A leading fisheries consultant has warned that killing more seals and cormorants is the only way to reverse the trend of ever diminishing fish stocks in the Stockholm archipelago.
Sverker Lovén, chairman of Fiskefrämjandet, a fish-promotion association, has carried out a detailed investigation into the disappearance of several breeds of fish in the waters outside the capital, most noticeably perch and pike.
He has come to the conclusion that if something is not done about the number of seals preying on the fish, there is a good chance they will eventually die out altogether.
”All indications suggest that seals and cormorants are the cause of the collapse of fish stocks. Perch and pike have completely disappeared from some parts of the archipelago,” said Loven to Metro newspaper.
Another fish under threat is the trout.
”The recapture of trout we have tagged, has decreased by around 90 percent in the past ten years and the stock of adult trout as a whole has decreased to the same extent,” he added.
Despite the fact that this could signal overfishing, the number of people fishing in the archipelago over the same period has declined sharply.
By killing more seals, a major problem could therefore be avoided in years to come, argues Lovén.
Seals consume some 25-50 tonnes of fish on a daily basis, while cormorants devour some 15-18 tonnes, meaning that, at the current rate, it is impossible for fish stocks to replenish.
http://www.thelocal.se/38534/20120116/
Showing posts with label seals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seals. Show all posts
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Orphaned baby seals taken to sanctuary after storms
A seal sanctuary in The Netherlands has been overwhelmed by the arrival of hundreds of seals that have been washed up on beaches because of storms and disease.
Many of them are orphaned pups, torn from their mothers in heavy winds off the north coast of the country.
Others have been weakened by increasingly high levels of pollution and overfishing which has depleted the supplies that the seals normally rely on.
Our reporter Anna Holligan sent this report from the sanctuary just outside Groningen.
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Physics Behind Great White Shark Attacks On Seals
ScienceDaily (Dec. 9, 2011) — A new study examining the complex and dynamic interactions between white sharks and Cape fur seals in False Bay, South Africa, offers new insights on the physical conditions and biological factors underlying predator-prey interactions in the marine environment.
University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science assistant professor Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, and a colleague from the University of British Columbia, describe how sharks are camouflaged as they stalk their prey from below. Low-light conditions, from the optical scattering of light through water, along with a shark's dark grey back and the dimly light rocky reef habitat allow sharks to remain undetected by seals swimming at the water's surface.
"Animal hunting in the ocean is rarely observed by humans," said Hammerschalg, director of the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at UM. "The high frequency of attacks by white sharks on seals at our study site in South Africa provides a very unique opportunity to uncover new insights about predator-prey relationships."
Sharks typically search, stalk and strike their prey from below. The vast majority of predatory strikes by sharks and Cape fur seals occur against small groups of young-of-the-year seals. Predatory activity by sharks is most intense within two hours of sunrise and quickly decreases as light penetration in the water column increases.
"Stealth and ambush are key elements in the white shark's predatory strategy," said Hammerschlag.
Cape fur seals also have unique techniques to detect, avoid, outmaneuver and in some cases injure the white shark in order to avoid predation by sharks.
According to the authors, if a seal is not disabled during the shark's initial shark, the small seal can use its highly maneuverable body to leap away from the shark's jaws to evade a second strike.
The study, titled "Marine predator-prey contests: Ambush and speed versus vigilance and agility," was published in the Nov. 30 online edition of the journal Marine Biology Research. Hammerschlag's co-author is the late Dr. R. Aiden Martin.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209105326.htm
University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science assistant professor Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, and a colleague from the University of British Columbia, describe how sharks are camouflaged as they stalk their prey from below. Low-light conditions, from the optical scattering of light through water, along with a shark's dark grey back and the dimly light rocky reef habitat allow sharks to remain undetected by seals swimming at the water's surface.
"Animal hunting in the ocean is rarely observed by humans," said Hammerschalg, director of the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at UM. "The high frequency of attacks by white sharks on seals at our study site in South Africa provides a very unique opportunity to uncover new insights about predator-prey relationships."
Sharks typically search, stalk and strike their prey from below. The vast majority of predatory strikes by sharks and Cape fur seals occur against small groups of young-of-the-year seals. Predatory activity by sharks is most intense within two hours of sunrise and quickly decreases as light penetration in the water column increases.
"Stealth and ambush are key elements in the white shark's predatory strategy," said Hammerschlag.
Cape fur seals also have unique techniques to detect, avoid, outmaneuver and in some cases injure the white shark in order to avoid predation by sharks.
According to the authors, if a seal is not disabled during the shark's initial shark, the small seal can use its highly maneuverable body to leap away from the shark's jaws to evade a second strike.
The study, titled "Marine predator-prey contests: Ambush and speed versus vigilance and agility," was published in the Nov. 30 online edition of the journal Marine Biology Research. Hammerschlag's co-author is the late Dr. R. Aiden Martin.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209105326.htm
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Seals use incredible navigation skills to return to site where they were born
Forget Satnav, now there is seal-nav. Scientists have discovered that some seals are capable of finding their way back to the exact spot where they were born even after spending five years out at sea.
The Antarctic fur seals' remarkable homing instinct, which is thought to be the most accurate of any sea mammal, allows the creatures to return to within a single body length of the spot where they were born to give birth to their own pups.
The Antarctic fur seals' remarkable homing instinct, which is thought to be the most accurate of any sea mammal, allows the creatures to return to within a single body length of the spot where they were born to give birth to their own pups.
Nearly four million of the sea mammals breed in huge colonies on the virtually featureless beaches of South Georgia every year. After being born, the seals spend five years out at sea feeding before returning to the island to breed.
Using radio tags placed on 335 seals shortly after they were born, researchers at the British Antarctic Survey have discovered that each seal returns to exactly the same location on the beach once they start breeding year after year.
But while typical human Global Positioning Systems (GPS), which use satellites orbiting the earth, can pinpoint a location to an accuracy of around 15 feet, the seals were found to be accurate down to as little as six feet.
Exactly how the seals achieve this feat has left the scientists baffled, but they believe the creatures use a kind of internal compass that helps them find their way across the Southern Ocean to the correct location on the right beach.
Read more here ...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Seal deaths rise to 128; scientist cites toxins
RYE — The number of dead seals washed up on the New England coast is not the only thing expanding, a spokeswoman from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. The area in which the seals are showing up is also increasing.
Maggie Mooney-Seus, a public affairs official for NOAA's Northeast Region, said the number of dead seals found along the shoreline since Sept. 1 is now at 128. Last Friday, the figure was 94.
"The distribution of where they're showing up is expanding," she said.
Seals were first found on shores from northern Massachusetts to southern Maine. But Mooney-Seus said more seals are now being found in southern Massachusetts. All are considered to be "young of the year," she said.
Mooney-Seus continued to emphasize the importance of leaving the carcasses alone. She said people should not approach or touch any marine animals, dead or alive. Disturbing a seal, or the carcass of a seal, is a federal violation and can lead to a hefty fine or jail time, she said.
In addition, people should try to keep their pets, namely dogs, away from seals and seal carcasses. Mooney-Seus said there is potential for a domestic animal to contract a virus from a seal.
"I encourage people to keep a safe distance," she said.
The cause of the surge in seal deaths has not yet been named. Mooney-Seus said results won't be known until test results on blood, tissue samples and the contents of the seals' stomachs come back.
At least one expert said the cause of the seal deaths has less to do with pathogens in the animals and more to do with contaminants in the water.
Dr. Susan Shaw, director and senior scientist at The Marine Environmental Research Institute in Maine, has been investigating Gulf of Maine harbor seals and their exposure to toxic contaminants for almost two decades.
Shaw said her findings have shown that polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, dioxins and other persistent pollutants found in seal tissue could be compromising their immune systems.
The problem, according to Shaw, is that tests to identify contaminants aren't performed right away — and often not at all — because of the cost of conducting such tests.
"The role of contaminants as a factor should be at the front of the list," she said. "But these studies take longer and can cost more."
Having done her own tests on harbor seals over the years, Shaw said the ones found off the New England coast are the most contaminated in the world. Shaw is not involved in the current testing and said she compared her past results with testing done on the West Coast and in Europe.
"These seals are loaded with hundreds of toxic compounds," Shaw said.
The contaminants are man-made and often find ways of seeping into the ground and into rivers and streams, eventually finding a way into the ocean, she said.
Shaw said there have been many "die-offs" over the years. She said they go unexplained often because the proper testing for contaminants is not done.
"I believe that contaminants need to have a role in these studies," Shaw said.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Female seals drawn to deadly ship propellers because they sound like male mating call
Female seals who suffered mysterious "corkscrew" injuries were drawn into ship propellers because the blades produce the same acoustics as a male seal's mating call, scientists believe.
Experts at the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University had previously suspected that ships were responsible for killing the seals in such a horrific way - but did not know why this was happening.
Experts at the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University had previously suspected that ships were responsible for killing the seals in such a horrific way - but did not know why this was happening.
Of seven harbour seals found along the Fife coast with the horrific trademark injuries this summer, five turned out to be females.
But the scientists from the unit have now traced twice as many seals killed by the corkscrew injuries - first reported last year - and over a wider area and period.
They have found that virtually all the deaths in the summer are adult females and in the winter juveniles.
At first the phenomenon baffled scientists until they struck on the theory that the sound of certain ship's propellers may be attracting the female seals.
They have now carried out acoustic tests on both captive and wild seals - playing recordings of propellers - which seems to back-up the theory.
The experts admit that while it explains the death of the females, it is still a mystery so far why the juveniles are being attracted.
The SMRU's preliminary report will be presented to Marine Scotland by the end of the year.
The scientists are now convinced that the corkscrew wounds are caused by ducted propellers from coastal inshore boats - and not sharks.
The corpses of at least 50 seals bamboozled experts at first because they had all suffered a single smooth-edged cut spiralling the length of their body.
Since last year the total of "corkscrew" deaths has now risen to 90.
Dr David Thompson, the researcher leading the investigation, said: "Investigations have revealed a number of features that show the injuries are entirely consistent with the animals being sucked through large ducted propellers.
"The number and range of deaths is more extensive than we first thought. They are more extensive in the UK - we now have confirmed cases in the Firth of Forth, Aberdeenshire, Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Orkney, Northumberland, Strangford Lough in Ireland, as well as the previous ones in Fife and Norfolk.
"Seals with similar characteristic spiral or corkscrew injuries have been reported from Atlantic Canada for at least the last 15 years at Sable Island off Nova Scotia and the Gulf of St Lawrence.
"What we have found is that in the summer the deaths are almost exclusively adult female harbour seals and in the winter mostly juvenile grey seals.
"The possibility is that the females are being attracted by the sound of the motors. Seals communicate at a similar low frequency roar during the breeding season.
"It is clear that the seals are responding inappropriately to some aspect of the operation of these devices. The localisation in space and time of these events makes it unlikely that the seals are being hit as a result of random coming together of swimming animals and fast moving vessels. The concentration of carcasses in each locality suggests that the vessels must be either stationary or slow moving but operating their propellers, such as when using motors for dynamic positioning. This suggests that some aspect of the operation of these devices is attracting the seals to within a danger zone from which they do not appear to be able to escape. Developing any mitigation measure will require that we identify and understand the attractive mechanism.
"An acoustic cue is suggested by the fact that all seals killed during summer month have been female harbour seals which are thought to be attracted by underwater calls of breeding males. Juvenile grey seals which are the main victims during winter months in Norfolk and Scotland have also been shown to be attracted by conspecific calls with a pulsing rhythmic pattern."
Trials have been taking place looking at matching the sounds of boats and the mating calls of seals.
"We have not identified the propeller types yet, but if we do we have the potential to change the sound and possibly avoid these types of deaths," said Dr Thompson.
"But we believe that workboats are highly likely to be involved - and in recent years there are more and more of these type of boats working in coastal waters. That is why the problem appears to be increasing.
"We think these corkscrew deaths have now been around in the UK since the 1980s. We do not know the extent of the problem. We know that only a tiny proportion of the 30,000 plus seals that die each year in UK waters are washed ashore.
"Our methods included scaled simulations using models that show how the spiral injuries can be created, as well as fine-scale observation of the injuries themselves that show the lacerations were made by the seals rotating against a smooth edged blade while at the same time being dragged past the blade by a powerful force.
"Most diagnostic of all has been the imprint on some animals of the serrated 'rope cutter' that is present on most of these types of ducted propellers to stop ropes getting entangled in the propellers."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8722274/Female-seals-drawn-to-deadly-ship-propellers-because-they-sound-like-male-mating-call.html
They have now carried out acoustic tests on both captive and wild seals - playing recordings of propellers - which seems to back-up the theory.
The experts admit that while it explains the death of the females, it is still a mystery so far why the juveniles are being attracted.
The SMRU's preliminary report will be presented to Marine Scotland by the end of the year.
The scientists are now convinced that the corkscrew wounds are caused by ducted propellers from coastal inshore boats - and not sharks.
The corpses of at least 50 seals bamboozled experts at first because they had all suffered a single smooth-edged cut spiralling the length of their body.
Since last year the total of "corkscrew" deaths has now risen to 90.
Dr David Thompson, the researcher leading the investigation, said: "Investigations have revealed a number of features that show the injuries are entirely consistent with the animals being sucked through large ducted propellers.
"The number and range of deaths is more extensive than we first thought. They are more extensive in the UK - we now have confirmed cases in the Firth of Forth, Aberdeenshire, Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Orkney, Northumberland, Strangford Lough in Ireland, as well as the previous ones in Fife and Norfolk.
"Seals with similar characteristic spiral or corkscrew injuries have been reported from Atlantic Canada for at least the last 15 years at Sable Island off Nova Scotia and the Gulf of St Lawrence.
"What we have found is that in the summer the deaths are almost exclusively adult female harbour seals and in the winter mostly juvenile grey seals.
"The possibility is that the females are being attracted by the sound of the motors. Seals communicate at a similar low frequency roar during the breeding season.
"It is clear that the seals are responding inappropriately to some aspect of the operation of these devices. The localisation in space and time of these events makes it unlikely that the seals are being hit as a result of random coming together of swimming animals and fast moving vessels. The concentration of carcasses in each locality suggests that the vessels must be either stationary or slow moving but operating their propellers, such as when using motors for dynamic positioning. This suggests that some aspect of the operation of these devices is attracting the seals to within a danger zone from which they do not appear to be able to escape. Developing any mitigation measure will require that we identify and understand the attractive mechanism.
"An acoustic cue is suggested by the fact that all seals killed during summer month have been female harbour seals which are thought to be attracted by underwater calls of breeding males. Juvenile grey seals which are the main victims during winter months in Norfolk and Scotland have also been shown to be attracted by conspecific calls with a pulsing rhythmic pattern."
Trials have been taking place looking at matching the sounds of boats and the mating calls of seals.
"We have not identified the propeller types yet, but if we do we have the potential to change the sound and possibly avoid these types of deaths," said Dr Thompson.
"But we believe that workboats are highly likely to be involved - and in recent years there are more and more of these type of boats working in coastal waters. That is why the problem appears to be increasing.
"We think these corkscrew deaths have now been around in the UK since the 1980s. We do not know the extent of the problem. We know that only a tiny proportion of the 30,000 plus seals that die each year in UK waters are washed ashore.
"Our methods included scaled simulations using models that show how the spiral injuries can be created, as well as fine-scale observation of the injuries themselves that show the lacerations were made by the seals rotating against a smooth edged blade while at the same time being dragged past the blade by a powerful force.
"Most diagnostic of all has been the imprint on some animals of the serrated 'rope cutter' that is present on most of these types of ducted propellers to stop ropes getting entangled in the propellers."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8722274/Female-seals-drawn-to-deadly-ship-propellers-because-they-sound-like-male-mating-call.html
Monday, June 20, 2011
Seal rescued from Hinkley Point B power station water intake
An Atlantic grey seal has been rescued from the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset.The seal, which had not been harmed, had been spotted swimming around in the cooling chamber but could not escape.
Staff from EDF Energy, observed by RSPCA officials, designed a cradle made from scaffolding and netting to eventually rescue the stranded animal.
After five days they managed to capture the seal, which they called Celia, and it was released nearby.
"Celia the seal seemed in no hurry to leave as there were plenty of fish for her to eat," a spokesman for the power station said.
After being hoisted out of the water intake Celia was checked by a vet who said she was none-the-worse for her ordeal.
Celia was released back into the sea from a beach several miles away from the power station.
"The spot was chosen as it was far enough away, and on the outgoing tide, so she was not likely to return," the EDF spokesman added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-13831376
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Critically endangered monk seal pup rescued
 |
| The seal pup is recovering at a rehabilitation centre on the Greek island of Alonissos |
By Victoria Gill
Science and nature reporter, BBC News
Conservationists have rescued a two-month-old Mediterranean monk seal.
The species is the world's most endangered seal and one of the most endangered marine mammals.
This pup is one of just 600 animals that remain in the wild. The team plans to release it into a small monk seal colony in Greece.
Wildlife biologist Alexandros Karamanlidis said that the pup was very weak when the researchers found it, and that "rescue came at the last moment".
The animal, which has been named Nireas, is now recovering well.
The research team, from the Mom/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal, spotted the pup on 7 February while monitoring a seal colony on an island in the south-western Aegean Sea.
"Two days later the pup started showing first signs of weakness, as it did not try to get at all in the water and did not react to human presence," the conservationists reported.
Dr Karamanlidis, the society's scientific co-ordinator, told BBC News that the animal was brought to a rehabilitation centre on the island of Alonissos.
"He had been separated from his mother and he was full of internal parasites," he said.
"Now he is gaining rapidly weight and, if everything goes according to plan, he will be released soon."
The researchers say that the human activity has encroached into the seals' habitat and that this is pushing the animals from the beaches into caves.
This has increased the likelihood of newborn pups being swept out of caves by storm surges and becoming separated from their mothers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9416000/9416895.stm
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Seal sightings baffle wildlife experts
A sharp increase in the number of seals around the coast has baffled wildlife experts, who say they have no idea where the animals are mating or giving birth.
They want the public to help solve the mystery.
Researchers have no accurate numbers for the country’s seals but have reported a large increase in sightings in recent years, especially in the Kent and Sussex area.
Brett Lewis of the University of Kent is leading the investigation.
He hopes that if coastal walkers record their sightings with the university an accurate picture can be created.
“If a dog walker or someone sees anything they think we might be interested in, I want to know the details and the exact location of the breeding pair,” he said.
“It will help us build up a much bigger picture of where they are colonising.”
A report last year found that Scotland had more grey seals than previously estimated but that common seals were in decline.
It was estimated that there were around 164,000 grey seals north of the border and a minimum of 20,000 common seals.
Around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population is thought to breed on Orkney but little is known about the boom in the South.
A similar survey helped map seal populations in Cumbria in 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8228656/Seal-sightings-baffle-wildlife-experts.html
They want the public to help solve the mystery.
Researchers have no accurate numbers for the country’s seals but have reported a large increase in sightings in recent years, especially in the Kent and Sussex area.
Brett Lewis of the University of Kent is leading the investigation.
He hopes that if coastal walkers record their sightings with the university an accurate picture can be created.
“If a dog walker or someone sees anything they think we might be interested in, I want to know the details and the exact location of the breeding pair,” he said.
“It will help us build up a much bigger picture of where they are colonising.”
A report last year found that Scotland had more grey seals than previously estimated but that common seals were in decline.
It was estimated that there were around 164,000 grey seals north of the border and a minimum of 20,000 common seals.
Around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population is thought to breed on Orkney but little is known about the boom in the South.
A similar survey helped map seal populations in Cumbria in 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8228656/Seal-sightings-baffle-wildlife-experts.html
Seal sightings baffle wildlife experts
A sharp increase in the number of seals around the coast has baffled wildlife experts, who say they have no idea where the animals are mating or giving birth.
They want the public to help solve the mystery.
Researchers have no accurate numbers for the country’s seals but have reported a large increase in sightings in recent years, especially in the Kent and Sussex area.
Brett Lewis of the University of Kent is leading the investigation.
He hopes that if coastal walkers record their sightings with the university an accurate picture can be created.
“If a dog walker or someone sees anything they think we might be interested in, I want to know the details and the exact location of the breeding pair,” he said.
“It will help us build up a much bigger picture of where they are colonising.”
A report last year found that Scotland had more grey seals than previously estimated but that common seals were in decline.
It was estimated that there were around 164,000 grey seals north of the border and a minimum of 20,000 common seals.
Around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population is thought to breed on Orkney but little is known about the boom in the South.
A similar survey helped map seal populations in Cumbria in 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8228656/Seal-sightings-baffle-wildlife-experts.html
They want the public to help solve the mystery.
Researchers have no accurate numbers for the country’s seals but have reported a large increase in sightings in recent years, especially in the Kent and Sussex area.
Brett Lewis of the University of Kent is leading the investigation.
He hopes that if coastal walkers record their sightings with the university an accurate picture can be created.
“If a dog walker or someone sees anything they think we might be interested in, I want to know the details and the exact location of the breeding pair,” he said.
“It will help us build up a much bigger picture of where they are colonising.”
A report last year found that Scotland had more grey seals than previously estimated but that common seals were in decline.
It was estimated that there were around 164,000 grey seals north of the border and a minimum of 20,000 common seals.
Around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population is thought to breed on Orkney but little is known about the boom in the South.
A similar survey helped map seal populations in Cumbria in 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8228656/Seal-sightings-baffle-wildlife-experts.html
Monday, December 6, 2010
U.S. proposes calling two types of seals threatened
By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Two types of seals should be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act because the Arctic ice and snow they depend on is vanishing due to climate change, a U.S. government agency said on Friday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formally proposed threatened listings for ringed seals and bearded seals.
Both types of seals need floating sea ice, especially in late spring and early summer when they are caring for newborn pups. Ringed seals also need deep snowdrifts because pups are born in snow caves burrowed by mother seals, NOAA said.
The late-winter and springtime rains and early melts that are occurring with greater frequency in the Arctic limit snow cave formation and expose the newborns to dangers, NOAA officials said.
"The ringed and bearded seals are especially dependent on sea ice and snow cover," NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle said.
The populations proposed for listing are concentrated in the Arctic and North Pacific waters off Alaska, where summer sea ice has been diminishing over the past decades, but range as far east as the north Atlantic and as far west as Siberia.
All the populations proposed for listing are in danger of going extinct in the foreseeable future, NOAA said.
Arctic sea ice cover this year dropped to the third lowest level since satellite records began in 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
SPECIES IN TROUBLE
If NOAA follows through with a formal listing, the seals will be the first Alaska animals granted Endangered Species Act protections because of climate change since polar bears were listed as threatened in 2008.
Speegle said NOAA's proposal was evidence that warming Arctic conditions were bad for more than just polar bears, adding, "I think it indicates that climate change is having an impact on the habitat here for a wide variety of species."
"We're seeing that all species in the Arctic are in trouble," said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that sued to secure listing for the seals, polar bears and other animals.
The proposal, which came on a deadline established in a court settlement between the Center for Biological Diversity and NOAA, was an important milestone, Noblin said. She noted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear.
"We're hoping that NOAA will make more of an effort to address the real threat to the seal species, which is greenhouse gas emissions," she said.
Following a 60-day public comment period on NOAA's listing proposal, the agency has a year to make a final determination.
There are other species dwelling in icy waters that federal scientists have determined are at risk.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to list the Pacific walrus as threatened and faces a January 31 deadline for a decision. NOAA in October listed two populations of ice-dwelling spotted seals as threatened, although both are outside the United States.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6B26PB20101203
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Two types of seals should be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act because the Arctic ice and snow they depend on is vanishing due to climate change, a U.S. government agency said on Friday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formally proposed threatened listings for ringed seals and bearded seals.
Both types of seals need floating sea ice, especially in late spring and early summer when they are caring for newborn pups. Ringed seals also need deep snowdrifts because pups are born in snow caves burrowed by mother seals, NOAA said.
The late-winter and springtime rains and early melts that are occurring with greater frequency in the Arctic limit snow cave formation and expose the newborns to dangers, NOAA officials said.
"The ringed and bearded seals are especially dependent on sea ice and snow cover," NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle said.
The populations proposed for listing are concentrated in the Arctic and North Pacific waters off Alaska, where summer sea ice has been diminishing over the past decades, but range as far east as the north Atlantic and as far west as Siberia.
All the populations proposed for listing are in danger of going extinct in the foreseeable future, NOAA said.
Arctic sea ice cover this year dropped to the third lowest level since satellite records began in 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
SPECIES IN TROUBLE
If NOAA follows through with a formal listing, the seals will be the first Alaska animals granted Endangered Species Act protections because of climate change since polar bears were listed as threatened in 2008.
Speegle said NOAA's proposal was evidence that warming Arctic conditions were bad for more than just polar bears, adding, "I think it indicates that climate change is having an impact on the habitat here for a wide variety of species."
"We're seeing that all species in the Arctic are in trouble," said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that sued to secure listing for the seals, polar bears and other animals.
The proposal, which came on a deadline established in a court settlement between the Center for Biological Diversity and NOAA, was an important milestone, Noblin said. She noted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear.
"We're hoping that NOAA will make more of an effort to address the real threat to the seal species, which is greenhouse gas emissions," she said.
Following a 60-day public comment period on NOAA's listing proposal, the agency has a year to make a final determination.
There are other species dwelling in icy waters that federal scientists have determined are at risk.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to list the Pacific walrus as threatened and faces a January 31 deadline for a decision. NOAA in October listed two populations of ice-dwelling spotted seals as threatened, although both are outside the United States.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6B26PB20101203
U.S. proposes calling two types of seals threatened
By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Two types of seals should be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act because the Arctic ice and snow they depend on is vanishing due to climate change, a U.S. government agency said on Friday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formally proposed threatened listings for ringed seals and bearded seals.
Both types of seals need floating sea ice, especially in late spring and early summer when they are caring for newborn pups. Ringed seals also need deep snowdrifts because pups are born in snow caves burrowed by mother seals, NOAA said.
The late-winter and springtime rains and early melts that are occurring with greater frequency in the Arctic limit snow cave formation and expose the newborns to dangers, NOAA officials said.
"The ringed and bearded seals are especially dependent on sea ice and snow cover," NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle said.
The populations proposed for listing are concentrated in the Arctic and North Pacific waters off Alaska, where summer sea ice has been diminishing over the past decades, but range as far east as the north Atlantic and as far west as Siberia.
All the populations proposed for listing are in danger of going extinct in the foreseeable future, NOAA said.
Arctic sea ice cover this year dropped to the third lowest level since satellite records began in 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
SPECIES IN TROUBLE
If NOAA follows through with a formal listing, the seals will be the first Alaska animals granted Endangered Species Act protections because of climate change since polar bears were listed as threatened in 2008.
Speegle said NOAA's proposal was evidence that warming Arctic conditions were bad for more than just polar bears, adding, "I think it indicates that climate change is having an impact on the habitat here for a wide variety of species."
"We're seeing that all species in the Arctic are in trouble," said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that sued to secure listing for the seals, polar bears and other animals.
The proposal, which came on a deadline established in a court settlement between the Center for Biological Diversity and NOAA, was an important milestone, Noblin said. She noted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear.
"We're hoping that NOAA will make more of an effort to address the real threat to the seal species, which is greenhouse gas emissions," she said.
Following a 60-day public comment period on NOAA's listing proposal, the agency has a year to make a final determination.
There are other species dwelling in icy waters that federal scientists have determined are at risk.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to list the Pacific walrus as threatened and faces a January 31 deadline for a decision. NOAA in October listed two populations of ice-dwelling spotted seals as threatened, although both are outside the United States.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6B26PB20101203
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Two types of seals should be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act because the Arctic ice and snow they depend on is vanishing due to climate change, a U.S. government agency said on Friday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formally proposed threatened listings for ringed seals and bearded seals.
Both types of seals need floating sea ice, especially in late spring and early summer when they are caring for newborn pups. Ringed seals also need deep snowdrifts because pups are born in snow caves burrowed by mother seals, NOAA said.
The late-winter and springtime rains and early melts that are occurring with greater frequency in the Arctic limit snow cave formation and expose the newborns to dangers, NOAA officials said.
"The ringed and bearded seals are especially dependent on sea ice and snow cover," NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle said.
The populations proposed for listing are concentrated in the Arctic and North Pacific waters off Alaska, where summer sea ice has been diminishing over the past decades, but range as far east as the north Atlantic and as far west as Siberia.
All the populations proposed for listing are in danger of going extinct in the foreseeable future, NOAA said.
Arctic sea ice cover this year dropped to the third lowest level since satellite records began in 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
SPECIES IN TROUBLE
If NOAA follows through with a formal listing, the seals will be the first Alaska animals granted Endangered Species Act protections because of climate change since polar bears were listed as threatened in 2008.
Speegle said NOAA's proposal was evidence that warming Arctic conditions were bad for more than just polar bears, adding, "I think it indicates that climate change is having an impact on the habitat here for a wide variety of species."
"We're seeing that all species in the Arctic are in trouble," said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that sued to secure listing for the seals, polar bears and other animals.
The proposal, which came on a deadline established in a court settlement between the Center for Biological Diversity and NOAA, was an important milestone, Noblin said. She noted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear.
"We're hoping that NOAA will make more of an effort to address the real threat to the seal species, which is greenhouse gas emissions," she said.
Following a 60-day public comment period on NOAA's listing proposal, the agency has a year to make a final determination.
There are other species dwelling in icy waters that federal scientists have determined are at risk.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to list the Pacific walrus as threatened and faces a January 31 deadline for a decision. NOAA in October listed two populations of ice-dwelling spotted seals as threatened, although both are outside the United States.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6B26PB20101203
Monday, November 8, 2010
European Union seal ban takes effect
'This about the right of Europeans to say no to products fom cruel hunts'
November 2010: A temporary suspension of the EU regulation banning the trade in seal products has now been revoked by the European Union's General Court, to the delight of wildlife campaigners, allowing the full implementation of this momentous legislation.
Robbie Marsland, UK Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare which has run a 40-year-long campaign to end cruel seal hunting, said: ‘We are pleased that the court has made the right decision and lifted the suspension. This ban is about the right of Europeans to say no to products that stem from cruel and unnecessary hunts. IFAW will continue to work to defend this right and to defend the EU seal ban.'
The EU ban prohibits the trade in products from all commercial seal hunts, including those in Canada, Namibia and Norway, but does not affect sealing by Inuit and other indigenous peoples.
Lesley O'Donnell, IFAW's EU Director, said: ‘The applicants in the court case included most of the Canadian and Norwegian commercial sealing industry, and as such, had the suspension not ended there could be no guarantee to Europeans that they were not providing a market for products from cruel commercial seal hunts.'
IFAW opposes Canada's commercial seal hunt because of its unacceptable cruelty. The largest marine mammal hunt in the world sees seals being clubbed or shot, primarily so their fur can be used to provide luxury items for the fashion industry.
The EU will likely have to defend its seal ban at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Canada recently requested additional WTO consultations with the EU on the ban. The consultations are expected to take place before the end of the year.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/seal-product-ban.html
November 2010: A temporary suspension of the EU regulation banning the trade in seal products has now been revoked by the European Union's General Court, to the delight of wildlife campaigners, allowing the full implementation of this momentous legislation.
Robbie Marsland, UK Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare which has run a 40-year-long campaign to end cruel seal hunting, said: ‘We are pleased that the court has made the right decision and lifted the suspension. This ban is about the right of Europeans to say no to products that stem from cruel and unnecessary hunts. IFAW will continue to work to defend this right and to defend the EU seal ban.'
The EU ban prohibits the trade in products from all commercial seal hunts, including those in Canada, Namibia and Norway, but does not affect sealing by Inuit and other indigenous peoples.
Lesley O'Donnell, IFAW's EU Director, said: ‘The applicants in the court case included most of the Canadian and Norwegian commercial sealing industry, and as such, had the suspension not ended there could be no guarantee to Europeans that they were not providing a market for products from cruel commercial seal hunts.'
IFAW opposes Canada's commercial seal hunt because of its unacceptable cruelty. The largest marine mammal hunt in the world sees seals being clubbed or shot, primarily so their fur can be used to provide luxury items for the fashion industry.
The EU will likely have to defend its seal ban at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Canada recently requested additional WTO consultations with the EU on the ban. The consultations are expected to take place before the end of the year.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/seal-product-ban.html
European Union seal ban takes effect
'This about the right of Europeans to say no to products fom cruel hunts'
November 2010: A temporary suspension of the EU regulation banning the trade in seal products has now been revoked by the European Union's General Court, to the delight of wildlife campaigners, allowing the full implementation of this momentous legislation.
Robbie Marsland, UK Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare which has run a 40-year-long campaign to end cruel seal hunting, said: ‘We are pleased that the court has made the right decision and lifted the suspension. This ban is about the right of Europeans to say no to products that stem from cruel and unnecessary hunts. IFAW will continue to work to defend this right and to defend the EU seal ban.'
The EU ban prohibits the trade in products from all commercial seal hunts, including those in Canada, Namibia and Norway, but does not affect sealing by Inuit and other indigenous peoples.
Lesley O'Donnell, IFAW's EU Director, said: ‘The applicants in the court case included most of the Canadian and Norwegian commercial sealing industry, and as such, had the suspension not ended there could be no guarantee to Europeans that they were not providing a market for products from cruel commercial seal hunts.'
IFAW opposes Canada's commercial seal hunt because of its unacceptable cruelty. The largest marine mammal hunt in the world sees seals being clubbed or shot, primarily so their fur can be used to provide luxury items for the fashion industry.
The EU will likely have to defend its seal ban at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Canada recently requested additional WTO consultations with the EU on the ban. The consultations are expected to take place before the end of the year.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/seal-product-ban.html
November 2010: A temporary suspension of the EU regulation banning the trade in seal products has now been revoked by the European Union's General Court, to the delight of wildlife campaigners, allowing the full implementation of this momentous legislation.
Robbie Marsland, UK Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare which has run a 40-year-long campaign to end cruel seal hunting, said: ‘We are pleased that the court has made the right decision and lifted the suspension. This ban is about the right of Europeans to say no to products that stem from cruel and unnecessary hunts. IFAW will continue to work to defend this right and to defend the EU seal ban.'
The EU ban prohibits the trade in products from all commercial seal hunts, including those in Canada, Namibia and Norway, but does not affect sealing by Inuit and other indigenous peoples.
Lesley O'Donnell, IFAW's EU Director, said: ‘The applicants in the court case included most of the Canadian and Norwegian commercial sealing industry, and as such, had the suspension not ended there could be no guarantee to Europeans that they were not providing a market for products from cruel commercial seal hunts.'
IFAW opposes Canada's commercial seal hunt because of its unacceptable cruelty. The largest marine mammal hunt in the world sees seals being clubbed or shot, primarily so their fur can be used to provide luxury items for the fashion industry.
The EU will likely have to defend its seal ban at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Canada recently requested additional WTO consultations with the EU on the ban. The consultations are expected to take place before the end of the year.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/seal-product-ban.html
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Rescued seal found stabbed to death
A SEAL rescued by lifeboat crew members less than three weeks ago has been found dead after being stabbed.
Gardai [police] in Arklow, Co Wicklow are carrying out an investigation after stab wounds were spotted on the animal's body after it was washed up on Ennereilly, a beach in the town.
Just 18 days earlier a major operation by the local RNLI lifeboats had saved the animal after it got caught in a fishing net 30 metres from the South Breakwater in Arklow. It swam back out to sea with just minor surface scrapes.
These marks helped identify it when the body was washed up on Monday.
The animal is thought to have been killed because various deep slash wounds were visible on its chest and back.
Detective Paul Cummiskey of Arklow Garda Station said: ''We wish to make clear that this matter will be treated very seriously.
"We were notified of the incident shortly after the dead seal was spotted by a local fisherman on Monday afternoon. The injuries could not have been accidental, so it appears that a person is responsible.'
He added that the incident has also been referred to the relevant animal welfare authorities.
By Deborah Coleman
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rescued-seal-found-stabbed-to-death-2386880.html
Gardai [police] in Arklow, Co Wicklow are carrying out an investigation after stab wounds were spotted on the animal's body after it was washed up on Ennereilly, a beach in the town.
Just 18 days earlier a major operation by the local RNLI lifeboats had saved the animal after it got caught in a fishing net 30 metres from the South Breakwater in Arklow. It swam back out to sea with just minor surface scrapes.
These marks helped identify it when the body was washed up on Monday.
The animal is thought to have been killed because various deep slash wounds were visible on its chest and back.
Detective Paul Cummiskey of Arklow Garda Station said: ''We wish to make clear that this matter will be treated very seriously.
"We were notified of the incident shortly after the dead seal was spotted by a local fisherman on Monday afternoon. The injuries could not have been accidental, so it appears that a person is responsible.'
He added that the incident has also been referred to the relevant animal welfare authorities.
By Deborah Coleman
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rescued-seal-found-stabbed-to-death-2386880.html
Rescued seal found stabbed to death
A SEAL rescued by lifeboat crew members less than three weeks ago has been found dead after being stabbed.
Gardai [police] in Arklow, Co Wicklow are carrying out an investigation after stab wounds were spotted on the animal's body after it was washed up on Ennereilly, a beach in the town.
Just 18 days earlier a major operation by the local RNLI lifeboats had saved the animal after it got caught in a fishing net 30 metres from the South Breakwater in Arklow. It swam back out to sea with just minor surface scrapes.
These marks helped identify it when the body was washed up on Monday.
The animal is thought to have been killed because various deep slash wounds were visible on its chest and back.
Detective Paul Cummiskey of Arklow Garda Station said: ''We wish to make clear that this matter will be treated very seriously.
"We were notified of the incident shortly after the dead seal was spotted by a local fisherman on Monday afternoon. The injuries could not have been accidental, so it appears that a person is responsible.'
He added that the incident has also been referred to the relevant animal welfare authorities.
By Deborah Coleman
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rescued-seal-found-stabbed-to-death-2386880.html
Gardai [police] in Arklow, Co Wicklow are carrying out an investigation after stab wounds were spotted on the animal's body after it was washed up on Ennereilly, a beach in the town.
Just 18 days earlier a major operation by the local RNLI lifeboats had saved the animal after it got caught in a fishing net 30 metres from the South Breakwater in Arklow. It swam back out to sea with just minor surface scrapes.
These marks helped identify it when the body was washed up on Monday.
The animal is thought to have been killed because various deep slash wounds were visible on its chest and back.
Detective Paul Cummiskey of Arklow Garda Station said: ''We wish to make clear that this matter will be treated very seriously.
"We were notified of the incident shortly after the dead seal was spotted by a local fisherman on Monday afternoon. The injuries could not have been accidental, so it appears that a person is responsible.'
He added that the incident has also been referred to the relevant animal welfare authorities.
By Deborah Coleman
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rescued-seal-found-stabbed-to-death-2386880.html
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
This seal was declared extinct in 1892. So what is it doing alive and well today?
Good news for Guadelupe fur seal, Bahian tree rat and bridled nailtail wallaby – but survey warns rate of extinctions still accelerating
Ian Sample, science correspondent
The Guardian, Wednesday 29 September 2010
The Guadalupe fur seal was feared extinct, gone the way of the dodo after being slaughtered by Russian and American hunters for their skins. None could be found at breeding grounds and as sightings elsewhere tailed off the species was consigned to history.
So why are there thousands of Guadalupe fur seals swimming off the coast of Mexico now? As naturalists gladly admit, reports of the species' demise at the end of the 19th century were premature. Small numbers of the animals clung on in island caves and were rediscovered only decades later. The population is now thriving, with the latest estimate putting their number at 15,000 or more.
But the case of the Guadalupe fur seal is far from unique – and more animals feared extinct could be waiting to be rediscovered. A survey of the world's mammals published today reveals that more than a third of species once feared extinct have since been spotted in the wild, in one case 180 years after the last confirmed sighting. Rare mammals that were considered dead but later rediscovered were typically missing for 52 years.
The Guadalupe seal was hunted to apparent extinction in 1892, but a tiny colony was spotted on the island by two fishermen in 1926. After a failed attempt to sell two of the animals to San Diego zoo, one of the fishermen went back to slaughter the colony out of spite. He later turned up in Panama to sell the skins, but was killed in a bar brawl. The seals were only rediscovered and protected when a zoologist tracked down the second fisherman, who revealed their location on his deathbed in 1950.
One rodent, the Bahian tree rat, which lives in forests on the Brazilian coast, went missing in 1824. Despite efforts by conservationists, the animal was not rediscovered until 2004. The bridled nailtail wallaby was once common in eastern Australia but seemed to die out in the 1930s. It was spotted in 1973 by a contractor who was preparing to clear an area of land. After he raised the alarm, the habitat was bought by the local parks service to save the animal. Another creature, a small marsupial called Gilbert's potoroo, was missing for 115 years before it was rediscovered in the south of Western Australia in 1994.
Diana Fisher, who led the survey at the University of Queensland, said the number of mammals going extinct was still accelerating despite large numbers of lost animals being found.
Conservation experts have already warned that the world is in the grip of the "sixth great extinction", as imported species and diseases, hunting and the destruction of natural habitats deal a fatal blow to plants and animals.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Fisher lists 180 mammals reported as extinct, feared extinct, or missing since the year 1500. Of these, 67 were later found to be alive and well. Animals that were picked off by new predators were rarely rediscovered, while those threatened by a loss of habitat or hunting by humans were more likely to be holding on in small colonies, she found.
The survey highlights the uncertainties in lists of extinct species, but Fisher said it should help conservationists target their searches for missing species by focusing on those most likely to be alive.
More than 25 large-scale searches have failed to find thylacines, the carnivorous, dog-like marsupials that have not been seen in Australia for nearly 80 years.
Fisher said her analysis puts the chance of the species surviving at "virtually zero". Mammals that were hunted to extinction before the 20th century, such as Steller's sea cow, the Falkland Islands wolf, sea mink and the large Palau flying fox are also unlikely to be found now, Fisher said.
"Conservation resources are wasted searching for species that have no chance of rediscovery, while most missing species receive no attention," Fisher told the Guardian. "Rather than searching ever more for charismatic missing species, such as thylacines in Australia, it would be a better use of resources to look for species that are most likely to be alive, find out where they are, and protect their habitats," she added.
According to Fisher's survey, the most likely missing mammals to be found alive are the Montane monkey-faced bat in the Solomon Islands, Alcorn's pocket gopher, which was last seen in the high forests of Mexico, and the lesser stick-nest rat, a large, soft-furred desert animal from Australia.
Four other 'extinct' species
Bahian tree rat
A small rodent that lives in the coastal forests of Brazil. Was missing and presumed extinct for 180 years from 1824. A year-long search of the area in 2004 found only one of the animals living in the region. The species is critically endangered and is considered at threat from ongoing deforestation.
Bridled nailtail wallaby
Once common in eastern Australia, this nocturnal species was thought to have died out in 1930. The animal was rediscovered in Queensland after a contractor recognised it from a picture of extinct creatures published in a women's magazine. It gets its name from the horny, pointed tip on its tail. It was hunted for its fur, but more recent threats include foxes and habitat loss. It remains endangered.
Gilbert's potoroo
A small, silky-coated marsupial that was missing in Australia from 1879 to 1994, when conservationists found a tiny population of the animals in the Two People's Bay park area in the west of the country. The animal is likely to have survived because the reserve was already protected to save the habitat of a rare bird. The potoroo suffered from predation by cats and foxes that were introduced to the area. Those that remain are genetically very similar, leaving them vulnerable to diseases. It is one of Australia's rarest animals.
Leadbeater's possum
A grey marsupial with black markings. Leadbeater's possum was known from only four specimens collected around 1900. It was considered extinct in 1920 when its habitat was destroyed, but was rediscovered in 1961 during a survey of a mountain forest in Victoria. The population stands at around 2,000 adults, a number that is expected to fall by 90% in 30 years as den trees and nesting habitat are lost.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/29/third-of-extinct-species-alive
Ian Sample, science correspondent
The Guardian, Wednesday 29 September 2010
The Guadalupe fur seal was feared extinct, gone the way of the dodo after being slaughtered by Russian and American hunters for their skins. None could be found at breeding grounds and as sightings elsewhere tailed off the species was consigned to history.
So why are there thousands of Guadalupe fur seals swimming off the coast of Mexico now? As naturalists gladly admit, reports of the species' demise at the end of the 19th century were premature. Small numbers of the animals clung on in island caves and were rediscovered only decades later. The population is now thriving, with the latest estimate putting their number at 15,000 or more.
But the case of the Guadalupe fur seal is far from unique – and more animals feared extinct could be waiting to be rediscovered. A survey of the world's mammals published today reveals that more than a third of species once feared extinct have since been spotted in the wild, in one case 180 years after the last confirmed sighting. Rare mammals that were considered dead but later rediscovered were typically missing for 52 years.
The Guadalupe seal was hunted to apparent extinction in 1892, but a tiny colony was spotted on the island by two fishermen in 1926. After a failed attempt to sell two of the animals to San Diego zoo, one of the fishermen went back to slaughter the colony out of spite. He later turned up in Panama to sell the skins, but was killed in a bar brawl. The seals were only rediscovered and protected when a zoologist tracked down the second fisherman, who revealed their location on his deathbed in 1950.
One rodent, the Bahian tree rat, which lives in forests on the Brazilian coast, went missing in 1824. Despite efforts by conservationists, the animal was not rediscovered until 2004. The bridled nailtail wallaby was once common in eastern Australia but seemed to die out in the 1930s. It was spotted in 1973 by a contractor who was preparing to clear an area of land. After he raised the alarm, the habitat was bought by the local parks service to save the animal. Another creature, a small marsupial called Gilbert's potoroo, was missing for 115 years before it was rediscovered in the south of Western Australia in 1994.
Diana Fisher, who led the survey at the University of Queensland, said the number of mammals going extinct was still accelerating despite large numbers of lost animals being found.
Conservation experts have already warned that the world is in the grip of the "sixth great extinction", as imported species and diseases, hunting and the destruction of natural habitats deal a fatal blow to plants and animals.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Fisher lists 180 mammals reported as extinct, feared extinct, or missing since the year 1500. Of these, 67 were later found to be alive and well. Animals that were picked off by new predators were rarely rediscovered, while those threatened by a loss of habitat or hunting by humans were more likely to be holding on in small colonies, she found.
The survey highlights the uncertainties in lists of extinct species, but Fisher said it should help conservationists target their searches for missing species by focusing on those most likely to be alive.
More than 25 large-scale searches have failed to find thylacines, the carnivorous, dog-like marsupials that have not been seen in Australia for nearly 80 years.
Fisher said her analysis puts the chance of the species surviving at "virtually zero". Mammals that were hunted to extinction before the 20th century, such as Steller's sea cow, the Falkland Islands wolf, sea mink and the large Palau flying fox are also unlikely to be found now, Fisher said.
"Conservation resources are wasted searching for species that have no chance of rediscovery, while most missing species receive no attention," Fisher told the Guardian. "Rather than searching ever more for charismatic missing species, such as thylacines in Australia, it would be a better use of resources to look for species that are most likely to be alive, find out where they are, and protect their habitats," she added.
According to Fisher's survey, the most likely missing mammals to be found alive are the Montane monkey-faced bat in the Solomon Islands, Alcorn's pocket gopher, which was last seen in the high forests of Mexico, and the lesser stick-nest rat, a large, soft-furred desert animal from Australia.
Four other 'extinct' species
Bahian tree rat
A small rodent that lives in the coastal forests of Brazil. Was missing and presumed extinct for 180 years from 1824. A year-long search of the area in 2004 found only one of the animals living in the region. The species is critically endangered and is considered at threat from ongoing deforestation.
Bridled nailtail wallaby
Once common in eastern Australia, this nocturnal species was thought to have died out in 1930. The animal was rediscovered in Queensland after a contractor recognised it from a picture of extinct creatures published in a women's magazine. It gets its name from the horny, pointed tip on its tail. It was hunted for its fur, but more recent threats include foxes and habitat loss. It remains endangered.
Gilbert's potoroo
A small, silky-coated marsupial that was missing in Australia from 1879 to 1994, when conservationists found a tiny population of the animals in the Two People's Bay park area in the west of the country. The animal is likely to have survived because the reserve was already protected to save the habitat of a rare bird. The potoroo suffered from predation by cats and foxes that were introduced to the area. Those that remain are genetically very similar, leaving them vulnerable to diseases. It is one of Australia's rarest animals.
Leadbeater's possum
A grey marsupial with black markings. Leadbeater's possum was known from only four specimens collected around 1900. It was considered extinct in 1920 when its habitat was destroyed, but was rediscovered in 1961 during a survey of a mountain forest in Victoria. The population stands at around 2,000 adults, a number that is expected to fall by 90% in 30 years as den trees and nesting habitat are lost.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/29/third-of-extinct-species-alive
This seal was declared extinct in 1892. So what is it doing alive and well today?
Good news for Guadelupe fur seal, Bahian tree rat and bridled nailtail wallaby – but survey warns rate of extinctions still accelerating
Ian Sample, science correspondent
The Guardian, Wednesday 29 September 2010
The Guadalupe fur seal was feared extinct, gone the way of the dodo after being slaughtered by Russian and American hunters for their skins. None could be found at breeding grounds and as sightings elsewhere tailed off the species was consigned to history.
So why are there thousands of Guadalupe fur seals swimming off the coast of Mexico now? As naturalists gladly admit, reports of the species' demise at the end of the 19th century were premature. Small numbers of the animals clung on in island caves and were rediscovered only decades later. The population is now thriving, with the latest estimate putting their number at 15,000 or more.
But the case of the Guadalupe fur seal is far from unique – and more animals feared extinct could be waiting to be rediscovered. A survey of the world's mammals published today reveals that more than a third of species once feared extinct have since been spotted in the wild, in one case 180 years after the last confirmed sighting. Rare mammals that were considered dead but later rediscovered were typically missing for 52 years.
The Guadalupe seal was hunted to apparent extinction in 1892, but a tiny colony was spotted on the island by two fishermen in 1926. After a failed attempt to sell two of the animals to San Diego zoo, one of the fishermen went back to slaughter the colony out of spite. He later turned up in Panama to sell the skins, but was killed in a bar brawl. The seals were only rediscovered and protected when a zoologist tracked down the second fisherman, who revealed their location on his deathbed in 1950.
One rodent, the Bahian tree rat, which lives in forests on the Brazilian coast, went missing in 1824. Despite efforts by conservationists, the animal was not rediscovered until 2004. The bridled nailtail wallaby was once common in eastern Australia but seemed to die out in the 1930s. It was spotted in 1973 by a contractor who was preparing to clear an area of land. After he raised the alarm, the habitat was bought by the local parks service to save the animal. Another creature, a small marsupial called Gilbert's potoroo, was missing for 115 years before it was rediscovered in the south of Western Australia in 1994.
Diana Fisher, who led the survey at the University of Queensland, said the number of mammals going extinct was still accelerating despite large numbers of lost animals being found.
Conservation experts have already warned that the world is in the grip of the "sixth great extinction", as imported species and diseases, hunting and the destruction of natural habitats deal a fatal blow to plants and animals.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Fisher lists 180 mammals reported as extinct, feared extinct, or missing since the year 1500. Of these, 67 were later found to be alive and well. Animals that were picked off by new predators were rarely rediscovered, while those threatened by a loss of habitat or hunting by humans were more likely to be holding on in small colonies, she found.
The survey highlights the uncertainties in lists of extinct species, but Fisher said it should help conservationists target their searches for missing species by focusing on those most likely to be alive.
More than 25 large-scale searches have failed to find thylacines, the carnivorous, dog-like marsupials that have not been seen in Australia for nearly 80 years.
Fisher said her analysis puts the chance of the species surviving at "virtually zero". Mammals that were hunted to extinction before the 20th century, such as Steller's sea cow, the Falkland Islands wolf, sea mink and the large Palau flying fox are also unlikely to be found now, Fisher said.
"Conservation resources are wasted searching for species that have no chance of rediscovery, while most missing species receive no attention," Fisher told the Guardian. "Rather than searching ever more for charismatic missing species, such as thylacines in Australia, it would be a better use of resources to look for species that are most likely to be alive, find out where they are, and protect their habitats," she added.
According to Fisher's survey, the most likely missing mammals to be found alive are the Montane monkey-faced bat in the Solomon Islands, Alcorn's pocket gopher, which was last seen in the high forests of Mexico, and the lesser stick-nest rat, a large, soft-furred desert animal from Australia.
Four other 'extinct' species
Bahian tree rat
A small rodent that lives in the coastal forests of Brazil. Was missing and presumed extinct for 180 years from 1824. A year-long search of the area in 2004 found only one of the animals living in the region. The species is critically endangered and is considered at threat from ongoing deforestation.
Bridled nailtail wallaby
Once common in eastern Australia, this nocturnal species was thought to have died out in 1930. The animal was rediscovered in Queensland after a contractor recognised it from a picture of extinct creatures published in a women's magazine. It gets its name from the horny, pointed tip on its tail. It was hunted for its fur, but more recent threats include foxes and habitat loss. It remains endangered.
Gilbert's potoroo
A small, silky-coated marsupial that was missing in Australia from 1879 to 1994, when conservationists found a tiny population of the animals in the Two People's Bay park area in the west of the country. The animal is likely to have survived because the reserve was already protected to save the habitat of a rare bird. The potoroo suffered from predation by cats and foxes that were introduced to the area. Those that remain are genetically very similar, leaving them vulnerable to diseases. It is one of Australia's rarest animals.
Leadbeater's possum
A grey marsupial with black markings. Leadbeater's possum was known from only four specimens collected around 1900. It was considered extinct in 1920 when its habitat was destroyed, but was rediscovered in 1961 during a survey of a mountain forest in Victoria. The population stands at around 2,000 adults, a number that is expected to fall by 90% in 30 years as den trees and nesting habitat are lost.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/29/third-of-extinct-species-alive
Ian Sample, science correspondent
The Guardian, Wednesday 29 September 2010
The Guadalupe fur seal was feared extinct, gone the way of the dodo after being slaughtered by Russian and American hunters for their skins. None could be found at breeding grounds and as sightings elsewhere tailed off the species was consigned to history.
So why are there thousands of Guadalupe fur seals swimming off the coast of Mexico now? As naturalists gladly admit, reports of the species' demise at the end of the 19th century were premature. Small numbers of the animals clung on in island caves and were rediscovered only decades later. The population is now thriving, with the latest estimate putting their number at 15,000 or more.
But the case of the Guadalupe fur seal is far from unique – and more animals feared extinct could be waiting to be rediscovered. A survey of the world's mammals published today reveals that more than a third of species once feared extinct have since been spotted in the wild, in one case 180 years after the last confirmed sighting. Rare mammals that were considered dead but later rediscovered were typically missing for 52 years.
The Guadalupe seal was hunted to apparent extinction in 1892, but a tiny colony was spotted on the island by two fishermen in 1926. After a failed attempt to sell two of the animals to San Diego zoo, one of the fishermen went back to slaughter the colony out of spite. He later turned up in Panama to sell the skins, but was killed in a bar brawl. The seals were only rediscovered and protected when a zoologist tracked down the second fisherman, who revealed their location on his deathbed in 1950.
One rodent, the Bahian tree rat, which lives in forests on the Brazilian coast, went missing in 1824. Despite efforts by conservationists, the animal was not rediscovered until 2004. The bridled nailtail wallaby was once common in eastern Australia but seemed to die out in the 1930s. It was spotted in 1973 by a contractor who was preparing to clear an area of land. After he raised the alarm, the habitat was bought by the local parks service to save the animal. Another creature, a small marsupial called Gilbert's potoroo, was missing for 115 years before it was rediscovered in the south of Western Australia in 1994.
Diana Fisher, who led the survey at the University of Queensland, said the number of mammals going extinct was still accelerating despite large numbers of lost animals being found.
Conservation experts have already warned that the world is in the grip of the "sixth great extinction", as imported species and diseases, hunting and the destruction of natural habitats deal a fatal blow to plants and animals.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Fisher lists 180 mammals reported as extinct, feared extinct, or missing since the year 1500. Of these, 67 were later found to be alive and well. Animals that were picked off by new predators were rarely rediscovered, while those threatened by a loss of habitat or hunting by humans were more likely to be holding on in small colonies, she found.
The survey highlights the uncertainties in lists of extinct species, but Fisher said it should help conservationists target their searches for missing species by focusing on those most likely to be alive.
More than 25 large-scale searches have failed to find thylacines, the carnivorous, dog-like marsupials that have not been seen in Australia for nearly 80 years.
Fisher said her analysis puts the chance of the species surviving at "virtually zero". Mammals that were hunted to extinction before the 20th century, such as Steller's sea cow, the Falkland Islands wolf, sea mink and the large Palau flying fox are also unlikely to be found now, Fisher said.
"Conservation resources are wasted searching for species that have no chance of rediscovery, while most missing species receive no attention," Fisher told the Guardian. "Rather than searching ever more for charismatic missing species, such as thylacines in Australia, it would be a better use of resources to look for species that are most likely to be alive, find out where they are, and protect their habitats," she added.
According to Fisher's survey, the most likely missing mammals to be found alive are the Montane monkey-faced bat in the Solomon Islands, Alcorn's pocket gopher, which was last seen in the high forests of Mexico, and the lesser stick-nest rat, a large, soft-furred desert animal from Australia.
Four other 'extinct' species
Bahian tree rat
A small rodent that lives in the coastal forests of Brazil. Was missing and presumed extinct for 180 years from 1824. A year-long search of the area in 2004 found only one of the animals living in the region. The species is critically endangered and is considered at threat from ongoing deforestation.
Bridled nailtail wallaby
Once common in eastern Australia, this nocturnal species was thought to have died out in 1930. The animal was rediscovered in Queensland after a contractor recognised it from a picture of extinct creatures published in a women's magazine. It gets its name from the horny, pointed tip on its tail. It was hunted for its fur, but more recent threats include foxes and habitat loss. It remains endangered.
Gilbert's potoroo
A small, silky-coated marsupial that was missing in Australia from 1879 to 1994, when conservationists found a tiny population of the animals in the Two People's Bay park area in the west of the country. The animal is likely to have survived because the reserve was already protected to save the habitat of a rare bird. The potoroo suffered from predation by cats and foxes that were introduced to the area. Those that remain are genetically very similar, leaving them vulnerable to diseases. It is one of Australia's rarest animals.
Leadbeater's possum
A grey marsupial with black markings. Leadbeater's possum was known from only four specimens collected around 1900. It was considered extinct in 1920 when its habitat was destroyed, but was rediscovered in 1961 during a survey of a mountain forest in Victoria. The population stands at around 2,000 adults, a number that is expected to fall by 90% in 30 years as den trees and nesting habitat are lost.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/29/third-of-extinct-species-alive
Sunday, August 15, 2010
'Corkscrew' seal deaths probed
15 August 2010
The mysterious deaths of more than 30 seals washed up along the east coast of Scotland and England in the past two years are being investigated.
Each of the carcasses had a single, smooth-edged cut which started at the head and spiralled around the body.
Experts said it was not known what had caused the "corkscrew" injuries, which were not consistent with fishing nets or boat propellers.
Members of the public who spot a seal carcass have been urged to report it.
Seven seals have been found with the corkscrew wounds - which affect both common and grey seals - in St Andrew Bay and the Firth of Forth in the past two months.
Six similar incidents in the same areas in 2008 and 2009 have since been uncovered.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
It is critical that we establish the cause of these strange seal deaths and do all we can to protect our seal populations”
End Quote Richard Lochhead Scottish environment secretary
In addition, four incidents were reported in Norfolk in July, part of 20 such occurrences in that area over the past year.
Similar unsolved seal mortalities have also been reported off the Atlantic coast of Canada over the past decade.
Scotland's Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has asked scientists at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews to investigate the potential cause of the seals' deaths.
He said: "Seals form an important part of Scotland's rich marine environment and it is critical that we establish the cause of these strange seal deaths and do all we can to protect our seal populations, particularly as numbers have reduced in recent years.
"I would encourage any member of the public who encounters a seal carcass to contact the Sea Mammal Research Unit, which will help to establish the scale of these issues.
"The Scottish government has already taken decisive action to provide additional protection for the endangered common seals, as set out in our new Marine Act."
Significant declines
Professor Ian Boyd, director of the SMRU, said it was important to establish how the seals died, and how widespread the problem might be.
He added: "This will inform any consideration of population impacts and potential mitigation.
"This investigation is important because these deaths come on top of significant declines observed in some Scottish common or harbour seal populations.
"SMRU welcomes any reports from the public of dead seals being washed ashore."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-10976201
(Submitted by Liz R)
The mysterious deaths of more than 30 seals washed up along the east coast of Scotland and England in the past two years are being investigated.
Each of the carcasses had a single, smooth-edged cut which started at the head and spiralled around the body.
Experts said it was not known what had caused the "corkscrew" injuries, which were not consistent with fishing nets or boat propellers.
Members of the public who spot a seal carcass have been urged to report it.
Seven seals have been found with the corkscrew wounds - which affect both common and grey seals - in St Andrew Bay and the Firth of Forth in the past two months.
Six similar incidents in the same areas in 2008 and 2009 have since been uncovered.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
It is critical that we establish the cause of these strange seal deaths and do all we can to protect our seal populations”
End Quote Richard Lochhead Scottish environment secretary
In addition, four incidents were reported in Norfolk in July, part of 20 such occurrences in that area over the past year.
Similar unsolved seal mortalities have also been reported off the Atlantic coast of Canada over the past decade.
Scotland's Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has asked scientists at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews to investigate the potential cause of the seals' deaths.
He said: "Seals form an important part of Scotland's rich marine environment and it is critical that we establish the cause of these strange seal deaths and do all we can to protect our seal populations, particularly as numbers have reduced in recent years.
"I would encourage any member of the public who encounters a seal carcass to contact the Sea Mammal Research Unit, which will help to establish the scale of these issues.
"The Scottish government has already taken decisive action to provide additional protection for the endangered common seals, as set out in our new Marine Act."
Significant declines
Professor Ian Boyd, director of the SMRU, said it was important to establish how the seals died, and how widespread the problem might be.
He added: "This will inform any consideration of population impacts and potential mitigation.
"This investigation is important because these deaths come on top of significant declines observed in some Scottish common or harbour seal populations.
"SMRU welcomes any reports from the public of dead seals being washed ashore."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-10976201
(Submitted by Liz R)
Police probe after dead seals wash up in North Norfolk
13 August 2010
The deaths of 38 seals which washed up on the North Norfolk coast are being investigated by police.
The dead mammals, a mixture of common and grey seals, have been appearing on beaches in Blakeney, Morston and Wells since November.
The animals all suffered laceration-type injuries which are believed to have eventually caused their deaths.
Two seals have been the subject of post-mortem examinations, but the results are not yet known.
Insp Mike Brown, who is leading the investigation, said: "The seals have suffered awful injuries which we believe are the probable cause of death and there is no indication that these were caused by disease or any type of predator.
"We have been working closely with seal boat operators and local fishermen but we would like to hear from anyone else who may have information regarding these occurrences."
The National Trust, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the National Wildlife Crime Unit are among several other agencies helping police to try to discover what happened to the seals.
See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-10962076
(Submitted by Liz R)
The deaths of 38 seals which washed up on the North Norfolk coast are being investigated by police.
The dead mammals, a mixture of common and grey seals, have been appearing on beaches in Blakeney, Morston and Wells since November.
The animals all suffered laceration-type injuries which are believed to have eventually caused their deaths.
Two seals have been the subject of post-mortem examinations, but the results are not yet known.
Insp Mike Brown, who is leading the investigation, said: "The seals have suffered awful injuries which we believe are the probable cause of death and there is no indication that these were caused by disease or any type of predator.
"We have been working closely with seal boat operators and local fishermen but we would like to hear from anyone else who may have information regarding these occurrences."
The National Trust, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the National Wildlife Crime Unit are among several other agencies helping police to try to discover what happened to the seals.
See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-10962076
(Submitted by Liz R)
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