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 Common Seals  

Information on Dead Seals in the North Sea, Wadden Sea and the Kattegat/Skagerrak Area in 2002
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven
Status Report No. 45 (07.04.03) (Last report)
Status Report No. 44 (06.12.02)
Status Report No. 43 (21.11.02)
   
Wadden Sea Newsletter 2002-2 (November 2002):
Seal Distemper Epidemic amongst Seals in 2002 
Texel Symposium, November 2002 "Management of North Sea Harbour and Grey Seal Populations" (WSE No. 17)
Previous Reports:
No. 1 - 12 (May-June 2002)
No. 13 - 20 (July 2002)
No 21 - 28 (August 2002)
No 29 - 36 (September 2002)
 No 37 - 42 (October 2002)

Trilateral Seal Expert Meeting (Hamburg, 6 June 2002)

Status Report No. 45 (07.04.2003):

At the time of the compilation of the last seal report on 06.12.2002 the pdv epidemic amongst seals in northwestern Europe was more or less over, only in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, seals were still dying. In the present and definitively last seal report, you will find the final overview of documented dead common and grey seals in the area, which was affected by the pdv epizootic over the entire time of the pdv epidemic between May 2002 and February 2003.

In the period from December 2002 until the end of February 2003 more than 440 dead seals were reported around the United Kingdom, bringing the total in that area to 3,990 since the beginning of the outbreak. Detailed information on a regional breakdown of dead seal numbers and positive pdv cases in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are included in the report compiled by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews, UK on 29.02.03 (see Annex).

In December 2002, only three dead seals were reported around the coasts of the Republic of Ireland, bringing the total to 161 since the beginning of the pdv confirmation in mid September 2002 in this area. (Information according to the Irish Seal Sanctuary)

It can be stated that the pdv epidemic amongst seals, which started in May 2002, is over in all affected areas since the beginning of 2003. In total about 22,500 dead seals, mainly common seals, were registered in the Danish-Swedish-Norwegian Kattegat/Skagerrak area, the Limfjord, the Baltic Sea, the Wadden Sea and the North Sea.

Table: Phocine distemper epidemic amongst seals 2002
Overview of registered dead common seals in the Wadden Sea, the North Sea, the Kattegat-Skagerrak and Baltic Sea area      

 

First date of occurrence of unusual mortality

Seal Report No. 45  (April 2003)

Number of dead seals

(until date)

Minimum population size of common seal

 (number/year of counting)

 

 

Common seal and grey seal

Grey seal

 

WADDEN SEA

 

 

 

 

Netherlands:                                   Wadden Sea and                                 Noord- + Zuid-Holland, Zeeland

16 June 2002

2,244 (22.11.02)            epizootic over

2

3,600 (2001)*                            NL-Wadden Sea

Lower Saxony

17 July 2002

3,851 (18.11.02)            epizootic over

19

6,220 (2001)*

Hamburg

21 August 2002

261 (29.10.02)        epizootic over

-

(488 (2001)*, included in numbers of Lower Saxony)

Schleswig-Holstein

26 August 2002

3,338 (14.11.02)   epizootic over

-

7,190 (2001)*

Denmark

30 August 2002

962 (05.12.02)        epizootic over

1

2,380 (2001)*

Wadden Sea total

 

about 10,656

22

20,000 (2001)*
(25,000 estimation)

Helgoland

11 August 2002

270 (30.10.02)        epizootic over

-

etwa 400*

Kattegat/Skagerrak

 

 

 

 

Danish  Kattegat

04 May 2002

2,049 (05.12.02)              epizootic over

-

3,250 (2000)***

Swedish Kattegat / Skagerrak

30 May 2002

about 4,000                  epizootic over

?

about 15,000**                       

Norwegian Skagerrak

22 June 2002

878                                epizootic over

?

1,200 (1996-98)****

Kattegat/Skagerrak total

 

about 6,927

 

about 19,000**

DK- Limfjord

16 September 2002

365 (05.12.02)        epizootic over

-

1,631/886** (1999/2000)

BALTIC SEA

 

 

 

 

Danish Baltic Sea Falster, Møn, South-Lolland, incl. Oresund

about 13 September 2002

 

95 (05.12.02)          epizootic over

-

270 (2000)***

German Baltic Sea coast Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

30 August 2002

11 no more dead seal after 07.10.02

-

no colonies

BELGIUM / FRANCE

31.07.02 (France) 18.08.02 (Belgium)

22 no more dead seals after 08.11.02

-

no colonies

UNITED KINGDOM              England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

14 August 2002

3,990                          no more reports after 28.02.03, epizootic over

at least 737

 

34,100****

 

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

21 September 2002

161 no more reports after 03.12.03

at least 43

 

All Areas                TOTAL 

 

about 22,500

 

 

References:

*     Trilateral Seal Expert Group (TSEG) 2001. Common Seals in the Wadden Sea in 2001. Wadden Sea Newsletter 2001-3:20.
**    Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, Sweden. 
***  Laursen, K.  (Red.) 2001. Overvågning af fugle, sæler og planter 1999-2000, med resultater fra feltstationerne. Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser. Faglig rapport fra DMU, No. 350: 103 pp.
**** website: SMRU-UK: http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk

Compiled by

Bettina Reineking
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat
Virchowstr. 1
D 26382 Wilhelmshaven
reineking@waddensea-secretariat.org

Many thanks to all who have contributed to the seal reports during the last year. Without their support we would not have been able to accomplish what we have until now.

 

Further Links

 

 

 

ANNEX 

Information on Phocine Distemper Virus in the Uniteds Kingdom

28th February 2003

by Dr. Ailsa Hall, Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, UK.

http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk

Between 22 January 2003 and 25 February 2003, 74 dead seal reports were recorded in the UK making a total of 3990 since the beginning of the UK phocine distemper virus (PDV) outbreak.

PDV has now been positively confirmed in 72 seals (64 common, 8 grey) within the UK. The locations of these PDV-positives are detailed below.


Figure 1:  Cumulative total of dead seal reports from the UK.

 

Table 1:  Breakdown of the number of reported dead seals of each species.

 

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

UK Total

Common Seals

296

99

0

51

446

Grey Seals

97

461

154

25

737

Indeterminate

2417

357

3

30

2807

Total

2810

917

157

106

3990

England:

Between 22 January 2003 and 25 February 2003, 26 dead seals were reported within England making a total of 2810 since the beginning of the phocine distemper outbreak. The number of dead seal reports in England has remained at a low background level since the beginning of December and the PDV epidemic now appears to be over in England.

Results from post mortem examinations to date have confirmed that 53 seals (52 common, 1 grey) were positive for PDV (See Figure 3 below for regional breakdown). Seals which died in rehabilitation centres after a period greater than one week have been excluded from these data.


Figure 2:  Weekly total of dead seal reports from the UK.

 

Figure 3: Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in England.

 

Scotland:

Between 22 January 2003 and 25 February 2003, 39 dead seals were reported within Scotland making a total of 917 since the beginning of the PDV outbreak.

Post mortem examinations have been performed on 93 animals (36 common, 57 grey seal) and tests to date have confirmed that 17 animals (10 common, 7 grey) were positive for PDV (See Figure 4 for regional breakdown).

The number of dead seal reports in Scotland continue at a low level consistent with mortality rates observed over a number of years. However there remains a possibility of PDV over wintering within Scottish seal populations with the risk of an increase in mortality in the spring or summer when they begin to haul out in groups.

The number of positive cases of phocine distemper virus in Scotland has been revised due to a false positive error in the molecular testing technique that affected a small number of individuals included in the previous report.  These results have been re-classified as pending until further tests can be run.  

 

Figure 4: Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in Scotland.

 

Wales:

Between 22 January 2003 and 25 February 2003, 3 dead seals were reported within Wales making a total of 157 since the beginning of the PDV outbreak in the UK.

There have been no confirmed cases of PDV to date in Wales. Test results are still awaited for a small number of Pembrokeshire seals (see Figure 5 for regional breakdown).  

Figure 5: Regional breakdown of dead seals in Wales.

 

Northern Ireland:

Between 22 January 2003 and 25 February 2003, 6 dead seals were reported within Northern Ireland making a total of 106 since the beginning of the phocine distemper outbreak in the UK.

PDV has been confirmed in two common seals from County Down found in mid October 2002. All subsequent examinations have given negative test results (see Figure 6 for regional breakdown).

 

Figure 6: Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in Northern Ireland

Source: 
http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk/pdv/statreport22.htm

 

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Status Report No. 44 (06.12.2002):

In this seal report – the last one in 2002 -, you will find the final, partly corrected overview of registered dead common and grey seals in the Wadden Sea, the North Sea, the Kattegat-Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea area until now. In the Wadden Sea, the last surveys of the beaches have been ended in Denmark, and the seal die-off was officially considered over in Lower Saxony, Germany as well as in the Netherlands at the end of November.

Only in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland seals are still dying. Information regarding these areas will be updated in a seal report in the beginning of next year.

Since the last report on 21 November, still more than 250 dead seals have been reported around the United Kingdom, bringing the total to 3,544 since the beginning of the outbreak. Detailed information on a regional breakdown of dead seal numbers and positive pdv cases in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can be found at the Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews, UK (http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk/pdv/statusreport16.htm

In November about 45 dead seals have been reported around the coasts of the Republic of Ireland, bringing the total to 158 since the beginning of the pdv confirmation in mid September 2002 in this area. According to the Irsih Seal Sanctuary not all of the found dead seals in November can be attributed to pdv, but certainly the Harbour seals on the West coast (about 16) are very much so.
(see also: http://www.wildireland.ie/irishsealsanctuary/)

Table: Phocine distemper epidemic amongst seals 2002
Overview of registered dead common seals in the Wadden Sea, the North Sea, the Kattegat-Skagerrak and Baltic Sea area    

  First date of occurrence of unusual mortality Seal Report no. 43 
(21.10.2002)
Number of dead common and grey seals (until date) 		Seal Report no. 44 (06.12.2002)
Number of dead seals
(until date)
      common and grey seal grey seal
Wadden Sea        
Netherlands:                                   - Wadden Sea                                - Noord- + Zuid-Holland, Zeeland 16 June 2002                                              2,187 (19.11.02)                       54 (19.11.02) 2,244 (22.11.02)      epizootic over 2
Lower Saxony 17 July 2002 3,851 (18.11.02) 3,851 (18.11.02)      epizootic over 19
Hamburg 21 August 2002 261 (29.10.02) 261 (29.10.02) epizootic over -
Schleswig-Holstein 26 August 2002 3,338 (14.11.02) 3,338 (14.11.02)      epizootic over -
Denmark 30 August 2002 931 (19.11.02) 962 (05.12.02) epizootic over 1

Wadden Sea Total

  about 10,360 about 10,656 22
Helgoland 11 August 2002 270 (30.10.02) 270 (30.10.02) epizootic over -
Kattegat/Skagerrak        
Danish Kattegat 07 May 2002 2,044 (19.11.02)       epizootic over 2,049 (05.12.02)        epizootic over -
Swedish Kattegat / Skagerrak 30 May 2002 about 4,000 (06.09.02) epizootic over about 4,000             epizootic over ?
Norwegian Skagerrak 22 June 2002 878 (23.09.02)    epizootic over 878                           epizootic over ?

Kattegat/Skagerrak Total

   about 6.915 about 6.927  
DK- Limfjord about 18.09.2002 380 (19.11.02) 365 (05.12.02) epizootic over -
Baltic Sea        
Danish Baltic Sea: Falster, Møn, South-Lolland, incl. Oresund about 13.09.2002

 

93 (19.11.02) 95 (05.12.02)   epizootic over -
German Baltic Sea coast Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 30 August 2002 11 (07.10.02)                11 no dead seal found since 07.10.02 -
Belgium/France 31.07.02 (France) /18.08.02 (Belgium) 22 no dead seal found since 08.11.02 22 no dead seal found since 08.11.02 -
United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) 14 August 2002 3,285 (20.11.02) 3,544 (04.12.02) at least 540
Republic of Ireland 21.09.2002 113 (31.10.02) data from November not yet available 158 (01.12.02) at least 41

All Areas  TOTAL

   about 21,720 about 22,050  

 

Compiled by

Bettina Reineking
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat
Virchowstr. 1
D 26382 Wilhelmshaven
reineking@waddensea-secretariat.org

Further Links

 

 

 

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Status Report No. 43 (21.11.2002):

In the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Kattegat/Skagerrak area, the epizootic is already over.

Also, in the entire Wadden Sea, only a few dead seals have been found in November. In the Hamburg part of the Wadden Sea, the island of Schärhorn is not surveyed any longer because the island is not inhabited over the winter, starting at the end of October. On 14 November, in Schleswig-Holstein and on Helgoland, the seal die-off was officially considered over. The total number of dead seals in the Danish part of the Wadden Sea is, according to this report, lower than in the last seal report due to double countings.

In the Danish Limfjord, the number of found dead seals is decreasing and is expected to come to an end soon.

In the United Kingdom, seals are still dying. Since the last report at the end of October, more than 300 dead seals have been reported around the United Kingdom, bringing the total to 3,285 since the beginning of the outbreak. Detailed information on a regional breakdown of dead seal numbers and positive pdv cases in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are included in the report compiled by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews, UK on 20.11.02 (Seal Mammal Research Unit Scotland, UK)

The pdv disease has also been confirmed for the Republic of Ireland, so that, for the first time, also data from this region are included in the overview. The first report of a pdv positive seal in that area was given by the Zoological Department of the National University of Ireland, Galway, on the 08.10.02, which was one of four common seals found dead on 21.09.02 on the Aran Islands, Republic of Ireland. According to previous surveys the total number of Irish common seals have been estimated to be about 2000 (see also:www.wildireland.ie/irishsealsanctuary).

Table: Phocine distemper epidemic amongst seals 2002