed with a crane used a blowtorch to cut two bars off a metal grate at the edge of the pond to give the pup a path to freedom, but it had refused to go. The seal was reported to have been in good health during its stay in the pond, about 2 km away from the ocean. For more information, contact Jerry Conway at ConwayJ@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. (Sources: CP - 10 Jul 2001; Halifax Daily News - 9 Jul, 10 Jul, 11 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Rehabilitation centre uses satellite tags as part of educational programme - The Alaska SeaLife Center revealed on 9 July that Sadie, a male Arctic ringed seal pup (Phoca hispida hispida) which it had rehabilitated and which it planned to release on 11 July, was the first of four seals to which it planned to attach satellite tags this year as part of an educational outreach programme. The use of the tags is being funded as part of Project MASTER and will allow school groups and visitors to the Center to follow the seals through a variety of internet-based lessons on natural history, marine ecology, mathematics, social studies, and geography. The information generated by the tags will track the seals' locations and dive behaviour, providing post-release survival information and basic biological data. For more information, contact Natalie Noll at natalie_noll@alaskasealife.org. (Source: Alaska SeaLife Center - 9 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

U.S. west coast rehabilitation centre celebrates 30 years - The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center (FSLMMC), based at Laguna Beach, California, is celebrating 30 years of rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals ever since its co-founder Jim Stauffer, a Newport Beach lifeguard, rescued a sick seal in the spring of 1971. To read more about the activities of the Center, the first rehabilitation centre for seals and sea lions in California, over the last 30 years and to download a .pdf version of the Center's Anniversary Newsletter visit http://www.fslmmc.org/news.html. For more information, contact the Center's Michele Hunter at info@fslmmc.org. (Source: FSLMMC - Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Hawaiian monk seal gives birth again on Kauai beach - A lone endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) returned to Poipu beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai this summer to give birth for the second year in succession (see News Digest, 28 August 2000). The authorities closed the entire beach, recently voted the best beach in the U.S., to minimise disturbance to mother and pup. Despite some complaints from members of the public, locals and tourists have taken delight in being able to view the seals during the six week period that they are on the beach until the pup is weaned. There has unfortunately been some conflict between state and federal officials, and allied groups, as to how exactly the two seals should be protected. For more information, contact Barbara Frazier, Kauai Monk Seal Watch Program, at frazier@hawaiian.net. (Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 27 Aug 2001; Nando Times - 26 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Kayak-loving seal causes nuisance in Alaska - "Skippy", the 2-year-old female harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) with a fixation for kayaks, has been causing a nuisance again this summer by pestering kayakers around Seward, Alaska. Skippy seems to have developed her fixation after having spent four days in a kayak when mistakenly rescued as a week-old pup two years ago by a kayaker in Southeast Alaska (see News Digest, 2 November 2000). Natalie Noll, Rehabilitation Coordinator at the Alaska SeaLife Center said "She sees (a kayak) as a haul-out area, just as she does a rock". Skippy was observed hauled out around Seward's city parks in the second week of July but it is thought that she had come ashore on at least one of the occasions in order to stay away from a couple of predatory Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) swimming nearby. Staff from the Center picked her up on 11 July, confirmed that she was in good health, and said that they planned to re-release her at a remote spot well away from people, and especially kayaks. For more information, contact Natalie Noll at natalie_noll@alaskasealife.org. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 14 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Seals attack swimmers off Texada Island, British Columbia - At least two swimmers have been attacked this summer by seals off the Canadian island of Texada, a popular holiday destination. In one episode a seal bit a 16-year-old boy and dragged him underwater, shaking him before releasing him. The boy made it back to shore uninjured but very shaken. Ten days later a woman was sitting in a kayak near the shore when a harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) tipped her boat and latched onto her arm, pulling her under. Apart from a puncture of the skin on her left arm she was uninjured. The father of the boy in the first incident said that he believes the seals just want to play and said "The other thing we need to remember, though, is that they were here long before we showed up. This is their home." Locals say that a total of six swimmers have had such close encounters with the seals over the past two years, and one official urged people to be careful around the seals and to treat them as they would do wolves or bears on land. However one resident was quoted as saying "It's been going on for years and it's time to start doing something with the seals." (Source: CP - 19 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Reaction to nosey seal causes near-accident in Scotland - An over-inquisitive seal led to a lifeboat being launched near Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, when it went up close to a 7-year-old boy who was paddling about 30m offshore in a kayak, surprising the boy so much that he lost his paddle. As the wind threatened to blow the kayak out to sea, an onlooker eventually managed to rescue the boy, who wasn't wearing a life jacket, after his father had previously developed cramp in an attempt to swim out to him. (Source: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 7 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Study shows pinnipeds use sensitive whiskers to track fish - Scientists have discovered that pinnipeds use their highly sensitive whiskers to detect minuscule vibrations in the trails of swimming fish, and say that it is the first time that an animal has been shown to hunt in this way. This may explain how pinnipeds can catch food in dark or murky waters. The work was carried out by a team of German scientists using two blindfolded captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) who followed a miniature submarine simulating the trail made by a swimming fish. Reporting their results in the journal Science on 6 July, the team wrote "These tests show that trail-following is only possible with unimpaired whiskers and is based on the detection and analysis of hydrodynamic information". The scientists believe that pinnipeds might be able to detect the water movements left by a swimming herring from more than 180m away. (Sources: AP - 5 Jul 2001; BBC - 5 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Sea lions and dolphins found cooperatively feeding in Peru - Naturalists in Peru reported during the summer that they have observed 8 South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and 6 bottlenose dolphins working together to kill and eat a school of fish on the coast south of Lima. First, the dolphins located and surrounded the school of fish, followed by the sea lions. The dolphins then moved into the school, two at a time, and hit the fish with their flukes to kill them. Next, the sea lions dived down to eat some of the killed fish then returned to surround the school while the dolphins went in to eat. This continuous cycle of behaviour lasted for three hours, taking place just 50m away from the shore. It is speculated that this cooperative behaviour may be one means by which both species are countering reduced food availability. (Source: Society for Marine Mammalogy Newsletter - Summer 2001) (3 September 2001)

Research shows Steller sea lions appear to prefer herring to pollock - A study published in the 28 June issue of Nature concludes that endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) appear to prefer eating herring rather than the more abundant pollock. The study by Gary Thomas and Richard Thorne of the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova, Alaska, combined sonar surveys of Pacific herring and walleye pollock with infrared scanning of foraging Steller sea lions during March 2000 in Prince William Sound. Despite the much greater abundance of pollock, the study revealed that foraging by the sea lions was exclusively on herring and conducted only at night. "Our results indicate that the dependence of Steller sea lions on herring as prey has been underestimated", the article concluded. The results of the study may have an impact on the current conservation strategy for the species. (Source: ENS - 9 Jul 2001; New York Times - 3 Jul 2001; SeaWeb Ocean Update - Aug 2001; WorldCatch - 7 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Sea lion dies in Chinese aquarium when operation goes wrong - A 12-year-old male sea lion named "Liberty" died on 20 August at the Ocean Park theme park, Hong Kong, one hour after an operation to remove an infected tooth. It was reported that his death was due to complications from the anaesthetic. Liberty, born at the theme park, had suffered a bacterial infection inside a tooth since 1997 and had been receiving antibiotics during that period. The decision to operate was finally taken after the sea lion began to refuse to eat when he was in pain. Two other sea lions at the park also had teeth extracted by the same dental surgeon, invited over from Australia. (Source: South China Morning Post - 24 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Canadian government to help develop rules on captive marine mammals - The Canadian federal Fisheries Minister, Herb Dhaliwal, announced on 24 July that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) will coordinate the development and implementation of standards for the care and maintenance of marine mammals in Canadian zoos and aquaria, in cooperation with the Canadian Council on Animal Care and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The move follows the DFO's release of a report by the marine mammal scientist Dr. Jon Lien, commissioned by the department, which reviews the live capture and captivity of marine mammals in Canada and which was submitted to the DFO in April 1999. Mr. Dhaliwal said that he hoped to receive the interim guidelines in 2002 and have the final guidelines in place within 2 years. The care and maintenance of marine mammals in zoos and aquaria in Canada falls under provincial jurisdiction so the standards will be voluntary unless specific legislation is passed by the provincial governments. For more information, including Dr. Lien's Report, see http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/communic/lien/index_e.htm. (Sources: DFO - 24 Jul 2001; Toronto Star - 25 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Captivity Briefs ...
The organisation Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS) has launched a web page "Captive Clowns" which looks at the issue of the keeping of pinnipeds in captivity, particularly California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus). The web page, which looks at sea lions in zoos, safari parks and in circuses, and contrasts these with sea lions in the wild, can be found at http://www.caps-uk.dircon.co.uk/zoos/sealions.htm. For more information, contact CAPS' Diane Westwood at caps-uk@dircon.co.uk. (Source: CAPS - Jun 2001) (3 September 2001)

For the first time in 45 years, Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, did not put on a "Sparky the Sea Lion" show this summer after the retirement of the fifth Sparky to fill the role, aged 22 years and now with failing eyesight. However the Zoo is now training a new replacement "Sealia", an 11-year-old female California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) born at the zoo, and it intends to resume the shows in 2002. Sealia will be taught actions such as balancing a ball on her nose, clapping her flippers and honking at her trainers. (Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune - 16 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Historic overfishing led to today's oceans problems, study says - Drawing on paleoecological, archaeological and historical data from four continents, a team of researchers convened at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara, California, USA, has found that overfishing and hunting through the ages is the cause of many of the problems facing coastal ecosystems today. The scientists linked the ecological extinctions of marine fauna, including marine mammals, to overfishing at a global scale never before realised. Excessive hunting of marine mammals, turtles and fish beginning thousands of years ago, they found, upset delicate webs of life, unleashing population explosions of opportunist species and lethal epidemics against less fortunate ones. The study appeared in the 27 July issue of Science (vol. 293, p629). (Sources: ABC - 27 Jul 2001; BBC - 27 Jul 2001; CNN - 26 Jul 2001; ENN - 27 Jul, 10 Aug 2001; London Times - 27 Jul 2001; New Scientist - 4 Aug 2001; San Francisco Chronicle - 26 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

News in Brief ...

United Nations scientists are warning that the El Niño phenomenon will return next year, although the forecast is for a much weaker event than in 1997-98. (Source: BBC - 29 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

U.S. Representative Sam Farr introduced The Fisheries Recovery Act of 2001 on 19 July, a bill intended to make the primary goal of U.S. fishing regulation the conservation of ocean resources. (Source: ENS - 19 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

The Seafood Choice Alliance, a new consumer awareness group for sustainable fisheries funded by SeaWeb, was launched in New York, USA, on 7 June. (Source: FIS - 16 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

The U.S. Navy may seek general exemption from compliance with several environmental laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Marine Sanctuaries Act. (Sources: ENS - 23 Aug 2001; WorldCatch - 22 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Sea Shepherd Brazil has been training volunteers along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul in how to rescue marine wildlife in the event of an oil spill, and hopes to extend the programme to neighbouring states. For more information, contact Sea Shepherd Brazil at seashepherd@terra.com.br. (Source: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - 29 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Several Argentinean non-governmental organisations have drafted an agenda to conserve Argentina's natural heritage. The organisations are hoping that the agenda will be adopted by the government as the Argentine national biodiversity strategy. (Source: ENS - 10 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Meetings ...
The U.K.-based Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is hosting Oceans 2001, a conference focusing on marine life and some of the threats that it faces, on 20 October 2001 in Southampton, England. Speakers include representatives from the fields of marine biology and conservation, and the conference includes presentations, talks and footage from the BBC team involved in the making of the "Blue Planet" series. For more information, contact the MCS at info@mcsuk.org or see http://www.mcsuk.org/action/Oceans2001.html. (3 September 2001)

WWF-UK is organising an Oceans Recovery Summit to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 23 October 2001 as part of its Oceans Recovery Campaign. The Summit will launch the "Edinburgh Declaration on Oceans Recovery" in which representatives from the corporate sector, national and local governments, scientists, academics, other NGOs and industry bodies will publicly commit to oceans recovery. For more information, contact WWF-UK's Matthew Davis at mdavis@wwf.org.uk. (3 September 2001)

There is to be a special session on Acoustics and Marine Mammals on 5-6 December 2001 as part of the meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. For more information on the session, which will discuss the interaction between marine mammals and the acoustics in their environment, contact the ASA's Charles Schmid at charles@aip.org. (3 September 2001)

A two-day workshop on Marine Tourism in Bass Strait is to be held on Flinders Island, Australia, from 6-7 December 2001. The workshop will look at the benefits and issues associated with marine tourism in the Strait, and aims to include commercial nature- or eco-tourism operators from Victoria and Tasmania, environmental groups and government agencies. For more information, contact Christian Bell of Marine & Coastal Community Network, co-organisers of the workshop, at mccntas@ozemail.com.au. (3 September 2001)

The World Congress on Aquatic Protected Areas is due to take place from 14-17 August 2002 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, in conjunction with the 31st Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology. Congress themes include such topics as "Success factors in the implementation and management of Aquatic Protected Areas". For more information, e-mail apa2002@ozaccom.com.au or see http://www.ozaccom.com.au/apa2002/index.htm. (3 September 2001)

The organisation Defenders of Wildlife is holding the conference Carnivores 2002. From the Mountains to the Sea: A conference on carnivore biology and conservation in Monterey, California, USA, from 17-20 November 2002. For more information on the conference, which will bring together top scientists, natural resource agency personnel, educators and advocates, see http://www.defenders.org/carnivores2002/. (3 September 2001)

Resources ...
The Second Edition of the CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine has been published by CRC Press (ISBN: 0-8493-0839-9). Edited by Leslie Dierauf and Frances Gulland, the 1120 page publication contains all the latest developments in the areas of medicine, surgery, physiology, feeding and housing, husbandry, strandings and rehabilitation of marine mammals. For more information, see online book stores or contact The Marine Mammal Center at com@tmmc.org. (3 September 2001)

The 2000 Report of the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)'s Special Committee on Seals (SCOS) is available on-line (Ref: SCS 00/2). The report, Scientific Advice on Matters Related to the Management of Seal Populations: 2000, provides the latest scientific information on seals in U.K. waters, including numbers, distribution, and interactions with fisheries. It can be downloaded from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/environment/seals/. (3 September 2001)

Features ... - The following pinniped-related feature articles have recently appeared in the media:

Oceans policy commission takes to Alaska's sea ... [Pew Oceans Commission and U.S. ocean policies] (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 14 Aug 2001; WorldCatch - 27 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Steller sea lions beleaguered by salmon farmers and commercial fisheries [Threats caused by fisheries interactions to Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in British Columbia, Canada] (ENN - 21 Aug 2001) (3 September 2001)

Survey could show booming seal population [Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) in Maine, USA] (Bangor Daily News - 30 Jul 2001) (3 September 2001)

Sweden approves grey seal hunt - It was reported on 26 June that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an annual hunt for 180 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea after commercial fishermen complained that the seals were damaging their nets and eating too many fish. This year's hunt will start in September and end by 31 December, and next year's hunt is to take place from 1 May to 31 December. A representative of EPA argued that "the fishermen must be able to protect themselves" and that seals were responsible for US$3.7 million in damages to the coastal fishing industry last year.

The decision met with immediate protests from environmental and animal welfare groups such as WWF Sweden and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC). WWF Sweden countered the EPA's decision by saying that it went against international agreements currently implemented within the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), that the shooting of seals in water is inhumane, and that hunting may endanger the recovery of the Baltic grey seal population. Grey seals in the Baltic Sea are still adversely affected by problems such as high levels of environmental pollutants, disease, and entanglement in fishing gear. WWF Sweden said that it believes that the main way to reduce conflicts between seals and fishermen is to develop seal-proof fishing gear and methods, and to give fishermen generous economic compensation for losses due to seal predation on catches. For more information, contact WWF Sweden's Thomas Lyrholm at thomas.lyrholm@wwf.se or SSNC's Klas Hjelm at klas.hjelm@snf.se. (Sources: AP - 26 Jun 2001; SSNC [Personal Communication] - 2 Jul 2001; WWF Sweden [Personal Communication] - 2 Jul 2001) (6 July 2001)

Cruelty witnessed in Canadian seal hunt - Using video footage taken during the 2001 Canadian east coast hunt for harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) accused the Canadian government on 28 May of turning a blind eye to horrific and illegal animal abuse during the hunt. The video footage included 260 violations of Canadian law, including 73 instances of hooking, bleeding or skinning a live seal; 76 instances of shooting a seal and leaving it to suffer for a prolonged period; and 54 instances of clubbing seals with implements not allowed by law. Similar illegal acts were also recorded during the 1998, 1999 and 2000 hunts but no charges have ever arisen from these. IFAW Director Rick Smith commented "This year we've seen more violations than ever, because sealers know they have nothing to worry about ... Government fisheries staff are so intent defending the seal hunt, they can't admit there is chronic and widespread cruelty". The Canadian government is currently reviewing the Marine Mammal Regulations, which include animal welfare issues.

Earlier in the hunt, a report produced by a team of 5 international veterinarians, invited by IFAW to observe the hunt and to carry out post-mortems on seals, found "considerable and unacceptable suffering", as many as 42% of seals killed during their survey likely being alive and conscious when they were hooked, dragged and skinned. The report, produced on 30 March, stated "It is quite clear from our personal observations that the present seal hunt fails to comply with ... basic animal welfare regulations in every aspect". The report is available at http://www.canadasealhunt.ca/news/Vetreport.PDF (108Kb). Following the publication of the report, Canadian animal welfare organisations joined in asking the federal Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal to revise the Marine Mammal Regulations to require the humane killing of all seals. The Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association (CVMA), whose support for the hunt has previously been used by the government and sealers to argue that the hunt is humane, was also reported to have contacted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to demand that it stop citing the CVMA's support in media interviews and on its web site.

On 3 July it was reported that the hunt itself had been extended to 14 July, hunting still taking place off Labrador, and that an estimated 210,000 harp seals and 60 hooded seals had been killed so far. The reason given for the extension of the hunt was that thick ice earlier in the season had prevented small boats from sealing. More sealers have been reported as having taken part in this year's hunt, seal pelts fetching an average of CAN$30-40, up from CAN$13 in 2000. Tina Fagan of the Seal Industry Development Council said that her office had received expressions of interest in seal products from Turkey, Israel and Greece, while she understood that seal was now being sold in Germany once again. Fagan commented that this was the second year running in which seal fur had been shown on the Paris catwalks, and that four companies in Newfoundland were now putting seal oil into capsules for use as health foods. For more information, see http://www.canadasealhunt.ca, contact IFAW at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org or contact CFHS at cfhs@storm.ca.

(Sources: BBC - 30 May 2001; Boston Globe - 22 Mar 2001; Cape Town Argus - 8 Apr 2001; CBC - 29 May 2001; CBN-AM - 30 Mar, 17 May 2001; CFHS - 2 Apr 2001; Charlottetown Guardian - 9 Apr 2001; CP - 27 Mar, 28 May 2001; FIS - 11 May 2001; IFAW - 30 Mar, 28 May 2001; International Marine Mammal Association [Personal Communication] - 3 Jul 2001; London Guardian - 7 Apr 2001; National Geographic News - 31 May 2001; New Scientist - 14 Apr 2001; St. John's Evening Telegram - 18 Mar, 4 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Newfoundland government recommends cull of 4 million seals - The organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has criticised a Newfoundland government report that recommended killing up to 4 million harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) on the east coast of Canada as "obscene". The estimated size of the species' Northwest Atlantic population is 5.2 million. IFAW said that the recommendation would tarnish the international image of all Canadians, IFAW Director Rick Smith commenting "This isn't a call for population control - it's a call for the liquidation of a species". The report, issued in May, rationalised its recommendation by claiming that harp seal predation is hindering the recovery of northern cod stocks.

On 24 May the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (FRCC) also included in its annual advice to the federal Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal the recommendation that "seal exclusion zones", in which harp seals would be killed, be immediately established to aid the recovery of northern cod. The FRCC's Fred Woodman said "We're not advocating a seal cull. But the seals must be reduced and reduced quickly". For more information, see http://www.canadasealhunt.ca or contact IFAW at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org. (Sources: CBC - 24 May 2001; CBN-AM - 15 May, 17 May 2001; FIS - 29 May 2001; IFAW - 18 May 2001; Reuters - 21 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Study shows subsidies keep Canadian hunt afloat - A study carried out on behalf of the organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has concluded that the Canadian east coast hunt for harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) could barely survive without public funding. The study, released in June, found 38 subsidies from federal and provincial programmes granted between 1995 and 2001 totalled CAN$20.5 million, close to CAN$3 million a year. The sealing industry generates an average of only CAN$6 million a year to sealers and processors. The report's author, Gary Gallon of the Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment, said that the true level of subsidies could be much larger because the government did not make all of the information available, and that it is not clear that the industry could survive without government subsidies. The seal hunt represents less than 0.6% of Newfoundland and Labrador's economy and provides the equivalent of only 50 person-years of employment.

For more information, see http://www.canadasealhunt.ca or contact IFAW at canadasealhunt@ifaw.org. The report is available at http://www.canadasealhunt.ca/news/final.pdf (169Kb), the report's Appendix at http://www.canadasealhunt.ca/news/appendx.pdf (31Kb) and the report's Summary at http://www.canadasealhunt.ca/news/execsum.pdf (16Kb). (Sources: CBC - 11 Jun 2001; Ottawa Citizen - 23 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

New Québec seal product venture - It was reported in May that the Gaspesian Association for Seal Industries in Québec, Canada, is to join forces with Neptune Technologies and Bioresources Inc. to develop a seal product factory in the Gaspé Peninsula. Between them they plan to invest between CAN$2-5 million and to process up to 50,000 harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) a year from the east coast Canadian seal hunt. (Source: CJBRT-TV - 28 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Namibian seal hunting season starts early - The Namibian Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Abraham Iyambo, announced at a meeting of fishing industry representatives on 14 June that the hunting season for South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) would be lengthened by one month. Arguing that past experience indicated that the season was not long enough for the hunt concessionaires to fulfil their TACs (quotas), Iyambo said that the season was now to start on 1 July rather than 1 August, and end on 15 November. The Minister also announced that the hunt TACs would now operate on a three-year rolling basis to "hopefully give additional stability to the sealing industry". For more information on the Namibian seal hunt, see http://www.orusovo.com/wildlife/seals.htm, contact the Wildlife Society of Namibia at wildlife_society@yahoo.com, or contact Jason Bell, International Fund for Animal Welfare, at jbell@ifaw.org. (Source: Namibian - 15 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Call for ban on hunting Baikal seals - The environmental group Greenpeace called on 22 May for a ban on commercial hunting and a crackdown on poaching of Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica) in Lake Baikal, Russia, after an expedition survey carried out by the group in April highlighted the effects of hunting on the declining numbers of the species. It is estimated that around 10,000 Baikal seals are caught in nets, clubbed to death or shot each year, and that poachers take three to five times more seals than the seal hunting permit quotas allow. Greenpeace commented "All the conditions are in place to lead to the extinction of the nerpa [the local name of the species] ... hunting, both legal and illegal, is one of the main factors". The April expedition, carried out using motorbikes and a motor-glider on the frozen lake, also reported the seal population to be rapidly ageing as hunters targeted the more lucrative new-born pups. In conjunction with the authorities, expedition members confiscated and released pups that had been captured by poachers, while illegal gear was also confiscated and licences were cancelled due to infringements of hunting rules. For more information, contact Greenpeace Russia's Baikal Campaign at baikal.russia@diala.greenpeace.org. (Sources: BBC - 18 Apr 2001; Greenpeace Russia - 10 Apr, 18 Apr 2001; Melbourne Age - 22 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Renewed calls for a seal cull in Scotland - Fishing groups in Scotland have renewed their calls for a cull of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and/or harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) in Scottish waters, claiming that a cull is necessary to preserve fish stocks. An article on 18 June quoted the Anglo Scottish Fish Producers Organisation and the Anglo Scottish Fishermen's Association as both being in support of a cull. However animal welfare groups are pointing out that scientific evidence does not support a cull, that overfishing is to blame for reduced fish stocks, and that they will vigorously oppose any such move. Their position was backed up earlier on 23 March by the Chairman of a fish processing organisation, the Aberdeen Fish Curers' and Merchant's Association, who blamed overfishing and not seal predation for the crisis facing North Sea fishermen. (Sources: Aberdeen Press and Journal - 18 Jun 2001; FIS - 23 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Inuit seal fur products modelled in Montréal - Vests, coats, jackets, hats, boots and other clothing made from seal skins by the Inuit people of the Canadian territory of Nunavut were modelled at the North American Fur and Fashion Exposition in Montréal from 7-9 May. Nunavut is attempting to develop its fledgling seal skin industry. There were however few orders. Nunavut's Sustainable Development Minister Olayuk Akesuk attended the Exposition in order to lobby for the amendment of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act which prohibits the import of seal products to the United States and which is seen as a major obstacle to the Nunavut seal skin industry. (Sources: Nunatsiaq News - 11 May, 11 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Alaskan fisherman imprisoned for shooting at sea lions - Stanley Roy Pedersen, the Alaskan fisherman found guilty of illegally shooting endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) (see News, 5 February 2001), was sentenced on 5 April to a total of 46 months confinement in a U.S. federal prison. The length of sentence resulted primarily from firearms violations, for which Pederson received a 46 month sentence, a concurrent 12 month sentence being imposed for the "taking" (shooting at or killing) of a sea lion. The judge commented that "This is a case of considerable circumstance considering all the things we are learning about the sea lion." (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 6 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Sea lion found shot dead in Mexico - The bullet-ridden body of a 120kg male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) was found on a beach in the Mexican city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, on 5 June. It is thought that the sea lion may have been used as target-practice, the state of Sinaloa having been plagued by drug-related violence and shootings in recent years. The sea lion was buried on the beach by lifeguards (Source: AP - 5 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Dead seals found washed up in eastern Canada - At least 25 headless seals were reported as having washed up on a beach in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, towards the end of May. The cause of death of the seals is unknown, a representative of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans suggesting that poor ice conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence might be to blame. It was also reported on 12 June that 40 dead seals were found in White Bay in Newfoundland, and that two weeks previously a number of seals had been found dead in the province's Exploits Bay. The earlier deaths were determined as being caused by the seals being crushed in moving ice floes.

A dead seal found near a road in Kelligrews, Newfoundland, in the second week of April, sparked concern among area residents that the animal was shot too close to the community and then left to rot. It is not clear whether the seal was shot where it was found or left on the beach after being shot somewhere else. There are no federal regulations governing where a seal can be killed. (Sources: CP - 24 May 2001; New Glasgow Evening News - 24 May 2001; St. John's Evening Telegram - 15 Apr, 12 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Emergency rules in place to protect Steller sea lions - On 10 June, the start of the Bering Sea pollock fishery in Alaska, the U.S. federal NOAA Fisheries' "Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives" (RPAs) took effect for the fishery in order to protect the rookeries, haulouts and feeding grounds of the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) (see News, 5 February 2001). The RPAs will remain in place until 17 July when a second emergency ruling by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) takes effect, providing less strict restrictions on Alaskan groundfish fisheries. Officially, NOAA Fisheries has not accepted the Council's recommendations for the second emergency rule but it is thought that the recommendations will pass.

Controversy about the effects of groundfish fisheries on Steller sea lions was added to on 7 June when a group of independent scientists, including Don Bowen, Dan Goodman, John Harwood and Gordon Swartzman, produced an interim assessment which concluded "There is great uncertainty about the effects of the groundfish fisheries on Steller sea lions, and the evidence presented so far is almost entirely circumstantial". The scientists, who were contracted by the NPFMC, reviewed the Biological Opinion that was released by NOAA Fisheries in December 2000 and are scheduled to present a final report at the Council's September meeting. A further scientific study on Steller sea lions was published in the 28 June issue of "Nature" indicating that the dependence of the species on herring as prey has been underestimated.

Meanwhile, environmentalists pushing for further protection measures such as lower groundfish catch levels, no trawling within critical habitat, and the setting up of a network of marine reserves were outvoted on a special sea lion committee dominated by representatives of Alaska's groundfish industry at a meeting in Seattle at the end of May. The committee's final report was submitted to the NPFMC to be used in recommending regulations for next year's groundfish fisheries to NOAA Fisheries. Earlier in March it was revealed that a coalition of Alaskan fishing groups has formed a new organisation called the Marine Conservation Alliance in order to counter environmental attacks on the North Pacific fishing industry.

On 23 April NOAA Fisheries announced that the comment period on the Alaska Groundfish Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) was to be extended for a second time, the new closing date being 25 July 2001. The Draft SEIS is available at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/seis/default.htm. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 17 Apr, 9 Jun 2001; FIS - 19 Mar, 28 May, 26 Jun, 2 Jul 2001; NOAA Fisheries - 26 Mar, 23 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Continued concern over hoki fishery certification - The New Zealand Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (RFBPS) challenged the fishing industry on 2 May to bring an end to the drowning of seals in the hoki fishery. The move comes after the New Zealand hoki fishing industry was given a controversial "sustainable fishery" certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) (see News, 19 March 2001). Up to 1,000 New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) are killed by being entangled in hoki fishery trawl nets each year. The Society called for the introduction of new technology in the form of escape devices on the fishery's trawl nets in order to bring about a substantial reduction in seal mortality. Similar devices have been tested on New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) interacting with the southern squid fishery and the Society challenged the industry to trial the escape devices on 100% of nets in the hoki fishery. On 27 June the Minister of Fisheries, Pete Hodgson, said that he too favoured the trialing of the devices by the hoki industry. For more information, contact the RFBPS' Barry Weeber at b.weeber@wn.forest-bird.org.nz and the MSC's Louisa Barnett at Louisa.Barnett@msc.org. (Sources: ENS - 20 Mar 2001; FIS - 27 Jun 2001; MSC - 14 Mar 2001; NZ Hoki Fishery Management Company - 15 Mar 2001; RFBPS - 2 May 2001; SeaWeb Ocean Update - Jun 2001; WorldCatch - 20 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Northern Ireland fishermen claim seals decimating fish in nets - The Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation is claiming that a larger mesh size for trawl nets, intended to allow the release of small hake, is making it easier for grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to eat fish through the nets as they are hauled to the surface. The organisation says that many skippers who voluntarily changed to 100mm mesh ahead of the introduction of new rules are now reverting to 80mm as a result. They also claim that 70% of hake in the nets is being dismembered by seals. (Source: FIS - 11 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Move to ban Californian gill nets supported - The rescue and rehabilitation organisation The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), based in Sausalito, California, USA, is supporting the proposals of the state's Department of Fish and Game to prohibit the use of gill or trammel nets in water depths less than 60 fathoms in designated areas. Although designed primarily to protect sea birds and sea otters from entanglement in the nets, the proposed regulation will also protect pinnipeds, an estimated 1,360 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) and 662 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) having been killed by the fishery in 1999. The TMMC also urged that consistent monitoring be undertaken to determine the impact of the regulation on sensitive species. For more information, contact the TMMC at com@tmmc.org. (Source: TMMC - 24 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Canadian fish farm study pinpoints licence problems - A report released at the start of April by the British Columbian government has highlighted problems regarding the compliance of the province's salmon farms with various pieces of legislation. One of the problems noted by the report, which resulted in part from 124 site inspections carried out between July and December 2000, was that of the 26 farms using firearms for shooting marine mammal predators only 17 were able at the time of inspection to produce the required provincial documentation and federal marine mammal predator control licence. The report also highlighted a number of other violations of environmental protection laws. Environmental groups immediately urged the industry to clean up its act and called on the provincial government to increase enforcement of salmon farming regulations. For more information, contact the Georgia Strait Alliance at gsa@georgiastrait.org. A copy of the report is available from http://www.elp.gov.bc.ca/vir/cos/MSFC_Report.pdf (300Kb). (Sources: FIS - 9 Apr 2001; Georgia Strait Alliance - 5 Apr 2001; Vancouver Sun - 7 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Opposition to Australian fish farm receives celebrity support - Two former ironmen, Trevor Hendy and Dwayne Thuys, have lent their support to the campaign to prevent a fish farm being sited in South Australia's Sceale Bay near colonies of Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) and New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) (see News, 19 March 2001). Their decision to support the campaign stems from having come across the sea lion and fur seal colony near Streaky Bay two years ago and having being awed by the sight of the pinnipeds there."It's something that we feel strongly about", said Thuys, "We just don't think a fish farm nearby is compatible with the sea lions. There's so much coastline in Australia - surely there's another place for aquaculture." The aquaculture company, Hamachi Ocean Culture, plan to farm a variety of fish including yellowtail kingfish, snapper and abalone. South Australia's Development Assessment Commission is currently waiting for Primary Industries and Resources SA to grant a licence for the farm. The application has also been referred to federal Environment Minister Robert Hill to assess whether the farm would contravene the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. For more information, contact Tony Flaherty, MCCN (SA), at sa@mccn.org.au. (Source: Adelaide Advertiser - 13 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Tasmanian fish farm trials new type of fish pen - Aquatas, a salmon farm at Tinderbox, southern Tasmania, Australia, was reported on 11 June as having been evaluating for a year and a half a new type of fish pen, one of the reported benefits of which is its success in protecting the fish from predation by seals. The new pen is in the form of sea bags which enclose 1,500 cubic metres of water and in which, unlike standard net cages, water temperature and level can be controlled. For more information, contact Aquatas through their feedback form at http://www.aquatas.com. (Source: ABC - 11 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Fisherman uses plastic whales to scare away seals - It was reported on 26 June that a fisherman from Yorkshire, England, is using two 3 metre long plastic killer whales, bought from his local novelty shop for £5 each, to scare harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) away from his nets. The fisherman reported that the whales had appeared to work for the two weeks that he had been using them, keeping the seals away from the nets which he sets from the beach about 150 metres out to sea. However he said that at least one seal appeared to have recognised the whales as decoys and had returned to feed on the fish. (Source: BBC - 26 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Scientists find explanation for Arctic mercury levels - Atmospheric scientists in Canada have discovered a phenomenon called "mercury sunrise" which could explain the dramatically elevated levels of mercury in the Arctic environment and the wildlife found there, recently recorded to be the highest levels ever found on earth. The levels of mercury noticeably soar each spring and a promising hypothesis now suggests that long-range atmospheric transport brings mercury-laden polluted air to the Arctic where it accumulates during the completely dark winter months. A chemical chain reaction beginning with the first sunlight of spring then causes components of vaporised sea water to interact with mercury vapour producing soluble forms of mercury that deposit on snow and ice during the crucial spring breeding period. SCS Note - High concentrations of mercury have been found in Arctic pinnipeds such as Arctic ringed seals (Phoca hispida hispida) and walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). (Source: ENN - 24 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Scare in Galápagos as Canine Distemper Virus sweeps islands - Scientists in the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands feared for the safety of the islands' population of Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) as dogs were decimated by an outbreak of canine distemper virus which swept through several of the islands from March onwards. It was reported in May that the number of dogs dying from the virus had dropped dramatically but the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) commented that while dogs remained unvaccinated the threat of the disease infecting local sea lion colonies would continue. Results from blood samples taken from 35 sea lions in March and a sick sea lion in April fortunately proved negative to canine distemper. For more information, contact Paola Díaz at infocdrs@fcdarwin.org.ec. SCS Note - Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica) and Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) have experienced mass mortalities caused by canine distemper virus. (Sources: CDF - 15 Mar, 29 Mar, 30 Mar, 5 Apr, 10 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Warning of an increase in marine diseases - Environmental experts told U.S Senators and Representatives at a briefing in May that the increasing number of diseases emerging in marine species are symptoms of the ongoing degradation of coastal habitat and of global climate change. The expert panel discussed diseases emerging among marine mammals, marine birds, and other wildlife. The briefing came after scientists warned earlier in the year of the increasing threat caused by the introduction of new pathogens to uninfected areas and wildlife, a problem referred to as "pathogen pollution". The scientists called for a closer monitoring of wildlife disease and a better understanding of the transfer of diseases between areas and species. For more information, contact the Consortium for Conservation Medicine's Peter Daszak at daszak@aol.com. (Sources: ENN - 30 May 2001; Washington Post - 18 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Virus may be threat to pinnipeds - It is thought that a type of arbovirus discovered in seal lice taken from Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) on Australia's sub-antarctic Macquarie Island may be contributing to declines in some pinniped and cetacean species. One theory is that the virus, found by research scientists from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, may be infecting the brains of marine mammals that have already been weakened by pollution, causing encephalitis. Testing of the elephant seals themselves showed the presence of antibodies, suggesting that they had been previously infected. For more information, contact the Institute's Andreas Suhrbier at andreasS@qimr.edu.au. (Source: Sydney Daily Telegraph - 11 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Seal affected as oil spill hits Australian coast - A sick seal affected by a spill of bunker fuel that hit the coast of Victoria at the start of April was being monitored as up to 300 penguins and other birds were thought to have been killed or injured by the spill. It is thought that the oil originated from a ship cleaning out its fuel tanks in Bass Strait and the Victorian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) called for this common practice to be stopped. It is currently legal under Australian national law for ships to clean their tanks in the Strait and it is only when the oil hits Victoria's beaches that the EPA can prosecute. Oiled birds, found along the shoreline between the Otways National Park and Phillip Island, were taken for treatment to Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary and the Phillip Island Nature Park. (Sources: ABC - 4 Apr 2001; Melbourne Age - 5 Apr 2001; Melbourne Herald Sun - 5 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Concern at rat poison spill in New Zealand - There were concerns at the possible effects on seals and other local marine wildlife when a truck accident near Kaikoura on New Zealand's South Island caused 18 tonnes of rat poison pellets to spill into the sea on 23 May. Although it appeared that no marine wildlife was killed by the poison, test on shellfish showed traces of the poison and toxicology experts advised ongoing monitoring as the poison has a cumulative effect and will not be broken down easily in the ocean. Tests on two seals found near the site proved negative for the poison and the New Zealand Department of Conservation said that although they were not certain to what extent seals would be affected, in general large animals of their size would have to eat a lot of the poison for it to cause significant harm. Symptoms of poisoning by the rat poison, brodifacoum, include lethargy and bleeding from orifices and eyes. (Sources: New Zealand Herald - 26 May 2001; Reuters - 25 May, 15 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Treaty signed to phase out persistent organic pollutants - On 23 May more than 90 nations signed a treaty legally requiring the phasing out of twelve of the worst known toxic chemicals (see News, 15 December 2000). The twelve chemicals, known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and which include dioxins, PCBs and DDT, are blamed for causing cancers and birth defects in people and animals, including pinnipeds which are known to accumulate POPs in their blubber. The Stockholm Convention treaty was almost immediately ratified by Canada and will enter into force once it has been ratified by a total of 50 nations. For more information on POPs, see http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/toxics/ or contact Greenpeace USA through http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/forms/feedback.htm. (Sources: Greenpeace USA - 23 May 2001; Reuters - 24 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Monk seals threatened in Turkey - The remaining small numbers of Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) on Turkey's coastline are facing extinction within 30 years if increasing tourism, pollution and illegal fishing continue at present, Ozan Veryeri, conservationist with the monk seal protection organisation SAD-AFAG, has warned. Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean shores have become a haven for the critically endangered species, and environmental groups are trying to set up new sanctuaries and promote community-based educational programmes in order to give the remaining seals a chance of survival. For more information, contact Ozan Veryeri at overyeri@yahoo.com. (Source: London Guardian - 17 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Threat to sea lions from Mexican development - Environmentalists are protesting at the threat to wildlife, including California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus), in Baja California, particularly in the Gulf of California, after the Mexican government revealed plans to develop a chain of upscale marinas along 4,000km of Baja California coastline. The plan, called "Nautical Steps" is aimed at attracting 1.6 million boat owners in the United States into a new system of harbours, wharves, hotels and restaurants. The Gulf of California is home to an extremely diverse and abundant array of marine wildlife, the Mexican Environment Minister calling it "probably the richest sea in the world in biodiversity". (Source: Washington Post - 6 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Continued opposition to proposed U.S. sonar system - Environmental groups have continued to voice strong objections to the U.S. Navy's proposed SURTASS LFA sonar system (see News , 27 April 2000) due to its potential harm to marine mammals and other marine wildlife. On 19 March the federal NOAA Fisheries announced that it was seeking comments until 3 May on the U.S. Navy's proposal to deploy the system, which uses loud sound waves to scan for submarines over enormous distances, on the world's open oceans. The Navy has requested a small take authorisation for a 5 year period. The environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other concerned organisations immediately criticised the system, saying that the sound generated by the sonar is so intense that it could harm marine life that depend on hearing for survival. For more information, see http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/marine/nlfa.asp or contact the NRDC at nrdcinfo@nrdc.org. (Source: ENS - 2 May 2001; NOAA Fisheries - 19 Mar 2001; NRDC - 20 Mar, 26 Apr 2001; Reuters - 22 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Pinniped species given extra protection in Australia - Australian federal Environment Minister Robert Hill announced in April that 15 species and five ecological communities will be added to the list of nationally threatened species and communities under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Among the 15 species, the Subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) and the Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) are both to be added to the list of Vulnerable species. For more information, contact Environment Australia through http://www.ea.gov.au/about/comments-queries.html. (Source: Environment Australia - 4 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Meanwhile the organisation Humane Society International (HSI) Australia was delighted in March to hear that the Tasmanian Scientific Committee has decided, after nominations from the Society, to give a final recommendation to the Tasmanian Environment Minister to list the Subantarctic fur seal as Endangered and the Southern elephant seal as Vulnerable under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act. It is hoped that the listing of the two species and related recovery actions will be forthcoming. For more information, contact HSI Australia's Nicola Beynon at nicola@hsi.org.au. (Source: HSI Australia - personal communication) (6 July 2001)

Additional protection sites proposed for seals in Scotland - Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) announced on 12 April that the Scottish Executive had decided on an additional list of sites to be proposed to the European Commission as candidate Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats Directive. Included in the list, forwarded to the Commission on 16 March, were Eileanan agus Sgeirean Lios mor (Lismore) because of its harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) population, and the Treshnish Isles due to their grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) population. Both sites are in the Argyll and Bute local authority area on the west coast of Scotland. For more information, contact SNH's Sandy MacLennan at sandy.maclennan@snh.gov.uk. (Source: SNH - 12 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Move to create first National Coastal Park in Patagonia - It was reported on 5 June that in celebration of World Environment Day the organisation Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina had purchased the 60,000 hectare farm "Monte León", incorporating 30 kilometres of Patagonian coast in the province of Santa Cruz. The purchase, made with the intention of creating Argentina's first National Coastal Park in conjunction with the Argentinean National Parks Administration, was made possible by a US$1.7 million donation from the U.S.-based organisation Patagonia Land Trust. Monte León is considered representative of the coastal biodiversity of Argentinean Patagonia, including the pinnipeds found there. (Source: ENS - 5 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Organisation pushes for ocean wilderness designation - The organisation Ocean Conservancy announced on 19 June that it will be pressing for five ocean sites in the United States and one in the Caribbean to be designated as wilderness areas. Included in the sites are four which provide important habitat for pinnipeds - Prince William Sound and Glacier Bay, both in Alaska, the Channel Islands in California, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Ocean Conservancy called the sites the "cornerstones" of its plan to have at least as much ocean as land designated as wilderness in the United States. For more information, see http://www.oceanconservancy.org/wc.html. (Source: WorldCatch - 20 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Alaska bans use of jet skis in Kachemak Bay - It was reported in April that the U.S. state of Alaska was to permanently ban the use of jet skis throughout the 90,000 hectares of Kachemak Bay as of 3 May 2001, widening a decision last year to prohibit the use of the small motorised craft inside Kachemak Bay State Park. The decision was made in order to protect critical habitat for marine life, including the pinnipeds found in the Bay's waters. It is the largest jet ski ban so far enforced by Alaska. Alaska Fish and Game Commissioner Frank Rue commented "Restrictions minimising harmful disturbances in this critical habitat area is part of responsible management". The state said that it had received overwhelming support for the move with 70% of public testimony in support of the ban. (Source: Anchorage Daily News - 5 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

First confirmed monk seal birth on Kahoolawe, Hawai'i - On 22 June a team from the U.S. federal NOAA Fisheries measured and tagged a male Hawaiian monk seal pup (Monachus schauinslandi) born in early May on the former bombing target island of Kahoolawe, situated off Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. The monk seal pup is the first ever confirmed birth of a pup on the island, and is one of only four pups known to have been born in the main Hawaiian Islands this season. Work crews which are cleaning the island of explosives have maintained a 200-metre secured radius around the pup since its birth and have monitored it on a day-to-day basis. The workers were described as being thrilled about the birth and proud that it had taken place on the island. For more information, contact NOAA Fisheries' Margaret Dupree at Margaret.Dupree@noaa.gov. (Sources: Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 28 Jun 2001; The Maui News - 30 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Seal-killing otter captured - Morgan, the 5-year-old male sea otter that has been attacking and killing young harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in Monterey County, California, USA, for almost a year (see News, 15 December 2000), was finally captured in the middle of April. The move was made in order to protect the year's new seal pups born in the area. Scientists, still mystified by the sea otter's behaviour but believing that the attacks may have been sexually motivated, think that as many as 20 seals could have been killed by the otter, probably many more. Morgan is now being held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium while scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service try to find a home for him, re-release to the wild having been ruled out due to his behaviour. There have been no sightings since late last year of a second sea otter which was also seen on a number of occasions with dead seals. For more information, contact the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Karen Jeffries at kjeffries@mbayaq.org. (Sources: San Francisco Chronicle - 19 Apr 2001; San Jose Mercury News - 18 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Company develops process for producing krill extracts - It was revealed on 12 June that the Canadian company Neptune Technologies and Bioresources Inc. is raising funds to develop a krill product extraction process to industrial level and to pursue medical research for its proprietary krill oil. The company has developed a process for removing oils, protein concentrates and other extracts from marine biomasses, and it is believed that the process allows the cold extraction of Omega-3 polyunsaturated oil and other products from krill. The company said that its aim initially would be to sell substantial quantities of its basic krill extract products into the North American and European nutraceutical markets. Krill is widely distributed around the world's oceans and Antarctic krill is seen as one of the world's few remaining fisheries that has been barely exploited. SCS Note - Krill, particularly in Antarctica, is considered to be an integral and important component of the marine food web. Some pinnipeds, such as the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus), directly feed on krill while other are heavily dependent on krill-eating prey. (Source: Antarctican - 12 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Russian harp seal emergency proves to be unfounded - Following the declaration of an emergency situation in May in which up to 300,000 harp seal pups (Phoca groenlandica) in Russia's White Sea were said to be at risk of dying due to unfavourable weather conditions, conservation groups are now saying that the reporting of the situation was exaggerated and that it was intended to result in a precipitous cull of the pups. The issue was first brought to the world's attention on 8 May when it was reported that a top Russian scientist was warning that the recently-born seals faced starvation on the White Sea ice due to strong north-easterly winds preventing the ice from drifting out into the seals' Barents Sea feeding grounds as normal. The warning received international publicity and assistance was offered from around the world to help save as many of the pups as possible.

An over-flight of the White Sea on 15 May by scientists, journalists and a representative from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) found however that there were only small numbers of seals left on the ice. IFAW, in an opinion also expressed by the WWF's Arctic Programme, said that the original warning appears to have been engineered in order to give the impression that the pups would die anyway and therefore to promote a large-scale cull of the pups before they could reach the Barents Sea. Fishing industry researchers were reported as having urged local officials to sanction an unlimited seal hunt. Masha Vorontsova of IFAW-Russia said that the reason for the original announcement was probably because this year's seal hunt quota had not been met, and that the scientific authorities may not have expected to receive such large-scale worldwide media attention. For more information, contact IFAW Russia's Masha Vorontsova at mvorontsova@ifaw.org or Peter Prokosch of WWF International's Arctic Programme at pprokosch@wwf.no.

(Sources: AP - 8 May 2001; BBC - 8 May, 10 May, 11 May 2001; CNN - 13 May 2001; IFAW - 11 May 2001; London Daily Telegraph - 11 May, 12 May 2001; London Guardian - 10 May 2001; London Independent - 10 May 2001; London Sunday Express - 13 May 2001; London Times - 8 May, 12 May 2001; Los Angeles Times - 13 May 2001; Melbourne Age - 20 May 2001; New Scientist - 15 May 2001; Reuters - 8 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Seals continuing to strand in increased numbers on U.S. east coast - Marine mammal rehabilitation centres on the eastern seaboard of the United States have continued to report increased numbers of seals requiring treatment (see News, 19 March 2001). One centre, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) in Brigantine, New Jersey, reported on 11 May that they had experienced a record season for seals, having treated 78 seals at the centre. The previous record was 76 seals in 1996. NOAA Fisheries said that harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) in particular have stranded in record numbers this year along the east coast and that they are still examining blood and tissue samples from stranded seals and looking at environmental conditions to try and find an explanation. On 8 June the MMSC unveiled a new $US60,000 isolation building containing four individual pens where stranded animals can recuperate. For more information, contact the MMSC at mmsc@bellatlantic.net. (Sources: AP - 8 Jun 2001; Asbury Park Press - 29 Mar, 2 Apr, 3 Apr, 29 Apr 2001; Atlantic City Press - 11 May 2001; Burlington County Times - 1 May 2001; Connecticut Post - 24 May 2001; East Brunswick Home News Tribune - 5 Apr 2001; Philadelphia Inquirer - 15 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Seal pup rescued with help of digital photo communication - An emaciated and dehydrated 7kg female harbour seal pup (Phoca vitulina richardsi) was rescued by oil terminal workers from a beach south of Drift River, Alaska, USA, on 29 May, the workers having come across the pup while following bear tracks. The workers contacted the Alaska SeaLife Center and transmitted a digital photo of the pup to the Center which, being able to see the state that the pup was in, brought the pup into the Center for rehabilitation. It is thought that the pup, named "Lolita" by the Center, may have washed up on the beach in recent storms. For more information, contact Natalie Noll, Alaska SeaLife Center, at natalie_noll@alaskasealife.org. (Sources: Alaska SeaLife Center - 6 Jun 2001; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 31 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Increased number of stranded pinnipeds at Californian centre - The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California, USA, reported in April that the Center had seen a sharp increase in the numbers of pinnipeds requiring rehabilitation this spring. The Center said that the situation indicated that more sea lions are now being born and surviving, signalling a return to normality after a sharp drop in reproduction after the El Niño season of 1997-1998. The Center's Michele Hunter said on 17 April that so far they had taken in 38 marine mammals, mostly California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus), and that the total for the season would probably pass the 60 or so rescued in each of the last two years. The Center normally treats 120 animals a year. For more information, contact the Center at info@fslmmc.org. (Source: Los Angeles Times - 17 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Seal successfully re-released after flipper amputation - A rescued grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) named "Silkie" was released back into the ocean in May by the National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall, England, after undergoing what is believed to be the first flipper amputation in the United Kingdom. Silkie was rescued in September 2000 as a five-week-old pup with a badly swollen left rear flipper in which several bones were broken and which had to be amputated. The decision to re-release Silkie was taken after it was found that she had become a strong swimmer, even with only one rear flipper. Earlier in May, staff at the Sanctuary were upset to learn that "Islay", a seal pup which had been released from the centre on 12 April, had been found shot dead. In March, the Sanctuary opened an exhibition on the work of the renowned seal scientist Stephen Westcott who has spent ten years researching the grey seals that inhabit Cornwall's sea caves. For more information, contact the Sanctuary at seals@sealsanctuary.co.uk and Stephen Westcott at stephen@cornwt.demon.co.uk. (Sources: BBC - 23 May 2001; This is Cornwall - 5 Mar, 1 May, 30 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Rare monk seal pup has fish hook removed from mouth - Members of Kauai Monk Seal Watch, the organisation that works to protect endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai were able to help an old friend in May when a rare pup that was born on the island in July 2000 (see News, 28 August 2000) turned up on a nearby beach with a large fish hook in its mouth. Volunteers were able to catch the pup and remove the fish hook before re-releasing it. For more information, contact Kauai Monk Seal Watch's Barbara Frazier at frazier@hawaiian.net. (Source: Kauai Monk Seal Watch - Personal Communication) (6 July 2001)

Orkney Seal Rescue Chairman wins award - Ross Flett, Chairman of the Orkney Seal Rescue centre, which rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) found in the Scottish Orkney Islands and the north Scottish mainland, was honoured with an Animal Action Award on 27 June by the organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare. The award was presented at the House of Commons in London by Ian Cawsey MP and was in recognition of a lifetime achievement working with the seals at the rescue centre. For more information, contact Ross Flett at selkiesave@aol.com. (Source: Orkney Seal Rescue - personal communication) (6 July 2001)

Knitwear produced from moulted grey seal pup hair - Dutch designer Tineke Veenhoven completed a prototype jumper made from the moulted coats of grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) early this summer and believes that if developed further then such products could offer an alternative source of income to the commercial killing of harp seal pups (Phoca groenlandica) in Canada. The moulted white hair came from grey seal pups rescued by the Orkney Seal Rescue centre in Scotland and is shed naturally by the pups within weeks of being born. The designer believes that the soft fur will appeal to the luxury end of the clothes market and has produced a business plan which is being considered by the National Research Council of Canada. For more information, contact Orkney Seal Rescue's Ross Flett at selkiesave@aol.com. (Source: London Sunday Times - 24 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Initiatives to help promote seal watching in New Zealand - The New Zealand government provided a grant of NZ$36,000 on 6 June to the Buller Promotion and Tourism Association to be used for further development of the walkway to the Cape Foulwind seal colony, one of the west coast's premier tourist attractions. The money will be used by the Association, in conjunction with the Department of Conservation (DOC), to provide an all-weather track for the 4km walkway which runs from the lighthouse at Cape Foulwind to the seal rookery near Tauranga Bay. There are an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 visitors each year who come to view the New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) at the Cape Foulwind colony.

The DOC also released a new education package for Bay of Plenty marine mammal watching operators in March. The package provides extensive information about marine mammals living in Bay of Plenty waters and will be available on all licensed marine mammal watching operations in the area. Included in the package are photos and fact sheets on various species, as well as information on conservation issues, strandings and relevant legislation. (Sources: DOC - 22 Mar, 6 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Elephant seal blocks office entrance in Cape Town - A 900kg 4.5 metre long male Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) which came ashore to moult in Cape Town, South Africa, in the middle of March (see News, 19 March 2001) decided to take up residence in front of the main entrance to a waterfront office for over two days, necessitating office workers to use the side entrances. To keep him from wandering into a main road, the seal was finally coaxed away from the entrance. The authorities and the organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare both ensured that the elephant seal was not disturbed by the public during his stay. For more information, contact Mike Meyer, Marine and Coastal Management, at mmeyer@sfri.wcape.gov.za. (Sources: AP - 26 Mar 2001; CNN - 28 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Warwick the fur seal finds fame in Australia - A 12-year-old male Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) caused a stir in Point Lonsdale, Victoria, after stopping there at the end of March and remaining while other fur seals continued on their way to the colony at Port Phillip Bay. Wildlife officers found a propeller injury to the seal's tail and fenced off a section of the beach, setting up a roster to guard the sleeping seal, named "Warwick" by locals, during the day. The seal quickly became a local celebrity, attracting hundreds of curious onlookers. "It's like a royal wedding when he takes off to feed each night", one onlooker said, "flashes go off and people cheer". Warwick was expected to return to the colony once he had recovered. (Source: Melbourne Age - 18 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Review of elephant seal branding finds widespread chronic wounding - An expert review of Australia's controversial Macquarie Island Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) branding programme (see News, 19 March 2001) has found that in a sample of 646 branded seals, a year after the last brands were applied, only 18.7% of brands were fully healed with no excessive scarring. Of the total, 19.8% of the seals had a partly unhealed wound from the brand and 1.7% had an open discharging wound. The review, commissioned by the Antarctic Animal Ethics Committee and carried out by seal specialist Dr. Nick Gales, warned that the often extremely protracted, chronic nature of the healing of the wounds should give rise to concerns about the long term effects on the welfare and fitness of the seals. It also found that a high proportion of the brands were unreadable, only 9.2 % being able to be read easily and quickly. For more information, contact Nick Gales at nick.gales@aad.gov.au. (Source: Antarctican - 19 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Steller sea lion projects selected for funding - Following a request for research proposals in March, the U.S. federal NOAA Fisheries announced on 23 May that a total of 26 projects were being recommended to receive funds in order to investigate the causes of the decline in the numbers of endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). The projects, making up the non-federal research portion of a total US$43 million research budget for the species in the 2001 federal year, will be funded to a total of US$15 million. NOAA Fisheries said that the selected proposals were undergoing final negotiations and reviews, with the expectation that the majority of grants would be awarded in time for the summer season. A complete list and description of the projects can be obtained at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/omi/grants/sslri/default.htm. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 23 May 2001; FIS - 22 May, 29 May 2001; NOAA Fisheries - 21 Mar, 23 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Study sheds new light on walrus digestion - Data on the composition and volume of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) diet may have to be re-interpreted following a study in Alaska, USA, which showed that walruses digest different parts of their prey at different rates. The study, which simulated walrus digestion in the laboratory, showed that walruses digest clams at a slower rate than worms, indicating that walruses may be consuming as little as a quarter of the number of clams previously estimated. The results may have an impact on the use of diet studies as a means of evaluating the health of walrus populations, the analysis of additional physical factors and chemical rather than content analysis of walrus stomachs being suggested as possible alternatives. For more information, contact Gay Sheffield, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, at gay_sheffield@fishgame.state.ak.us. (Source: Nature - 6 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Pinnipeds unable to see the colour blue - Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany, who carried out antibody tests on 14 species of pinnipeds and cetaceans, have found that all of the species tested lacked the pigments in their visual receptors required to see blue light. The finding is puzzling because blue is the colour that penetrates furthest into the deep ocean. It appears that pinnipeds and cetaceans abandoned their blue vision independently, close relatives of both possessing the required pigment. One speculative explanation is that early in their evolution both cetaceans and pinnipeds lived in coastal waters where debris tends to blot out blue light, and that evolution subsequently favoured the selection of other visual traits. For more information, contact the Institute's Leo Peichl at peichl@mpih-frankfurt.mpg.de. (Source: New Scientist - 25 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Spanish marine scientist receives international prize - The Spanish marine mammal expert Dr. Alex Aguilar, Professor of Animal Biology at the University of Barcelona, has been rewarded for his work by receiving a 2001 Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship. Dr. Aguilar, who has carried out important research and conservation work on the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) population in Western Sahara / Mauritania, received the award for a project to develop a genetic and ecotoxicological tissue bank on endangered Mediterranean marine mammals. For more information, contact Alex Aguilar at alexa@porthos.bio.ub.es. (Source: Pew Fellows Program - 19 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Vancouver Aquarium intends to capture pinnipeds from the wild - The Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia, Canada, revealed at a meeting in April that it intended to capture wild Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) for display in its new "Wild Coast" exhibit (see News, 5 February 2001). The Aquarium also revealed that it may capture harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) from the wild, possibly as part of any future seal culling programme in British Columbia. The opening of the exhibit was planned for 29 June. For more information, contact Annelise Sorg of the Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society at cmeps@whaleprotection.org, or Rob Laidlaw, Zoocheck Canada, at zoocheck@idirect.com. (Sources: National Post - 6 Jun 2001; Vancouver Aquarium - 5 Jun 2001; Vancouver Sun - 13 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Walrus dies during tusk operation - A five-year-old Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), "Yozhik" ("Little Hedgehog") died during an operation to remove its tusks at Moscow Zoo, Russia, on 28 April (see News, 19 March 2001). The walrus was one of eight that had their infected tusks removed during a procedure that involved two forklift trucks, a makeshift operating theatre, and a hammer and a chisel to remove the tusks. Cracks had formed in the walruses' tusks due to their habit of slamming their tusks into the concrete floor of their enclosure. (Sources: BBC - 28 Apr 2001; London Times - 9 May 2001; Moscow Times - 8 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Captivity Briefs ...
The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, USA, is to launch a new show "Lions of the Sea" on 1 July in the Aquarium's renovated marine theatre, using three male California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus). The show will replace the dolphin show previously performed at the Aquarium. (Source: AP - 12 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

The first marine mammal exhibit at the Orange County Zoo, California, USA, is now expected to open in September after the zoo received an unexpected US$100,000 donation from the County in June to complete the exhibit. The exhibit, called "Coastal Cove", will contain four harbour seals (Phoca vitulina). (Sources: Los Angeles Times - 18 Jun 2001; Orange County Register - 18 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

A company building an ocean adventure park in the Philippines had a cease and desist order issued against it by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in March, after the DENR alleged that the company had not received an environmental clearance certificate. The park plans to feature South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and cetaceans. The company, Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc., responded by defying the order and threatening to sue the DENR. (Sources: ENS - 13 Apr 2001; Philippine Daily Inquirer - 26 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

A safari park keeper at the West Midlands Safari Park, England, has trained 14 sea lions to form a football team. The sea lions play against a human goalkeeper, picking up the ball on their noses and then slapping it into the net with their flippers. (Source: Reuters - 11 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

Studies show threats to marine and coastal areas - A study released on 18 April by the United Nations shows that the world's oceans are deteriorating, plagued by pollution, over-fishing, piracy, environmental destruction and maritime border disputes. The 133-page study says that the intensity of pressure on coastal areas has been increasing, from the explosive growth of coastal cities and the increase in tourism to industrialisation and the expansion of fish farming. (Source: WorldCatch - 19 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

A day earlier, on 17 April, the organisation World Resources Institute released the report "Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE): Coastal Ecosystems", warning that human modification and destruction of the planet's coastal zone is endangering marshes, estuaries, coral reefs and mangrove forests. The Institute's president Jonathan Lash commented that "Unless things change very quickly, the world's coastal areas face a grim future". For more information, see http://www.wri.org/wr2000/coast_page.html or contact the World Resources Institute at front@wri.org. (Source: ENS - 17 Apr 2001) (6 July 2001)

In May, a new report "The Status of Natural Resources on the High Seas" produced by WWF and the IUCN, called for urgent measures to regulate the management, protection and exploitation of high seas beyond the limits of the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones of coastal states, an area covering about half of the Earth's surface. The report warns that the deep sea and its inhabitants are threatened by such problems as unregulated fishing and oil exploration. One solution suggested by the report is the designation of different types of High Seas Marine Protected Areas (HSMPAs). The full report is available at http://www.panda.org/resources/publications/water/highseas.pdf (1.9Mb). For more information, contact WWF International's Simon Cripps at scripps@wwfint.org or IUCN's John Waugh at jwaugh@iucnus.org. (Sources: ENS - 10 May 2001; WWF - 10 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Organisation launches healthy oceans initiative - The organisation Alaska Oceans Network (AON), an alliance of conservation groups, fishing groups, native organisations and others, launched its "Framework for Healthy Oceans" this spring, aimed at reducing the risk of irrevocable damage to North Pacific fisheries and wildlife. The campaign aims to reform current U.S. federal policies in order to prevent over-fishing, to protect habitat and to minimise fisheries bycatch. For more information, see http://www.alaskaoceans.net or contact AON's Francine Bennis at aon@ak.net. (Source: SeaWeb Ocean Update - May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Effects of global warming observed in sub-Antarctic and Siberia - A five month Australian scientific expedition to remote sub-Antarctic Heard Island in the Indian Ocean which ended in March found that glaciers on the island are melting. "The recession of many glaciers during the past 50 years has been unprecedented in modern times for Heard Island" one scientist commented. Rapid animal and vegetation colonisation of the island as the glaciers melt is, according to the scientists, a further indicator of the extent of global warming in the sub-Antarctic. Fur seals found on the island have recovered from near extinction to number more than 28,000 adults and 1,000 pups. For more information, contact the Australian Antarctic Division at information@aad.gov.au. (Sources: Antarctican - 30 Mar 2001; Reuters - 4 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Meanwhile a report by the Russian Academy of Sciences which was presented this spring at the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment conference in St Petersburg, Russia, provided new evidence that vast expanses of Siberia are thawing, an additional sign of the impacts of global warming on the Arctic. Consequences of the significant increases observed in the flows of large Siberian rivers, caused by melting permafrost, may include the destruction of habitats and the alteration of the salinity of the Arctic Ocean. For more information, contact Peter Prokosch of WWF International's Arctic Programme at pprokosch@wwf.no. (Source: WWF - 11 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Resources ...
The May 2001 edition of "The Monachus Guardian", which covers important issues, news and research affecting Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Caribbean monk seals, is available for reading and/or downloading at http://www.monachus.org. Highlights of the May edition include articles on the entanglement of monk seals in Turkish fishing nets, the monk seal colony at Cap Blanc, and observations of monk seals in Morocco. (6 July 2001)

The U.S. federal NOAA Fisheries' Office of Sustainable Fisheries is currently developing a "Code of Conduct for Responsible Aquaculture in the United States EEZ", including the issue of aquaculture - pinniped interactions. For more information on the Code or on marine aquaculture in the United States, contact Ed Rhodes at Edwin.Rhodes@noaa.gov. A copy of the related report of the proceedings of the 1999 Marine Aquaculture, Marine Mammals, and Marine Turtles Workshop can be obtained at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/readingrm/Fisheries/proceedings.pdf (24Mb). (6 July 2001)

Features ... - The following pinniped-related feature articles have recently appeared in the media:
Arctic Canada's Silent Invader [Contaminants in Inuit food] (Washington Post - 17 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Area scientists work to help save sea lions [Research on Steller sea lions] (Houston Chronicle - 2 Jul 2001) (6 July 2001)

In Pursuit of a Seal [Inuit seal hunting] (Washington Post - 2 Jun 2001) (6 July 2001)

Inuit elders say climate change ... [Climate change and Inuit] (National Post - 7 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Scientists seek accurate count ... [Tagging harbour seals in Massachusetts, USA] (Cape Cod Times - 21 Mar 2001) (6 July 2001)

Steller opportunity [An in-depth look at the Alaska SeaLife Center] (Anchorage Daily News - 27 May 2001) (6 July 2001)

Increased Russian seal hunt reported - The Director of the Russian office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Masha Vorontsova, has revealed that 76,000 harp seal pups (Phoca groenlandica) are to be killed for their pelts this year in the Russian seal hunt. The annual hunt, which takes place in the White Sea and which began on 28 February, also includes the bringing ashore of thousands of pups which are then sent to "farms" where they are killed once their coats are ready for the pelt market. Masha Vorontsova said "We are very concerned about the increased quota for the seal cull this year and want to put a stop to this barbaric practice". The organisation is requesting that letters of protest be sent to Russian embassies. For more information, contact Masha Vorontsova at mvorontsova@ifaw.org. (Source: London Sunday People - 4 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Norway announces 2001 seal hunt quotas - The Norwegian Department of Fisheries announced on 9 February that the seal hunt on the West Ice this year will take place between 22 March - 10 July for hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) and 10 April - 30 June for harp seals (Phoca groenlandica). For the East Ice the harp seal hunt starts on 23 March and ends on 20 April. The hunts may be lengthened depending on weather and ice conditions. This year's quotas are 10,300 adult hooded seals (1.5 non-suckling young seals = 1 adult) on the West Ice, 15,000 adult harp seals (1 non-suckling young seal = 1 adult) on the West Ice, and 5,000 adult harp seals (2.5 non-suckling young seals = 1 adult) on the East Ice. For more information, contact Anton Krag, NOAH, at post@dyrebeskyttelsen.no. (Source - Norwegian Department of Fisheries - 9 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Group queries million seal pelts missing from Canadian hunt - The organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) called on 14 March for the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to investigate serious discrepancies in the numbers of pelts exported as a result of the country's hunt of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata). The call came after a report was released by the International Marine Mammal Association (IMMA) which analysed official government trade statistics and revealed that Canada has exported only 51% per cent of the almost 2 million pelts taken from seals killed between 1982 and 1999. IFAW, questioning what has happened to the remaining million pelts, fears that seals may have been killed purely to collect government subsidy in the absence of real markets, and says that the report provides further proof that the seal hunt is of little or no economic benefit to Canadians. For more information, contact IFAW at info@ifaw.org. Copies of the report "Canadian seal pelt imports and exports, 1982-1999" can be obtained from the author, IMMA's Janice Hannah, at jhannah@imma.org. (Sources: ENS - 16 Mar 2001; IFAW - 14 Mar 2001; St. John's Evening Telegram - 15 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Canadian consortium to export 300 tonnes of seal oil to China - It has been revealed that the Tamasu consortium in Canada has signed a contract to sell 300 tonnes of seal oil to China, equivalent to the amount of oil from 30,000 seals. The Tamasu consortium has been in operation for a year, selling products from the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) hunt, and consists of three companies: Quebec fur specialists Tambec, Madelipêche from the Magdalen Islands, and the Canadian-Chinese company Sucy. Intending to start the production of oil this spring, the oil is to be cold-pressed by Madelipêche with equipment bought from Germany, in a manner similar to olive oil, and is expected to sell for CAN$1,000-$5,000 per tonne. The President of Tamasu, Bernard Guimond, travelled to China in February as part of Team Canada, a Canadian government-business trade mission. The Quebec government invested CAN$800,000 in Tamasu last year.

Tamasu is also working on marketing leather products and it has been revealed that two companies in Quebec are interested in covering furniture in seal skin. Tamasu has sold all of its stock of 5,000 seal pelts from last year, mostly to Europe, principally Italy and Russia, and also to China and Korea. It has not achieved the same success with seal meat, having been unsuccessful in attempts to interest the Chinese in buying meat products, but plans to look for customers for seal meat in Korea and Japan. The Director of Madelipêche, Paul Boudrault, said that the company already has sufficient samples of meat and will not be purchasing any more from this year's hunt, but that he will take all the pelts and blubber that the hunters can supply. (Source: CBGA-FM - 13 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Panel produces interim report on Canadian seal management - The Panel on Seal Management which was set up by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to study the management of seal populations and the effects of seals on fisheries along the Canadian Atlantic coast (see News, 27 April 2000) has submitted an interim report to the federal government. The report is intended mainly as a summary of the science and other information that the panel has so far obtained. In a radio interview, the panel's Chair, Ian Mclaren, said that with regards to claims that seals are the primary reason for the lack of recovery of cod populations, "generally speaking there is little support on the available hard scientific information". The organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has welcomed elements of the interim report as being positive. The final report, in which recommendations on a long-term management plan for seals will be made, is expected later this spring. For more information, contact IFAW at info@ifaw.org or the International Marine Mammal Association (IMMA) at admin@imma.org. (Sources: CBC - 21 Feb 2001; CBN-AM - 20 Feb, 21 Feb 2001; Toronto Globe and Mail - 21 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Organisations hail worldwide anti-sealing protest a success - The organisers of the coalition of groups who mounted demonstrations in 14 countries against the Canadian and Norwegian seal hunts on 13 March have declared the demonstrations successful and have suggested that they may escalate their opposition to the hunts by targetting tourism in the two countries. Craig Armstrong of the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, one of the organisers, commented that "it is unbelievable that in the 21st century, and despite international condemnation, governments of countries such as Norway and Canada continue to support the mass slaughter of sea mammals". The coalition intends to make the seal hunts a major issue this year. For more information, contact Craig Armstrong at caft@caft.demon.co.uk. (Source: CP - 13 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Scottish fisheries organisation calls for contraceptives for seals - The Scottish Fishermen's Federation was reported on 13 March as having called on the Scottish Executive to look at contraception as a means of controlling numbers of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) around the country's coasts, and also as having called for a seal commission to be set up to look at seal-fisheries interactions. The call for a commission was backed by the Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association. The Executive has replied that it will not consider a commission before the next election.

In the meantime it has been revealed that more than 60 seals were legally shot by Scottish fishery boards during the year 2000, the most in more than a decade. Conservationists however are saying that the official figures are "just the tip of the iceberg" and the organisation Animal Concern has estimated that the true number of seals that will be shot this year by fishermen and fish farms under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970's "fisheries defence clause" will be closer to 6,000. Animal Concern's John Robins called the killing of seals a "sickening slaughter" and commented that "seals are being scapegoated for the decline of salmon and other fish which have suffered from decades of overfishing." For more information, contact John Robins at animals@jfrobins.force9.co.uk. (Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 13 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Alaskan fisherman fined for killing harbour seal - It was announced by the U.S. federal NOAA Fisheries on 21 February that it had reached a settlement with the operator of an Alaskan gill netting vessel who admitted shooting and killing a harbour seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) on 15 July 1999. The fisherman, Gunner Noreen of Juneau, agreed to pay a US$5,000 penalty and forfeit the .270-calibre rifle used in the incident. A portion of the penalty will however be suspended for five years provided that Noreen commits no further violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, under which the unauthorised killing of harbour seals and other marine mammals is prohibited. The incident had been reported to the authorities by one of the vessel's crew. (Source: NOAA Fisheries - 21 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Teenage boys charged with cruelty to seal in Newfoundland - Two boys aged 14 and 15 were reported on 27 February as having been charged with animal cruelty by Canadian police after a resident saw a group of boys out on the harbour ice in Point of Bay, Bay of Exploits, striking and kicking a seal which had appeared there. The boys continued striking the seal until a member of the public with a sealer's licence intervened and killed the animal. Two other boys involved were not charged as they were less than 12 years old.

The incident occurred only several days after a member of the public, Lori Taylor, was appalled to see a man club a harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) to death in broad daylight in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, then skin the seal and leave its guts in the snow by the roadside. Concerned that the man's actions had taken place in a location where children could have easily viewed the killing, Lori Taylor called the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary but was told that the killing was legal and that nothing could be done. The seal had earlier been seen rolling playfully in the sun on the ice. "You wouldn't want anybody slaughtering cows in your front yard", commented a male onlooker, adding "I didn't think anyone would kill these seals. They're more like pets than wild animals." A few years ago a Newfoundland sealer caused an uproar when he killed a seal as children looked on from their classroom window. (Source: St. John's Evening Telegram - 14 Feb, 27 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Nunavut Premier looks for Chinese markets for seal products - The Premier of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, Paul Okalik, was reported as being due to arrive in China on 9 February as part of a nine-day trade mission by Team Canada, an approximately 300-strong group of Canadian business people and entrepreneurs, as well as the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and other provincial and territorial premiers. It was revealed that Paul Okalik would be exploring the demand in China for seal oil and other seal products during his visit. (Source: Nunatsiaq News - 9 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Seal research banned on Macquarie Island after cruelty allegations - The Tasmanian Government announced in early March that all invasive research on Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) on Australia's sub-antarctic Macquarie Island has been banned following allegations of cruelty. The federal Environment Minister, Robert Hill, said that it had been claimed that researchers, armed with sticks, had used "undue levels of effort" to separate groups of seals in order to reach particular individuals. The Tasmanian Environment Department's investigation of the allegations found insufficient evidence to prosecute but the Department has decided that no further research permits will be issued until a full review has been carried out. As a result, four researchers due to travel to the island have cancelled their plans at the last minute. The only research to be allowed to continue will be population counts and the chance retrieval of data loggers shed by seals at their annual moult. The allegations are understood to have been raised through a confidential e-mail message which was sent by one of the scientists on the island several months ago.

The latest developments come after a previous outcry over the branding of elephant seals on the island (see News, 27 April 2000), the resultant inquiry of which is still ongoing. On the issue of branding, Robert Hill has revealed that wounds on branded seals were not healing as completely and quickly as he had been led to believe and that "there were also some issues raised, questioning the robustness of some of the science, some of the data collection". The organisation Animals Australia has requested that all scientific research on the island's elephant seals be stopped while the Tasmanian Conservation Trust has also questioned the value of the research. (Sources: ABC - 9 Mar, 13 Mar, 13 Mar, 15 Mar 2001; Antarctican - 14 Mar 2001; Melbourne Age - 14 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Green certification of NZ hoki fishery condemned - Environmental groups are severely criticising the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) after the Council announced on 14 March that it has certified the New Zealand hoki fishery as a "sustainable fishery" (see News, 5 February 2001). Of particular concern relating to pinnipeds is that bycatch in the west coast hoki trawl fishery in New Zealand's South Island killed an estimated total of greater than 5,600 New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) between 1989 and 1998 (1,032 during the 1997-1998 season alone). The organisation Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ (ECO), an umbrella group of 65 organisations, immediately condemned the certification and called the fishery "environmentally destructive". Apart from the effect on pinnipeds, other criticisms of the fishery include the bycatch of other marine wildlife, the effect of trawling on the ecosystem, and the mismanagement and lack of sustainability of the hoki stock.

ECO's Cath Wallace commented "The announcement that the hoki fishery is to be certified is a serious blow to the integrity of the MSC certification scheme. The MSC seems to have been desperate to get a portfolio of certified fish so that the scheme can get underway. With this certification, the MSC is sending a message that it will tolerate high levels of environmental damage and animal deaths." New Zealand's Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (RFBPS) also immediately spoke out against the certification, saying that the hoki fishery has too many environmental impacts to be assessed as a "sustainable fishery" and pointing out the impact of the fishery on New Zealand fur seals. The RFBPS has notified the MSC that it will dispute the certification. For more information, contact ECO's Cath Wallace at eco@reddfish.co.nz and RFBPS' Barry Weeber at b.weeber@wn.forest-bird.org.nz. (Sources: ECO - 14 Mar 2001; RFBPS - 14 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Report highlights dangers to pinnipeds caused by U.S. nuclear plants - A report released on 22 February entitled "Licensed to kill: How the nuclear power industry destroys endangered marine wildlife and ocean habitat to save money" has highlighted, among other problems, the mortality of pinnipeds and other marine life caused by entrapment in U.S. nuclear plant cold water intake pipes. Using a variety of examples, the report says that the nuclear industry and the federal agencies that regulate it are allowing endangered aquatic animals and birds to die rather than safeguarding them, and suggests feasible methods of preventing most of the problems. Copies of the report, produced by a coalition of environmental groups, can be obtained by contacting Linda Gunter of the Safe Energy Communication Council at lcpentz@erols.com. (Sources: DAWN - 24 Feb 2001; ENS - 22 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Canadian Inuit to send hunting gear to Russian natives - It was revealed in February that the Canadian office of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) is providing CAN$21,000 for the purchase of rifles, ammunition and other hunting gear to the 1,300 Russian Inuit who live in Chukotka. The ICC say that it is best that the Russian Inuit, badly affected by the collapse of Russia's economy, return to their traditional ways, such as hunting for seals and walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), in order to survive. The North Slope Borough in Alaska will also be assisting with the purchase. (Sources: Nunatsiaq News - 16 Feb 2001; Radio Canada International - 26 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Oiled sea lion found dead in Galápagos Islands - The Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) has reported that a heavily oiled Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) was found dead on 2 March on the island of Floreana in Ecuador's Galápagos archipelago. Investigators say that the death appears to have been caused by the recent oil spill from the vessel "Jessica" (see News, 5 February 2001). The sea lion was discovered during the Station's survey of the island as part of its systematic collection of samples along the Galápagos coasts in order to establish the distribution and quantity of fuel that has arrived on land. On a more positive note it was reported that a team of CDRS marine biologists found on 14 February that the condition of sea lion pups on the island of San Cristóbal had improved, observing only 20% of pups as having eye infections as opposed to a previously observed level of almost 50%. For more information, contact the CDRS' Sandie Salazar at ssalazar@fcdarwin.org.ec. (Sources: CDRS - 20 Feb, 2 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Increased numbers of seals observed on U.S. east coast - There have been reports this year of a large increase in sightings of seals along the eastern seaboard of the United States, as well as an increase in the number of seals needing rescue and rehabilitation. Many rehabilitation centres are reported as having taken in record numbers of seals, including harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor), harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). No-one is sure of the cause but some of reasons being suggested include larger seal populations due to cleaner habitat and/or reduced hunting, increased commercial fishing in northern waters driving seals further south to look for food, weather conditions and greater public awareness. Many of the seals requiring assistance are undernourished pups, while others are adults that have been injured, bitten by other seals or weakened by parasites or bacterial infections.

Several incidents where members of the public have attempted to interact with seals, including the rescuing of healthy seals, have led rescue and rehabilitation organisations to step up their public information and education work. Recent occurrences include a man who waded chest-deep into the ocean to try and prevent a seal from coming up on to the beach, a couple found trying to chase a seal back into the water, and a woman found trying to feed cookies to a stranded seal. Starting this spring the NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cape Cod National Seashore, the Cape Cod Stranding Network (CCSN), and others are to begin a public education programme to reduce contacts between seals and people. The guidelines adopted as part of the programme will include the establishment of safe approach distances, and will also cover the rapidly increasing seal-watching industry in the region.

Contact details for rescue and rehabilitation centres on the eastern U.S. coast can be found on the SCS web site. For more information on the Cape Cod public education programme, contact the CCSN's Katie Touhey at ccsninfo@cape.com. (Sources: AP - 20 Feb, 26 Feb, 1 Mar 2001; Asbury Park Press - 15 Feb 2001; Bergen Record - 21 Feb 2001; Boston Globe - 20 Feb 2001; Cape Cod Times - 11 Feb 2001; East Brunswick Home News Tribune - 16 Mar 2001; Philadelphia Inquirer - 2 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

New sea lion colony found near proposed Australian fish farm - Questions are being raised about the proposed siting of a fish farm in South Australia's Sceale Bay following the discovery of a previously unrecorded colony of more than 80 Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) at Cape Blanche, about 3km from the proposed site. Scientist Peter Shaughnessy of the federal research body CSIRO, who has been studying the area, says that the positioning of the fish farm would be asking for trouble due to probable interactions with the sea lions, as well as with a nearby colony of at least 20 New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri), the most westerly group of the fur seal species ever detected in the State. The newly-discovered sea lion colony is believed to be a breeding colony. The organisation Marine & Coastal Community Network (MCCN (SA)), pointing out that the proposed fish farm site is also within the foraging range of other nearby sea lion colonies, has commented that the proposal at this site reflects the "total inadequacy and apparent disregard for environmental impact assessment inherent with aquaculture planning processes in South Australia". For more information, contact Tony Flaherty, MCCN (SA), at sa@mccn.org.au. (Sources: ABC - 3 Mar, 5 Mar 2001; MCCN (SA) - 26/27 Feb, 2 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Monk seals to benefit from Mauritanian ban on fishing - It was announced on 3 March that Mauritania, along with fellow West African countries Senegal and Guinea Buissau, is to take drastic action to save one of the world's richest marine environments from overfishing by European Union and other fishing fleets. In a move which will benefit the remaining numbers of highly endangered Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) in the Banc d'Arguin National Park, Mauritania is to ban all fishing, except traditional non-motorised fishing by local communities, in the 12,000 km² coastal wetland covered by the Park's boundaries. "These actions to save fish stocks and marine life are necessary because of years of overfishing by industrial fishing fleets from Europe and elsewhere", said Souleymane Zeba, Director of WWF's West Africa Programme. For more information, contact Julian Scola, WWF European Policy Office, at jscola@wwfepo.org. (Source: WWF - 3 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

NZ aquaculture company's request to translocate seals refused - The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DoC) announced on 9 February that it had declined an application by the New Zealand King Salmon Company Ltd to capture New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) near its salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds and transport them to other locations around the South Island. The DoC concluded that the process, which the aquaculture company had requested in May 2000 due to seal predation on its installations, would have a negative impact on the seals and be detrimental to their welfare.

The New Zealand organisation Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (RFBPS) welcomed the decision, stressing that it believes that the best long-term solution to seals eating salmon in aquaculture cages is the installation of effective seal-proof netting or similar physical barriers. The Society also recommended that the DoC should oppose the siting of new salmon farms near seal haulout sites or breeding rookeries, and that it should oppose any further investigation of the use of acoustic scarers due to their ineffectiveness and impacts on other marine life. For more information, contact the RFBPS' Barry Weeber at b.weeber@wn.forest-bird.org.nz. SCS Note - The Seal Conservation Society made a submission to the DoC on this issue - copies available on request. (Sources: DoC - 9 Feb 2001; RFBPS - 8 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

South African seal rehabilitator joins forces with Sea Shepherd - In an application for a permit to operate a seal rescue centre, the Cape Town-based seal rehabilitator Francois Hugo has revealed that he has secured funding from Sea Shepherd International to operate, manage and underwrite his seal rescue and rehabilitation operations in the area. Sea Shepherd has already provided funding for the purchase of an inflatable boat to be used in seal rescue. The proposed centre would collect stranded and incapacitated seals, rehabilitate the seals in their natural habitat and re-release them into the wild. Francois Hugo first applied for permission to set up a centre in September 1999 but his work is being opposed by the Department of Marine and Coastal Management and he has been prohibited since then from rescuing and rehabilitating seals. For more information, contact Francois Hugo at sealalert@arcticonline.net. (Sources: Sealion Rescue Centre - 12 Feb, 23 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Draft management plan released for Macquarie Island - The Australian federal Minister of the Environment, Robert Hill, released a draft management plan for the Macquarie Island Marine Park on 7 February, describing the management arrangements applying to the three zones making up the park. The 5.8 million hectare central portion of the park will be managed as a Highly Protected Zone where commercial activities will be prohibited, and the 10.4 million hectare northern and southern portions of the park will be managed as Habitat/Species Management Zones allowing for commercial fishing under specific management arrangements. Public comment on the draft plan closes on 30 March 2001 and copies of the plan are available from http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/mpa/macquarie/index.html. SCS Note - The World Heritage-listed island is home to an estimated 100,000 breeding Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis), New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). (Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage - 7 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

California Coastal Commission okays La Jolla seal reserve - At a meeting on 13 March the California Coastal Commission (CCC) approved by an 8-0 vote an application by the City of San Diego, USA, to renew its previous approval of La Jolla's Seal Rock Marine Mammal Reserve for another five years. The decision came despite opposition to the reserve from organisations such as the San Diego Council of Divers. In a concession to diver access, the Commission reduced the size of the reserve from 1.35 acres (0.55 hectares) to about 1 acre (0.4 hectares). Members of the public will be prohibited from swimming and diving in the re-established reserve. Regarding the City's original application that the reserve be made permanent, the Commission advised the City that in order to do so it would have to seek a change in the relevant tidelands grant language and referred the request back to the Council. The Council will also have to re-approve the reserve due to the change in the boundaries.

The Seal Rock Marine Mammal Reserve was established in 1994 for a five-year trial period in order to protect the area's harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) from harassment and disturbance, and covers La Jolla's Seal Rock and the surrounding tide pools. Commissioner Pat Kruer of San Diego commented "I think this is a special place that deserves special treatment". The decision comes as the organisation La Jolla Friends of the Seals (LJFS), which advocates for the area's seals and organises naturalist/docent-led viewing, reported that ten seal pups have been born so far at La Jolla's Children's Pool Beach. An estimated 76,000 visitors travelled to La Jolla in February to view the seals. For more information, contact LJFS's Patrick Lee Hord at phoca@lajollaseals.org. A copy of the CCC Staff Report and Preliminary Recommendation can be downloaded from http://www.coastal.ca.gov/sd/6-00-126.pdf. (Sources: CCC - 1 Mar 2001; LJFS [personal communication] - 14 Mar 2001; San Diego Union-Tribune - 14 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Process begins to create new National Park in Mexico - The organisation Pronatura Península de Baja California (PPBC) announced in February that it has initiated the procedures and technical studies designed to propose, in collaboration with the local community, the creation of a new National Park in the area of Bahía de Los Angeles, Baja California. The new park, which will be located in the region of the Grandes Islas in the Gulf of California, covers an area which is home to a large diversity of marine species, including the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus). The Bahía de Los Angeles National Park will be designed to specifically include the area's islands, coasts and marine environment. For more information, contact the PPBC's Gustavo Danemann at danemann@telnor.net. (Source: PPBC - Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Tasmanian organisation receives funding to protect seals - It was announced on 18 February that the Marine & Coastal Community Network (MCCN), in conjunction with the Tasmanian Conservation Trust, has received AUS$12,250 in Coastcare funding from the federal government in order to develop and implement a management plan for the significant sea bird and seal breeding islands off the south coast of Tasmania in Australia. The islands are home to the locally-rare New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri). For more information, contact MCCN-Tasmania at tas@mccn.org.au. (Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage - 18 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Conservationist seeks help to protect wildlife in Commander Islands - Dr. Vladimir Sevostianov, President of the Commander Islands and B.C. Nature Protection and Conservation Association, issued an urgent appeal on 28 February for financial assistance to aid the Association's research programme in the Russian Commander Islands. Dr. Sevostianov has so far been unsuccessful in raising the required funding to begin a status review of the islands' ecosystem, marine animals and human activities starting in July. Russia's recent political and economic situation has led to pressures on the area's wildlife, including on the various pinniped species found there. For more information or to assist the project, contact Vladimir Sevostianov at seaotter3@hotmail.com. (Source - Commander Islands and B.C. Nature Protection and Conservation Association - 28 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Study links krill to declining numbers of Antarctic fur seals - A study by Keith Reid and John Croxall of the British Antarctic Survey has found that declining levels of krill have affected the breeding success of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), penguins and albatrosses around South Georgia. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B (v.268, pp377-384), collected 23 years of data on the stomach contents, numbers and breeding success of the krill-eating predators. It found that although all four species surveyed did well in the early 1980s, reproductive output crashed for the species in the late 1980s as demand for krill began to draw level with supply. As a result, Keith Reid commented that "Rather than looking at managing krill just on its own, we have to look at how it's linked into the components of the ecosystem". It is believed that krill stocks may be affected by the melting of sea ice due to the rise in air temperature which has affected the Antarctic region over the last 50 years. For more information, contact the British Antarctic Survey at science@bas.ac.uk. (Sources: BBC - 6 Feb 2001; Nature - 27 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Uncontrolled tourism may destroy Mediterranean, group warns - The conservation organisation WWF issued a warning on 1 March that tourism development is having an increasingly negative impact on the Mediterranean environment and wildlife, which includes the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). The warning, issued in conjunction with the Berlin meeting of the ITB, the leading trade fair for the global tourism industry, pointed out that the Mediterranean plays host to 220 million tourists each year, a figure projected to increase to 350 million in 20 years. WWF said that this tourism was already causing environmental and habitat problems, and that a new form of sustainable tourism should be introduced to ensure that the decline of nature in the region is halted and reversed. For more information, contact Anne Rémy, WWF Mediterranean Programme Office, at aremy@wwfmedpo.org. (Sources: ENS - 1 Mar 2001; WWF - 1 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

New land-based salmon farm announced in Canada - In a joint press release on 5 March, the environmental groups Georgia Strait Alliance (GSA) and the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation applauded the provincial government's approval of a land-based salmon farm south of Nanaimo, British Columbia. There are many problems associated with marine-based open netpen salmon farms, including interactions with pinnipeds which result in the shooting of a large number of pinnipeds around the world, and basing such farms on land should have zero impacts on wild salmon and marine mammals. The GSA's Executive Director Laurie MacBride called the move "a huge step forward for the marine environment". The land-based farm will be run by Agrimarine Processing and is part of a pilot programme initiated by the provincial government to encourage new environmental fish farm technologies. Environmental groups are requesting that all open netpens in the province be converted to closed contained technologies within the next five years. For more information, contact the GSA's Howard Breen at hbreen@georgiastrait.org. For news on the shooting of pinnipeds by fish farms in British Columbia, see News, 25 June 2000. (Source: GSA - 5 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Scottish parliamentary committees call for fish farming inquiry - In a joint letter to the Scottish Minister for Rural Development dated 8 February, two Scottish parliamentary committees, the Rural Development Committee and the Transport & Environment Committee, both backed public calls for an independent inquiry into the adverse environmental effects of Scotland's fish farm industry. The Committees strongly recommended that the Scottish Executive establish an independent inquiry into the matter. Among the areas listed in the letter of being of particular concern to the Committees was "the interactions of fish farms with predatory wild life (seals and fish eating birds)". For more information, contact Friends of the Earth (FOE) - Scotland at enquiries@foe-scotland.org.uk. (Sources: FOE Scotland - 9 Feb 2001; Scottish Parliament - 9 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park to undertake vessel traffic study - A federal appeals court has ordered the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) to complete an environmental impact study on Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska before increasing tourist traffic in the park's waters. The court also ordered the NPS to return traffic to its pre-1996 level. The decision comes after the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) sued the NPS in May 1997 for violating the National Environmental Policy Act by proposing to increase marine traffic in the National Park without preparing an Environmental Impact Statement assessing the impact on the park's resources and wildlife, including Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi). For more information, contact the NPCA at npca@npca.org. (Source: ENS - 27 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Elephant seal visits South African bay - A male Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), weighing more than three tonnes and measuring just over 4 metres in length, has taken up temporary residence in Three Anchor Bay, near Cape Town, it was reported on 13 March. Mike Meyer of Marine and Coastal Management commented that the seal was probably from subantarctic Gough Island and had probably been brought to the South African shore in his search for squid. About four or five elephant seals visit the South African coastline each year. People with jet-skis were requested to launch elsewhere or do so quietly during the seal's visit. (Source: Cape Town Argus - 13 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Walruses at Moscow Zoo to have tusks removed - As a result of an earlier appeal by Russia's Moscow Zoo, a team of British veterinarians arrived in Moscow on 28 February to prepare for the removal of the tusks of 10 walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) at the zoo. The operation, planned for the end of April and requiring specially-made equipment, is needed due to the walrus' tusks having become infected and rotting as a result of the walruses banging them on the edges of their pool and on the metal bars on their enclosure. The walruses have been in great pain due to their broken tusks and there is a danger that infection in the tusks may move into the skull and body with potential life-threatening consequences. The whole procedure will cost US$20,000-25,000. All ten walruses were taken as calves from the wild 4-5 years ago. In their natural habitat walruses comb the sea bed with their tusks in search of food such as molluscs. In the zoo the bottom of their pool is concrete. (Sources: AP - 28 Feb 2001; BBC - 1 Mar 2001; ENN - 1 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Captivity Briefs ...
City Council members decided on 27 February not to finance a controversial US$55 million expansion of the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach, USA, due to the excessive cost involved. The proposed expansion had generated a great deal of opposition locally and internationally due to the Museum's plans to construct a tank to hold sea lions and dolphins for public display and breeding. A local group which was set up to oppose the plans, Dolphin Liberty, said that it would be "happy to support the marine science museum if they would wipe the slate clean and start over with a proposal that does not include confining dolphins and similar animals." However the Museum's Director C. MacRawls said that the Museum would continue to work on the project and would "regroup and come back again another day". For more information, contact Dolphin Liberty at dolphinliberty@hamptonroads.com. (Sources: Virginian-Pilot - 28 Feb 2001; Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society - 1 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

The organisation Ohioans for Animal Rights (OAR) is opposing the City Council's plans to build a new state-of-the-art aquarium in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, due to the fact that it may include the display of pinnipeds, cetaceans and other marine life. OAR is asking for concerned organisations worldwide to support its campaign by sending it letters opposing the display of live marine mammals which it will pass on to the City Council. For more information, contact OAR's David Sickles at NoJail4Whales@aol.com. (Source: OAR - 5 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

A travelling circus-style exhibition displaying two South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and three bottlenose dolphins is currently operating in Peru. The show, run by the company Waterland Mundo Marino, arrived there in early February. The Peruvian organisation ACOREMA and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) are both calling for an end to the show because of the risk to the lives of the animals involved through dangerous transportation, inadequate holding facilities, lack of veterinary assistance, and the difficulties of readapting to each new captive situation. Waterland Mundo Marino was denied a permit to visit Puerto Rico by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service in 1997, the reasons given for the refusal including the "inherently stressful nature and risk of harm to the animals." For more information, contact WDCS at info@wdcs.org. (Source: WDCS - 16 Mar 2001) (19 March 2001)

Related News ...
The Australian federal Environment Minister, Robert Hill, released the Scoping Paper for the country's South-east Regional Marine Plan on 31 January. The Scoping Paper describes the planning process and how people can be involved in the development of the Marine Plan which covers 2.5 million square kilometres of ocean from southern New South Wales, around Tasmania and Victoria to Kangaroo Island in South Australia, and also includes the waters off Macquarie Island. Further information is available at http://www.oceans.gov.au/plan.htm. (Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage - 31 Jan 2001) (19 March 2001)

A scientific consensus statement signed by 150 of the world's leading marine scientists was released at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in San Francisco, USA, on 19 February, declaring that there is now compelling scientific evidence that marine reserves conserve both biodiversity and fisheries and could help to replenish the seas. The statement is the culmination of three years of study of marine reserves around the world by the group of scientists. A representative of the group said that "marine reserves work, and they work fast" and urged "the immediate application of fully protected marine reserves as a central oceans management tool" in order to replenish the world's depleted stocks of fish and other marine species. Fully protected marine reserves currently cover a hundredth of 1% of the world's seas. For more information, see http://www.seaweb.org/AAAS. (Sources: AP - 18 Feb 2001; BBC - 17 Feb 2001; San Francisco Chronicle - 18 Feb 2001; SeaWeb - 19 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

A new report by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science and Technology Council shows that the impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing nationwide. The report, "National Assessment of Harmful Algal Blooms in U.S. Waters", compiles research and management expertise on the causes of HABs and presents recommendations for addressing their impacts. SCS Note - Ingestion of prey which has been affected by HAB toxins has resulted in or been implicated in several pinniped illness and mortality events e.g. the die-off of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) in California in 1998 and 2000. (Sources: ENS - 22 Feb 2001; NOAA - 22 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

The U.S. federal NOAA Fisheries has set up a new web site which provides information that it has gathered on the effects of fishing gear on both habitat and fish. The web site is located at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/abl/MarFish/geareffects.htm and includes a searchable literature database as well as a variety of workshop summaries, progress reports and other technical documents of interest. (Source: ENS - 15 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

An international group of scientists presented a report at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in San Francisco, USA, on 19 February showing that major sectors of the global aquaculture industry are taking more fish from the sea as foodstuff for their farmed fish than they actually produce. The report, "Farming up marine food webs", says that there is an increasing trend towards the intensive farming of carnivorous fish and that as a result we are being pushed towards a worldwide collapse of fisheries. Farmed salmon, for example, can require up to 5kg of wild fish for every kilogramme of fish produced. The report's lead author, Daniel Pauly, commented "The new trend in aquaculture is to drain the seas to feed the farms". For more information, see http://www.seaweb.org/AAAS. (Sources: ENN - 23 Feb 2001; SeaWeb - 19 Feb 2001) (19 March 2001)

Sea lions oiled in Galápagos after tanker runs aground - The unique environment and wildlife of the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands were damaged by an oil slick after the tanker Jessica ran aground on 16 January carrying 600,000 litres of diesel and 300,000 litres of bunker fuel. It is estimated that over 600,000 litres of oil have so far escaped from the tanker, which hit a reef 800m off the easternmost island of San Cristóbal due to a navigational error by the ship's captain. A massive oil cleanup operation has been launched but the oil has reached some of the other islands, noticeably Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela, affecting the wildlife and environment in its path.

Staff from the Galápagos National Park Service and Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) have been working together to clean up the oil, monitor the effects of the spill on the environment, place barriers to protect wildlife, and to rescue and treat oiled wildlife. International experts have provided their assistance, including a team from Sea Alarm / Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC) in the Netherlands, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)'s International Oiled Wildlife Team, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Two rescue centres have been set up, one on Santa Cruz and one on San Cristóbal, but Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) have been mostly treated on-site in order to minimise the disturbance to mothers and pups. The latest report is that a total of at least 26 oiled sea lion pups have been collected and washed on-site on Santa Fe and San Cristóbal. In addition approximately 50 pups and two juveniles on San Cristóbal were reported to have eye infections and one sea lion was spotted there with a diesel burn. A small number of sea lions on San Cristóbal were also reported as having earlier been relocated in order to minimise their chances of being affected by the oil.

It is generally agreed that given the quantity of fuel spilled, the impacts could have been far worse if the currents, winds and sunshine had not been so favourable. At the time of writing however, patches of bunker fuel are still drifting through the archipelago. Systematic evaluation will have to be carried out to determine the long-term affects of the spill. For more information, see the CDRS web site at http://www.darwinfoundation.org/oilspill.html, contact the SRRC at pieterburen_seals@wxs.nl, or contact Joanne Fielder, IFAW's Emergency Relief Vet, at jfielder@ifaw.org.

(Sources: There have been a very large number of media reports and press releases on the Galápagos oil spill. Please contact the SCS at info@pinnipeds.org for a compilation document of relevant reports. Alternatively, search for the word "Galapagos" in one or more of the following web sites: BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk; CNN - http://www.cnn.com; ENN - http://www.enn.com; IFAW - http://www.ifaw.org; Planet Ark (Reuters) - http://www.planetark.org/; and Yahoo News - http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/Science/Environment_and_Nature_News) (5 February 2001)

Norwegian sealing statistics for 2000 announced - It has been revealed that over 20,000 seals were killed by Norwegian sealers during the 2000 season. Published figures show that a total of 18,678 harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) were killed. Of these, 12,321 were killed on the West Ice, consisting of 6,328 young seals and 5,993 older seals, while a total of 6,357 were killed on the East Ice, consisting of 2,253 young seals and 4,104 older seals. The figures also show that 1,871 hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) were killed on the West Ice, consisting of 1,346 young seals and 525 older seals. The overall reported kill was 20,549 seals. "Young seals" refers to non-suckling pups less than one year old. SCS Note - Harp seal pups suckle for an average of 12 days and hooded seal pups suckle for an average of less than 4 days. For more information, contact Anton Krag at post@dyrebeskyttelsen.no. (Source: Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge - 2 Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)

Canada announces unchanged seal hunt quotas - The Canadian federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced on 20 December that the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) for the 2001 spring hunt will be maintained at 275,000. The TAC for hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) remains at 10,000 and a small hunt of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) will be allowed in areas other than Sable Island off Nova Scotia. The organisation International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) responded immediately by saying that it was astounded at the announcement and that the move ignored the DFO's own calculations regarding a sustainable level for the hunt, estimated by the DFO to be 257,000, thereby effectively turning the hunt into a cull. IFAW's Science Advisor, David Lavigne, commented that the decision meant that the hunt is "neither conservation-oriented nor precautionary". For more information, contact Spencer Ferron-Tripp, IFAW Canada, at sft@ifaw.org. (Sources: CP - 20 Dec 2000; DFO - 20 Dec 2000; IFAW - 20 Dec 2000; St John's Evening Telegram - 21 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

Organisations announce World Day of Action Against Seal Hunting - The animal welfare groups Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT-UK) and Bont voor Dieren, who separately organised protests last year against the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) hunts in Norway and Canada, have announced that they are organising a joint day of action this year. The World Day of Action Against Seal Hunting is to be held on Tuesday 13 March and demonstrations will be held outside Norwegian and Canadian embassies, consulates and government offices in various European and North American cities. A new coalition of grass-roots organisations working to end the hunts, GAASH - Global Action Against Seal Hunts, is being launched for the campaign. For more information, contact Craig Armstrong, CAFT-UK, at caft@caft.demon.co.uk. Further information on the day of action will be posted on the CAFT web site at http://www.caft.org.uk. (Source: CAFT-UK - 13 Mar 2001) (5 February 2001)

Seal pups in Namibia face potential starvation - It was reported on 16 January that an unnamed marine biologist has warned that up to three quarters, 150,000, of the total number of South African fur seal pups (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) in Namibia could starve this season if weather conditions continue to push the fish they eat away from the shore. Trade winds from the southern Atlantic, which normally assist an upwelling of cold plankton-rich waters along the Namibian coast, have weakened and could result in fish staying in deeper waters. This would result in nursing mothers having to make longer feeding trips and lead to potential starvation in pups. It was reported that there are a large number of dead pups along the Namibian coast. SCS Note - An estimated 150,000 new born pups, virtually all of the pups born, died each year on the Namibian coast in 1994 and 1995, tens of thousands of adults also dying, almost certainly due to malnutrition and starvation because of a scarcity of fish caused by environmental conditions. (Source: Johannesburg Daily Mail & Guardian - 16 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

U.S. Senator compromises on Steller sea lion protection - Following intense negotiations, Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens eventually compromised on 15 December regarding the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) related rider that he had attached to a Congress spending bill (see News, 15 December 2000). Environmentalists had feared in particular that the wording of the rider, intended to block new Alaskan groundfish fishery restrictions aimed at protecting the sea lions, would have critically undermined the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). The final rider diluted the sea lion management plan with the following measures:

The 2001 fishing season to open as scheduled on 20 January under the restrictions that were in effect prior to 15 July 2000, modified by the Department of Commerce to the "maximum extent practicable" to conform to the recommendations of the new Biological Opinion (BiOp). Any new or modified restrictions introduced before 15 March, when the prime fishing season has ended, must be carried out through fishery management plan amendments in consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC).

Fishery restrictions introduced after 15 March cannot exceed 10% of the total fish catch set by the NPFMC.

Critical sea lion habitat can be opened and seasonal catch limits lifted to ensure that the income of fishermen and processing plants is maintained at 1999 levels.

The BiOp and sea lion management plan are to be reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences in consultation with the NPFMC and must be revised by fishery managers by 1 January 2002 or the rules will take effect as they currently stand in the BiOp.

The spending bill also provided US$30 million in direct payments to fishing communities and businesses affected by the restrictions, and a total of US$43 million for various Steller sea lion-related research studies. Environmentalists welcomed the news that the ESA and NEPA had not been undermined but expressed concern that the fishing industry may try to pressure the Secretary of Commerce to delay implementation of the new conservation measures using the "roadblocks" provided by Stevens' rider. During the debate, on 13 December, Senator Stevens accused killer whales of being the real reason for the decline in Steller sea lion numbers, an accusation which was immediately dismissed as "unfounded" by a leading expert on killer whales.

On 28 December, NOAA Fisheries announced that groundfish fisheries off Alaska for gear other than trawl gear would open on 1 January and would be conducted temporarily under the pre-15 July 2000 regulations. On 11 January Greenpeace and several other environmental organisations delivered a letter to the Acting Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality urging him to take measures to protect the marine environment along the coast of Alaska. The letter accused NOAA Fisheries of apparently disregarding the conclusions of its own scientists and continuing to allow fishing at dangerously high levels in the Bering Sea.

On 19 January NOAA Fisheries issued an emergency rule establishing Steller sea lion protection measures to become effective on 20 January. The rule extended existing measures and implemented new measures. The complete text of the emergency rule can be found at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/2001hrvstspecssl.htm. On 25 January NOAA Fisheries made available for public review and comment a large-scale analysis of the Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries management plans. The Draft Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Draft SEIS) can be viewed at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/seis/default.htm and public comments will be accepted until 26 April 2001.

(Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 15 Dec, 16 Dec, 19 Dec 2000; AP - 14 Dec 2000; Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund - 15 Dec 2000; ENN - 16 Dec 2000; ENS - 18 Dec 2000; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 15 Dec 2000, 20 Jan 2001; FIS - 13 Dec, 13 Dec, 13 Dec, 15 Dec, 19 Dec, 19 Dec, 20 Dec, 21 Dec, 21 Dec, 22 Dec, 26 Dec 2000, 3 Jan, 11 Jan, 11 Jan, 15 Jan, 16 Jan, 29 Jan 2001; Greenpeace USA - 14 Dec 2000, 11 Jan 2001; Los Angeles Times - 19 Dec 2000; NOAA Fisheries - 28 Dec 2000, 19 Jan, 25 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Calls for seal cull in Ireland - The Irish parliamentary member for Waterford, Austin Deasy, called at the beginning of January for the Department of Marine and Natural Resources to organise culls of seals in Irish waters on a regular basis in order to conserve salmon stocks. The Minister of the Department, Frank Fahey, said that he had received numerous complaints from fishermen about a growth in the seal population and commented that the Department was in discussion with its counterparts in the Scottish Executive and were attempting to carry out research on the seal population and its effects on salmon. A study on the effects of the seal population on inshore fisheries has been carried out by the Department of Environmental Resource Management at University College Dublin, on behalf of the Irish sea fisheries board BIM, and a report of the study was due to be completed and submitted to the European Commission by the end of 2000.

The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) countered the call for a cull, saying that over-fishing is the real problem and pointing out that they have reviewed the evidence both nationally and internationally and have found no evidence to support the argument for seal culling. Some illegal killing of seals has taken place over the years in Ireland and the Sanctuary is concerned at the increasing reports of incidents of such killing which it is receiving. There are thought to be 2,000 to 3,000 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and 2,000 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) around the coasts although census information is scarce. For more information, contact the ISS at iseal_sanctuary@hotmail.com. For previous news of the increase in seal killings in Ireland, see News, 28 August 2000. (Sources: FIS - 29 Dec 2000; Munster Express - 5 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

U.K. fishing organisations renew calls for seal cull - The Fishermen's Association Ltd (FAL) was reported on 30 January as having called for the set-up of a "management plan" for grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) around the coasts of the U.K. Arguing that Scotland is undergoing an "invasion" of grey seals, FAL spokesman Roddy McColl called for the introduction of a seal cull, claiming that fishermen were now scapegoats in "the politically correct world of responsible and sustainable fisheries". In the meantime the Western Isles Fishermen's Association was reported on 1 February as having called for the Government to reduce the seal population around the islands by 50% in order to reduce their consumption of fish. The Association also questioned the criteria for designating conservation sites for seals and said that the Government's policy of proposing Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for seals should be dropped.

In a report to the Scottish Parliament's European Committee which met on 30 January the Scottish White Fish Producers Association recommended that a seal commission be set up and that the Scottish Parliament address the issues of the effects of seals on fisheries as a matter of urgency. SCS Note - For an SCS fact sheet countering the erroneous arguments of those calling for a seal cull in the U.K., please contact the Society at info@pinnipeds.org. For previous news on this issue, see News, 15 December 2000. (Sources: Aberdeen Press & Journal - 1 Feb 2001; FIS - 30 Jan, 1 Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)

Alaskan fisherman convicted of shooting sea lions - Stanley Roy Pederson, the Alaskan salmon fisherman charged in the federal court with illegally shooting endangered Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) (see News, 15 December 2000), was found guilty on the misdemeanour violation and two additional firearms violations on 19 January. Although the prosecutor could not provide a gun or sea lion carcass as evidence, several deck hands testified that Pedersen fired a shotgun at sea lions on as many as 30 occasions in the summer of 1999, one witness saying that he had seen Pedersen go through four boxes of shotgun shells. In all, witnesses described Pedersen firing about 80 rounds. A date of 5 April has been set for sentencing. (Sources: Anchorage Daily News - 17 Jan, 20 Jan 2001; AP - 17 Jan 2001; FIS - 22 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Seal beaten to death with a brick in South Africa - It was reported on 15 December that a female adult seal had been found battered to death in the harbour at Hout Bay, Cape Town, and that a brick, probably used to kill the seal, was found next to its body. A shopkeeper at the harbour, Jose Stouffs, said that the seal used to lie near his shop every day that he was distraught to see it stoned to death. The seal "Ninja" had been found in a thin state with pneumonia and tapeworm three weeks earlier by the seal rehabilitator Francois Hugo and was being treated by Hugo in the wild. Mike Meyer of the governmental Marine and Coastal Management, which has been in conflict with Hugo for a long time over his rehabilitation methods, claimed that the seal's death was linked to Hugo's feeding of the seal which had made it less aggressive towards humans. For more information, contact Francois Hugo at sasealion@wam.co.za or Mike Meyer at mmeyer@sfri.wcape.gov.za. (Source: Cape Town Times - 15 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

Aquarium fined as a result of sea lion death - At the beginning of January it was reported that the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, California, was fined US$2,060 last November by the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for violating the Animal Welfare Act after Brandy, a pregnant sea lion, died in its care last year. The fine came as a result of an investigation by APHIS which began last March after the 114kg sea lion plunged 5.5 metres to the bottom of an empty tank during the annual cleaning of the Aquarium's pinniped tank. The violations of the Act were: insufficient handling of the sea lion; an inadequate number of trained employees to monitor the pinnipeds during the cleaning; and lack of adequate and safe facilities where the animals could be held during the cleaning. Nearly three years ago the Service also investigated the circumstances surrounding the accidental release by the Aquarium of a partially blind harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) into the wild. Eight months later it investigated the death of Verne, a sea lion that died of bacterial pneumonia. (Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram - 3 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Concern at "green" certification process for two fisheries - Environmental groups are expressing concern at the possibility that two fisheries, both known for their adverse impacts on pinnipeds, may be certified as sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabelling programme.

The MSC certification process is currently underway for the New Zealand Hoki fishery. Bycatch in the west coast hoki trawl fishery in New Zealand's South Island killed an estimated total of greater than 5,600 New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) between 1989 and 1998 (1,032 during the 1997-1998 season), the largest catch in one trawl net being 23 fur seals. Populations of several fur seal colonies on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, adjacent to the hoki fishery, are reported to have been declining over the last few years. For more information, contact Barry Weeber, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, at b.weeber@wn.forest-bird.org.nz. More details on the MSC's New Zealand hoki trawl fishery certification process and a link to express views to the certification body, SGS Product & Process Certification, can be obtained at http://www.msc.org/templates/certification.asp?id=2.

In the meantime the Alaska Oceans Network, a consortium of environmental organisations, is opposing the MSC certification of the U.S. North Pacific pollock fishery on the grounds that the fishery is having a detrimental effect on the marine ecosystem, including the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). The Network is pointing out that a federal judge has already ruled that the fishery is in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The Network's Francine Bennis stated "We have serious questions about this fishery being considered sustainable in a single-species context, and we're concerned that it could be considered suitable in an ecosystem context.". The bid for certification was announced in January by the At-Sea Processors Association and the process is expected to take at least six months. For more information, contact Niaz Dorry, Greenpeace USA at niaz.dorry@dialb.greenpeace.org. (Sources: FIS - 5 Jan, 26 Jan 2001; MSC web site; SCS; SeaWeb Ocean Update - Jan/Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)

UNESCO requested to list Lake Baikal as Endangered - The environmental organisation Greenpeace Russia wrote to UNESCO last November to ask it to transfer Lake Baikal to its list of endangered World Heritage sites due to the threats currently facing the lake. Around 80% of the fauna of Lake Baikal is unique to the lake, including the Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) - also known locally as the "nerpa". In its request Greenpeace pointed to the failure of the authorities to cut down on pollution entering the lake, and also expressed concern at the effects of uncontrolled hunting on Baikal seals which has seen the species' population fall by at least 30% over the last six years. Fears were also expressed regarding the impact of test drilling for gas in the delta of the Selenga river and mineral exploration close to the lake. For more information, contact Ivan Blokov, Greenpeace Russia, at iblokov@ru.greenpeace.org. (Source: Reuters - 27 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

Two seals test positive for morbillivirus in the Wadden Sea - It was reported on 3 February that in the past fortnight four juvenile harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) from the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea have died in the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC) in Pieterburen, the Netherlands, all exhibiting clinical signs of severe respiratory disease and showing extensive bronchopneumonia on autopsy. Two of these seals have tested positive for morbillivirus. Further investigation is being carried out to determine the type of morbillivirus involved and other organisations are being advised to be alert for the disease. For more information, contact Thijs Kuiken at kuiken@viro.azr.nl. (Source: SRRC - 3 Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)

Iranian provincial government moves to protect Caspian seals - The Department of the Environment of Gilan province, northern Iran, issued a warning to provincial residents and fishermen in December not to poach or harm Caspian seals (Phoca caspica). Citing the worrying drop in numbers of the species and the possibility of its extinction, the Department's announcement said that it was a public duty to protect the species and called on all residents to report any sightings of the seals. The announcement also added that the Department has commissioned a special marine patrol force which will supervise fishing practices in the Caspian Sea in an effort to prevent harm to the seals. The species is currently under threat in Iranian waters from pollution and from poaching (for leather goods, cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals). Last summer a 7-member team of Iranian environmentalists began research studies in order to determine the reasons for the deaths of over 30 of the seals. For more information, contact Mohsen Soleymani, Green Front Of Iran, at int@greenfront.org. For previous news on the mortality of Caspian seals, see News, 15 December 2000. (Source: Islamic Republic News Agency - 24 Dec 2000). (5 February 2001)

Problem of tourists swimming with seals highlighted in Australia - Fears have been raised that wild Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) will be harassed or swimmers will be injured as a result of the growing commercial seal swim industry in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. The RSPCA, fur seal expert Robert Warneke and the Dolphin Research Institute are calling for tough new laws to regulate the industry. The additional problem of swimmers being attacked by hungry sharks that are attracted to the seals has also been highlighted. The newspaper reporting the problem said that it had seen a large group of swimmers on a tour group at Sorrento disturbing a fur seal haulout platform crammed with seals and pups, causing many of the animals to dive into the water and swim away. Mr Warneke said that seals should be given the same legal protection as the bay's dolphins which cannot be approached by unlicensed boats, jet skis or swimmers. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has agreed to investigate the problem and to consider tougher laws but a spokesman for the Environment and Conservation Minister rejected calls for tougher regulation, saying that the fur seals are already adequately protected. For more information, contact the Dolphin Research Institute through http://www.dolphinresearch.org.au. (Source: Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun - 21 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Elsewhere in Australia, new South Australian government regulations protecting marine mammals from human-caused disturbance came into force on 1 January. Primarily designed to protect whales from potential problems that may be caused by the growing whale-watching industry at Encounter Bay on Fleurieu Peninsula, the regulations also include the banning of people coming within 10m of pinnipeds on land. Previous legislation had only resulted in the prosecution of people that "caused damage" to marine mammals, whereas under the new regulations people can be charged with harassment or molestation. Feeding marine mammals also becomes an offence under the regulations. For more information, see the South Australian government's media release at http://www.deh.sa.gov.au/data/press/mar_mammals_regs.pdf. (Source: Adelaide Advertiser - 3 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Pinnipeds may be captured from the wild for Vancouver Aquarium - The Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia, Canada, is considering the capture of more wildlife, which may include pinnipeds, to replace the killer whale Bjossa once the whale is moved to Sea World in San Diego later this year. The Aquarium's Director, John Nightingale, said that there are no firm plans for Bjossa's pool yet but that the Aquarium has considered using it to display animals either from the West Coast or, less likely, the Arctic. The West Coast exhibit could include Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) and Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). Although the Aquarium already has eight Steller sea lions and two harbour seals in other pools, Nightingale did not rule out catching more animals from the wild. Laura McDermid, Chairwoman of the Park Board, said that she was shocked to hear that wild animals may be caught for permanent display, while Debra Probert, Director of the Vancouver Humane Society, said that she was "astounded that the aquarium would consider replacing Bjossa with other animals". For more information, contact Rob Laidlaw, Zoocheck Canada, at zoocheck@idirect.com, Annelise Sorg, Coalition for No Whales in Captivity, at annelise@direct.ca, or Diane Westwood, Captive Animals Protection Society, at caps-uk@dircon.co.uk. (Source: Vancouver Sun - 12 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Organisation achieves settlement to ban jet skis in U.S. National Parks - The U.S. environmental organisation Bluewater Network reached a settlement with the federal National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Justice on 20 December regarding the use of personal watercraft (PWCs), otherwise known as jet skis, in National Parks. The settlement follows a lawsuit filed by Bluewater Network last August and an earlier partial ban on PWCs by the NPS last March. As a result, the 21 parks which were exempted from the earlier ban will now be required to ban PWCs by autumn 2002 unless they undertake an environmentally-reviewed rulemaking process. The Bluewater network has been campaigning against the use of PWCs in all National Parks due to their pollution and the disturbance that they cause to wildlife, including pinnipeds in National Seashore areas. For more information, visit http://www.bluewaternetwork.org. (Source: Earth Island Institute - 20 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

Opposition to oil drilling in Alaska - Controversy has arisen over the comments of the U.S.'s new Bush administration that it is in favour of opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for energy exploration, despite an Associated Press opinion poll released on 2 February showing that a majority of Americans are opposed to oil exploration in the refuge. The outgoing Clinton administration announced on 11 January that it was not going to create a national monument in the Refuge as it was convinced that such a monument might actually weaken the area's current protected status. Twenty one species of marine mammal, including pinnipeds, cetaceans and polar bears, can be found along the coast of the refuge which is sometimes referred to as "America's Serengeti" due to its large and varied wildlife population. There are fears that any oil drilling in the refuge could result in damaging pollution and disturbance. For more information, visit the Defenders of Wildlife's site at http://www.savethearcticrefuge.org. (Sources: AP - 2 Feb 2001; ENS - 11 Jan 2001; Save The Arctic Refuge web site) (5 February 2001)

Elsewhere in Alaska, the environmental group Greenpeace, represented by Trustees for Alaska, filed a lawsuit on 19 December against the U.S. Minerals Management Service in order to block Phillips Petroleum's planned exploration of the McCovey prospect, 19km offshore from Prudhoe Bay. Two similar actions were also filed by Inupiat Eskimos. All three lawsuits contend that Phillips Alaska has not met the Service's standards for oil-spill planning. Greenpeace representative Melanie Duchin pointed out that the prospects for cleaning up an oil spill in harsh Arctic offshore conditions are far poorer than in more temperate areas and said that an oil spill or well blowout would harm whales, polar bears, seals and other Arctic wildlife. For more information, contact Melanie Duchin at melanie.duchin@dialb.greenpeace.org. (Source: Reuters - 21 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

Two more protected areas for seals proposed in Scotland - The Scottish Executive has proposed two new candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to the European Commission which include seals as the special feature. The Executive's submission on 20 December included the Yell Sound Coast in the Shetland Islands due to its population of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina). The submission on 29 January included the Isle of May in Fife due to its population of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Several additional seal-related proposed SACs have already undergone the consultation exercise and are currently being decided upon. For more information, contact Sandy MacLennan, Scottish Natural Heritage, at +44-(0)1463-723100. (Sources: Scottish Natural Heritage - 17 Jan, 31 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Marine protection initiatives launched in Canada and the U.S. - The Georgia Strait Alliance, People for Puget Sound, and around 20 other non-governmental organisations are proposing a transboundary Orca Pass International Stewardship Area for the waters shared by British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, USA. The aim of the initiative is to protect a large enough area to ensure the conservation of marine biodiversity, including pinnipeds, in the shared waters. Mixed zoning and a number of fully protected Marine Protected Areas are envisioned for the area. For further information and to endorse the initiative, please contact Howard Breen, Georgia Strait Alliance, at hbreen@georgiastrait.org. (Source: Georgia Strait Alliance - 11 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

It was also announced at the end of December that the United States Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior have launched a new web site http://mpa.gov to cover a wide variety of aspects concerning Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of the United States. The web site is intended to act as a resource whereby information, tools and strategies on MPAs can be shared. Public input is also being sought through the web site regarding the proposed criteria for defining an MPA and the proposed information to be provided on each MPA. (Source: Animal Protection Institute - 28 Dec 2000) (5 February 2001)

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands reserve finalised - Following a 30-day public comment period, the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on 31 January that the newly-created Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (see News, 15 December 2000) was completed on 18 January. Some concessions were made to commercial and recreational fisheries as a result of the consultations. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the NOAA will now develop a management plan for the reserve and begin the process of designating it as a National Marine Sanctuary. The members of the Reserve's Advisory Council, representing a broad range of interest groups and backgrounds, were announced on 29 January. SCS Note - The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). For more information, visit the Reserve's web site at http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov or contact Cha Smith of KAHEA (The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance) at kahea-alliance@hawaii.rr.com. (Sources: NOAA - 29 Jan, 31 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

It was also announced on 30 January that NOAA Fisheries has released for public comment a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Fishery Management Plan for coral reef ecosystems in the Western Pacific, including the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. The Plan, developed by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, addresses the need for balanced use and management of coral reefs and is the first ever ecosystem-based fisheries plan developed in the United States. The report is available at http://www.wpcouncil.org and written comments will be accepted until 26 February 2001. (Source: NOAA Fisheries - 30 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Coordinated Steller sea lion research plan under development - Representatives of several agencies and organisations met in Seattle, Washington, USA, on 24-25 January in order to develop a comprehensive and coordinated research plan to study the decline of the endangered Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska. Discussions focused on developing integrated studies to address factors that may be impeding the recovery of Steller sea lion populations and over 50 projects were proposed by the participants. Refinement of the overall research plan and formulation of individual studies will continue for several weeks, with the aim of commencing field studies this year. (Source: NOAA Fisheries - 1 Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)

Norwegian researcher claims seal oil has health benefits - University of Bergen researcher Linn Anne Bjelland told reporters on 4 January that seal oil may ease ills ranging from digestive problems to rheumatism, and that a test survey had shown patients reporting fewer aches after ten days of taking seal oil. Bjelland says that she plans to work with the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate to expand her research from a handful of patients and also that she is going to look at the possibility of using seal oil as a drug. SCS Note - It was reported last year that the Norwegian sealing industry was in difficulty and that it required seal products to be developed and marketed to ensure its survival. (Source: Reuters - 4 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

Rehabilitation News ...
The U.S. Congress voted as part of a Department of Commerce budget bill on 15 December to provide funding of US$800,000 to the new Cape Cod Marine Life Center which has been proposed for Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. The new non-profit institution is intended to act as a rescue centre for stranded marine life, including seals, cetaceans and turtles, as well as including a science and education centre. A total of US$7 million is being sought to finance the project. (Source: Cape Cod Times - 19 Dec 2000). (5 February 2001)

The organisation Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR), referring to the record health problems and fatalities currently affecting grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) in South West Wales and southern Ireland (see News, 15 December 2000), has recommended that any possible links connecting the problems to the pollution caused by the Sea Empress oil disaster in 1996 should be investigated. WMLR's Terry Leadbetter pointed out that the pups experiencing the problems could be the offspring of pups born during the year of the disaster. For more information, contact WMLR's Tina Martin at tinap.martin@tesco.net. (Sources: BBC - 16 Jan 2001; London Times - 16 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

The State Government of Victoria, Australia, and the Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre on Phillip Island are continuing in their fight over the Centre's request that government fees be reduced or deferred in order to allow it to proceed with an AUS$11.5 million investment to build seal rehabilitation pools and a new jetty. Both parties are currently participating in an independent arbitration process but the Government has now refused to hand over a cabinet document that it was ordered to by the arbitrators. For more information, contact the Sea Life Centre at info@sealrocksvic.com.au. (Source: Melbourne Age - 11 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

The Orkney Seal Rescue centre in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, revealed at the beginning of January that during the 2000 calendar year it cared for 92 seal pups, mostly harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) but also two hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) and one ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida). Orkney Seal Rescue's Ross Flett commented that to continue caring for this number of seal pups annually the facilities at the centre would have to be expanded and improved. For more information, contact Ross Flett at SelkieSave@aol.com. (Source: Orkney Seal Rescue - 1 Jan 2001) (5 February 2001)

On 10 January the Alaska Sea Life Center (ASLC) released Lacy, the juvenile female ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida) that was rescued in Bristol Bay and taken to the centre last September with a fungal infection that caused hair loss and dark patches on various areas of her body. The rescue in September was a collaborative effort by the ASLC, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, NOAA Fisheries and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Lacy has been fitted with a satellite tracking tag and information about her travels will be posted on the ASLC web site at http://www.alaskasealife.org. (Sources: ASLC - 22 Sep, 18 Dec 2000, 10 Jan, 2 Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) in New Jersey, USA, took in a 90kg harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) on 31 January which had been found stranded on a floating dock with a gill net caught around its neck. The centre said that the seal had become entangled in the net some time beforehand, so much so that scar tissue had grown over the net causing it to become embedded in the seal's skin and requiring the net to be surgically removed. The seal was reported as otherwise being in good health. For more information, contact the MMSC's Bob Schoelkopf at mmsc@bellatlantic.net. (Sources: Asbury Park NJ Press - 1 Feb, 3 Feb 2001) (5 February 2001)