Boaters urged to report seal deaths

 Boaters are being asked to report seal deaths around the coastline of England and Wales in order to help protect harbour and grey seals.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL)’s Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme (CSIP) wants to expand their research to try and understand the health of the two seal species, which are found in UK waters.

The programme has been running for 30 years and investigates whales, dolphins, porpoises, marine turtles and sharks that strand around the English and Welsh coast – including the smalltooth sand tiger shark stranded in Hampshire last weekend.

The CSIP Project Manager and researcher at ZSL’s Institute of Zoology Rob Deaville said seals are a “keystone species, meaning that they play a crucial role maintaining biodiversity within their ecosystem, so any threats to them will have a knock-on effect on the marine animals they live alongside.”

“We know that dead seals are sadly routinely found on beaches around England and Wales, but without coordinated research, we simply don’t yet have a strong understanding of what is causing their deaths – or even on how many are dying every year – which presents a challenge to taking the right evidence-driven conservation action where any mortality may be due to human activities,” he said.

“We know from decades of investigating cetacean strandings that the reasons behind these events can be varied and complex. Expanding our remit into seal deaths too will help us build a detailed picture of the pressures that seals in UK waters are facing and how we can protect the future of these essential species.”

The monitoring of seal deaths monitoring is being funded via an eight year grant from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affair.

It will be co-ordinated with partner organisations including the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Natural History Museum, Marine Environmental Monitoring and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network.

Sightings of seal deaths in England and Wales can be reported to Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme by calling 0800 652 0333.

Members of the public are advised not to approach or touch any dead seals spotted due to the risk of them carrying disease.