Common Seals   Information on Dead Seals in the North Sea, Wadden Sea and the Kattegat/Skagerrak Area in 2002 Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven Recent Status Reports Reports October 2002 Status Report No. 42 (31.10.02) Status Report No. 41 (25.10.02) Status Report No. 40 (16.10.02) Status Report No. 39 (11.10.02) Status Report No. 38 (08.10.02) Status Report No. 37 (02.10.02) Previous Reports: No. 1 - 12 (May-June 2002) No. 13 - 20 (July 2002) No 21 - 28 (August 2002) No 29 - 36 (September 2002) Trilateral Seal Expert Meeting (Hamburg, 6 June 2002)   Status Report No. 42 (31.10.2002): In the Kattegat/Skagerrak area the epizootic is mainly over. Also in the entire Wadden Sea, the number of found dead seals is decreasing or has stagnated, except over the stormy days (24.-29.10.02) the numbers increased again, especially in Schleswig-Holstein. The found carcasses are mainly rather old rotten, but there are also some moribund animals, which were put to death. That means, the virus is still active. In the Danish Limfjord as well as in the United Kingdom still many seals die. Between 23 and 29 October there have been 116 dead seals reported around the United Kingdom bringing the total to 2,980 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 compiled by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews, UK on 30.10.02 (http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk) Remark: The next Seal Report will be compile in the beginning of week 47.   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. 41 (25.10.2002) Number of dead common seals (until date) Seal Report no. 42 (31.10.2002) Number of dead common seals (until date) Wadden Sea       Netherlands (incl. Noord- and Zuid-Holland, Zeeland) 16 June 2002 about 2,155 (22.10.2002) 2,174 (29.10.02)   Lower Saxony 17 July 2002 3,681 (23.10.2002) 3,783 (29.10.02) Hamburg 21 August 2002 260 (21.10.2002) 261 (29.10.02) Schleswig-Holstein 26 August 2002 2,790 (24.10.02) 3206 (30.10.02) Denmark 30 August 2002 873 (24.10.02) 937 (29.10.02) Wadden Sea Total   about 9,760 about 10,360 Helgoland 11 August 2002 268 (24.10.02) 270 (30.10.02) Kattegat/Skagerrak       Danish Kattegat / Oresund 07 May 2002 2,037 (24.10.02) epizootic mainly over no new figures available 2,037 (24.10.02) epizootic mainly over Swedish Kattegat / Skagerrak 30 May 2002 about 4,000 (06.09.02) epizootic mainly over   epizootic mainly over Norwegian Skagerrak 22 June 2002 878 (23.09.02) epizootic mainly over   epizootic mainly over Kattegat/Skagerrak Total   about 6.915 about 6.915 DK- Limfjord about 18.09.2002 315 (24.10.02) no new figures available 315 (24.10.02) Baltic Sea       Danish Baltic Sea:              Falster, Møn, South-Lolland about 13.09.2002   91 (24.10.02)   no new figures available 91 (24.10.02) German Baltic Sea coast Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 30 August 2002 11 (07.10.02) no changes  (24.10.02) 11 (07.10.02) no changes  (30.10.02) Belgium/France 31 July 02 (France) / 18 August 02 (Belgium) 21 (10.10.02) no changes  (24.10.02) 21 (10.10.02) no changes  (30.10.02) United Kingdom (common and grey seals) 13 August 2002 2,845 (24.10.2002) 2,980 (30.10.2002) All Areas                   TOTAL   about 20,225 about 20,965   Compiled by Bettina Reineking Common Wadden Sea Secretariat Virchowstr. 1 D 26382 Wilhelmshaven reineking@waddensea-secretariat.org Further Links The Netherlands: Dutch Ministy for Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries Germany Nationalparkamt Schleswig-Holstein / Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersachen  Denmark Danish Forest and Nature Agency Others Seal Mammal Research Unit (Scotland, UK) Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory (Sweden)     Top of Page   Information on Phocine Distemper Virus in the United Kingdom   30th October 2002 by Catriona Stephenson, Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, UK,  http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk Between 23 October and 29 October there have been 116 dead seals reported around the UK bringing the total to 2980 since the beginning of the outbreak (see figures for country breakdown). CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF DEAD SEAL REPORTS FROM THE UK WEEKLY TOTAL OF DEAD SEAL REPORTS FROM THE UK Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in England. Scotland: A total of 253 dead seals have now been reported around Scotland. Post-mortem examinations have been carried out on 22 animals (18 common seals and 4 grey seals), 4 of which have been confirmed as positive for PDV (3 common seals and 1 grey seal) (see Figure 4 for regional breakdown). Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in Scotland. Wales: A total of 94 dead seals have been reported from around Wales, 6 post-mortem examinations have been carried out, 1 case has been confirmed as negative for PDV and the results from the other 5 are pending (see Figure 5 for regional breakdown). Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in Wales. Northern Ireland: A total of 47 dead seals have been reported from around Northern Ireland, 4 post-mortem examinations have been carried out, 1 case has been confirmed as positive for PDV, 1 case has been confirmed as negative for PDV and the results from the other 2 are pending (see Figure 3 for regional breakdown). Regional breakdown of dead seals and positive PDV cases in Northern Ireland.   Status Report No. 41 (25.10.2002): In the Kattegat/Skagerrak area the epizootic is mainly over. In the Danish Limfjord still many seals die. In the Dutch-German-Danish Wadden Sea as well as on Helgoland the number of found dead seals is decreasing or has stagnated on a low level over the last weeks/days. Due to stormy weather more dead seals have again been registered yesterday in Schleswig-Holstein. However, among the found dead seals, there were only a few fresh ones. NEWS – United Kingdom Between 16 October and 22 October there have been 195 dead seals reported around the UK bringing the total to 2,845 since the beginning of the outbreak. Detailed information on regional breakdown of dead seals and positive pdv cases in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are listed below. (24.10.2002 Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews, UK)  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. 40 (16.10.2002) Number of dead common seals (until date) Seal Report no. 41 (25.10.2002) Number of dead common seals (until date) Wadden Sea       Netherlands (incl. Noord- and Zuid-Holland, Zeeland) 16 June 2002 about 2,141 (14.10.2002) 2,155 (22.10.02)   Lower Saxony 17 July 2002 3,519 (15.10.2002) 3,681(23.10.02) Hamburg 21 August 2002 256 (15.10.2002) 260 (21.10.02) Schleswig-Holstein 26 August 2002 2,676 (14.10.2002) 2,790 (24.10.02) Denmark 30 August 2002 > 852 (15.10.2002) 873 (24.10.02) Wadden Sea Total   about 9,444 about 9,760         Helgoland 11 August 2002 260 (15.10.2002) 268 (24.10.02)         Kattegat/Skagerrak       Danish Kattegat / Oresund 07 May 2002 2,016 (26.09.02) 2,037 (24.10.02) epizootic mainly over Swedish Kattegat / Skagerrak 30 May 2002 about 4,000 (06.09.02) epizootic mainly over Norwegian Skagerrak 22 June 2002 878 (23.09.02) epizootic mainly over Kattegat/Skagerrak Total   about 6.900 about 6.915         DK- Limfjord about 18.09.2002 170 (04.10.2002) 315 (24.10.02)         Baltic Sea