Common Seals   Information on Dead Seals  Status Reports No. 29 - 36  (September 2002)   Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven Recent Status Reports   Reports September 2002 Status Report No. 36 (27.09.02) Status Report No. 35 (24.09.02) Status Report No. 34 (20.09.02) Status Report No. 33 (13.09.02) Status Report No. 32 (10.09.02) Status Report No. 31 (06.09.02) Status Report No. 30 (03.09.02) Status Report No. 29 (02.09.02) Status Report No. 36 (27.09.2002): NEWS – Denmark The results of the investigations of the samples of dead common seals found in the Limfjord (in total 23 dead seals found in September) and in the Danish Baltic Sea area at the coast of Falster, Møn and South-Lolland (in total 11 dead seals found in September) have not come in yet. NEWS – Belgium The high stranding number of dead common seals in Belgium has not continued over the last days. NEWS – United Kingdom Between 18 September and 24 September, 308 dead seals have been reported around the UK bringing it up to a total of 1,794 since the beginning of the outbreak. The majority of these (1,603) have been from the English coast. In England, 59 post-mortem examinations have been carried out, 31 have been confirmed as positive for pdv, four have been confirmed as negative for pdv and the results from 24 post-mortems are pending. See map below for regional information on reported dead seals and confirmed pdv cases in England. Seals that died in rehabilitation centers after a period greater than one week have been excluded from these data. In Scotland, there has now been a total of 114 reported dead seals (18 common seals, 20 grey seals and 76 species indeterminate). Nine post-mortem examinations have been carried out and two are pending, but all tests to date have been negative for pdv. In Wales, a total of 49 dead seals have been reported and one post-mortem examination carried out that showed no signs of pdv, although further test results are awaited. A total of 28 dead seals have been reported from Northern Ireland, one post-mortem examination has been carried out and the results are pending.   (26.09.2002 Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews, UK)   Table: Seal Epidemic 2002 Overview of registered dead seals in the Wadden Sea, the North Sea and the Kattegat-Skagerrak and Baltic Sea area   First date of occurrence of unusual mortality Number of dead common seals (until date) Wadden Sea     Netherlands 16 June 2002 1,874 (26.09.02) Lower Saxony 17 July 2002 2,930 (26.09.02) Hamburg 21 August 2002 173 (26.09.02) Schleswig-Holstein 26 August 2002 1,992 (26.09.02) Denmark 30 August 2002 650 (26.09.02) Wadden Sea Total   7,619       Helgoland 11 August 2002 224 (25.09.02)       Kattegat/Skagerrak     Danish Kattegat / Oresund 07 May 2002 2,016 (26.09.02) Swedish Kattegat / Skagerrak 30 May 2002 about 4,000 (06.09.02) Norwegian Skagerrak 22 June 2002 878 (23.09.02) Kattegat/Skagerrak Total   about 6.900       DK- Limfjord (pdv not yet confirmed) 23 (in September)       Baltic Sea     Danish Baltic Sea:              Falster, Møn, South-Lolland (pdv not yet confirmed) 11 (in September) German Baltic Sea coast Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 30 August 2002 7 (26.09.02)       Belgium/France 31 July 02 (France) / 18 August 02 (Belgium) 19 (24.09.02)       United Kingdom (common and grey seals) 13 August 2002 1,794 (26.09.02)       All Areas                   TOTAL   about 16,600   Remark: All Status Reports are also published on the homepage: http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org Compiled by: Bettina Reineking Common Wadden Sea Secretariat Wilhelmshaven Reineking@waddensea-secretariat.org phone: +49 4421 9108 14   Status Report No. 35 (24.09.2002): NEWS – Kattegat-Skagerrag area According to Danish, Swedish and Norwegian information the epizootic seems to be mainly over in the Kattegat/Skagerrak area, and only single new/fresh carcasses have been registered in that area. NEWS – German Baltic Sea The two dead common seals, which had been found east of the peninsula Zingst at the German Baltic coast in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on 30.08 and 01.09., were tested with the Polymerase-Chani-Reaction-method (PCR) with positive results of pdv last week. Additionally, four seals were found with suspicion on pd virus in mid September at the German Baltic coast in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and samples will be investigated. Since the end of August, in total six dead common seals have been registered at the German Baltic coast in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. NEWS – Denmark The results of the investigations of the samples of dead common seals found in the Limfjord and at the coast of South-Lolland  have not come in yet. NEWS – Belgium In Belgium, there is no common seal colony and only a few animals are normally observed in Belgian waters. Each year between 5 and 20 pups of common seals, and a lesser number of grey seal pups strand here. From 18 August to 15 September, 4 dead seals washed ashore. Two of these animals were Morbillivirus positive (see Seal Report 29 from 02.09.02). One of these showed all symptoms of pdv-infection-related death, although this seal had been vaccinated before. One seal pup, originating from France, died at the Sea Life Rehabilitation Center Blankenberge (Belgium) on 31.07.02.  Also this seal was Morbillivirus infection positive (see Seal Report 26 from 21 08.02). Between 18 and 21 September, another two dead seals washed ashore, and one dead seal was observed offshore. On 22 September, eight dead seals, all in a (very) advanced state of decomposition, washed ashore. The animals must have drifted in the North Sea for at least a week.  One pup, which was brought to the Sea Life Rehabilitation Center some days before, died there. The autopsy of this animal revealed all symptoms related to pdv infection. Yesterday (23/9) and today (24/9) up to midday, another four seals washed ashore, one very decomposed, and three very fresh animals. The latter ones possibly originated from a different colony (Zeeland, The Netherlands ?) than the ones that washed ashore on 22/9. The total number of seals washed ashore since 18 August is 19, of which 15 washed ashore during the past seven days. (Jan Haelters, Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Oostende, Belgium) Table: Seal Epidemic 2002 Overview of registered dead seals in the Wadden Sea, the North Sea and the Kattegat-Skagerrak area   First date of occurrence of unusual mortality Number of dead common seals (until date) Wadden Sea     Netherlands 16 June 2002 1,749 (23.09.02) Lower Saxony 17 July 2002 2,721 (24.09.02) Hamburg 21 August 2002 155 (23.09.02) Schleswig-Holstein 26 August 2002 1,735 (23.09.02) Denmark 30 August 2002 583 (23.09.02) Wadden Sea Total   6,943       Helgoland 11 August 2002 221 (23.09.02)       Kattegat/Skagerrak     Danish Kattegat / Oresund 07 May 2002 1,990 (18.09.02) Swedish Kattegat / Skagerrak 30 May 2002 about 4,000 (06.09.02) Norwegian Skagerrak 22 June 2002 878 (23.09.02) Kattegat/Skagerrak Total   about 6.900       DK- Limfjord (pdv not yet confirmed) a few       German BalTic coast Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 30 August 2002 6 (23.09.02)       Belgium/France 31 July 02 (France) / 18 August 02 (Belgium) 19 (24.09.02)       United Kingdom (common and grey seals) 13 August 2002 1,587 (18.09.02)