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53
ACTION COA-02
INFO OCT-01 EUR-25 ADP-00 INT-08 SCI-06 EB-11 COME-00
RSR-01 RSC-01 /055 W
--------------------- 062498
R 261453Z JUL 73
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2902
UNCLAS LONDON 08615
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: SGEN, TBIO, XM, XG, XE, XD, XA
SUBJECT: MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT OF 1972:
INFORMATION ON STATUS OF MARINE MAMMALS
REF: STATE 114904
1. SEA LIONS, ELEPHANT SEALS, SEA OTTERS, WALRUS,
POLAR BEARS AND SIRENIANS ARE NOT INDIGENOUS TO UNITED
KINGDOM OR ADJACENT WATERS. SMALL CETACEANS ARE FOUND
IN ADJACENT WATERS, BUT NO ESTIMATES AVAILABLE ON
POPULATIONS. NO CETACEANS ARE HUNTED. OF THE PHOCIDAE
ONLY TWO SPECIES ARE FOUND IN UK: COMMON SEAL (PHOCA
VITULINA) AND GREY SEAL (HALICHOERUS GRYPUS).
2. MOST GREY SEALS ARE FOUND OFF NORTH AND NORTHWEST
SCOTLAND AND POPULATION IN THAT AREA IS ESTIMATED AT
ABOUT 31,000. ABOUT 9,000 MORE ARE FOUND ON COASTS OF
ENGLAND AND WALES (7,000 OF WHICH ARE ON FARNE ISLAND).
THUS, TOTAL POPULATION IS ABOUT 40,000 AND IS TENDING TO
INCREASE. ON FARNE ISLAND ABOUT 600 FEMALES AND PUPS AND
170 ADULT MALES WERE SHOT THIS YEAR IN CULLING OPERATION
TO REDUCE EXCESS NUMBERS, BUT THIS WILL BE REPEATED ONLY
AS NECESSARY FOR MANAGEMENT PURPOSES. IN OTHER PARTS OF
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 700 PUPS WERE SHOT LAST YEAR UNDER
GOVERNMENT LICENSE FOR FUR (BUT OSTENSIBLY FOR FISHERIES
CONTROL). IN ADDITION TO THIS, AN ESTIMATED 100 ADULTS
AND PUPS WERE SHOT BY FISHERMEN IN VICINITY OF NETS.
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WE HAVE NO REPORT OF ANY BEING TAKEN FOR ZOOS, ETC.
3. NUMBERS OF COMMON SEALS ARE VERY UNCERTAIN. IT IS
ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 4,000 IN BOTH SHETLAND
ISLANDS AND ORKNEY, 4,000 IN HEBRIDES AND ABOUT 5,000 IN
THE WASH. THUS, TOTAL ESTIMATED TO BE IN NEIGHBORHOOD OF
13,000. NUMBERS ARE PROBABLY INCREASING OVER MOST OF
RANGE AND THIS PROBABLY DUE TO REDUCED HUNTING BY
FISHERMEN. COMMON SEALS ARE COMPLETELY PROTECTED IN
SHETLAND ISLANDS, BUT FOLLOWING NUMBERS WERE SHOT UNDER
LICENSE FOR FUR LAST YEAR: 250 ON WEST COAST OF
SCOTLAND, 200 ON ORKNEY AND 400 IN THE WASH. NONE TAKEN
FOR OTHER PURPOSES. FOREGOING INFORMATION ON GREY AND
COMMON SEALS PROVIDED BY MR. W. NIGEL BONNER, NATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL, SEALS RESEARCH UNIT.
4. WE ALSO CONTACTED DR. R.M. LAWS OF BRITISH ANTARCTIC
SURVEY (SCAR SEALS GROUP) REGARDING POPULATIONS OF
PINNIPEDIA ON FALKLAND ISLANDS AND SOUTH GEORGIA ISLANDS.
SUMMARY OF DATA IS AS FOLLOWS:
A. FALKLAND ISLANDS: BASED ON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY,
POPULATION OF SOUTHERN SEA LION (OTARIA BYRONIA)
ESTIMATED AT 30,000. THIS REPRESENTS A DRAMATIC DECREASE
OF ABOUT 90 PERCENT FROM LAST ESTIMATE WHICH WAS MADE IN
1930'S. REASONS FOR DECLINE ARE UNKNOWN (HUNTING OF ALL
SPECIES IS FORBIDDEN IN BOTH FALKLAND ISLANDS AND SOUTH
GEORGIA ISLANDS), BUT THERE ARE PLANS FOR FURTHER
SURVEYS TO DEVELOP MORE INFORMATION. SOUTHERN FUR SEAL
(ARCTOCEPHALUS AUSTRALIS AUSTRALIS)
POPULATION HAS REMAINED STABLE AT ABOUT 20,000 FOR AT
LEAST 20 YEARS. ALTHOUGH SPECIES IS PROTECTED, THERE
MAY BE SOME POACHING. THERE ARE NO RELIABLE ESTIMATES
OF POPULATIONS OF ELEPHANT SEALS (MIROUNGA LEONINA), BUT
THEY PROBABLY NUMBER A FEW THOUSAND. A FEW HAVE BEEN
TAKEN UNDER LICENSE FOR ZOOS. ONLY OTHER SPECIES OF
PINNIPEDIA FOUND ON FALKLAND ISLANDS IS THE LEOPARD
SEAL (HYDRURGA LEPTONYX), BUT THEY ARE SCARCE AND THERE
ARE NO ESTIMATES OF NUMBERS.
B. SOUTH GEORGIA ISLANDS: FUR SEAL (A. AUSTRALIS
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GRACILIS) POPULATION HAS RISEN FROM LESS THAN 100 IN
1930'S TO AN ESTIMATED 150,000 TO 200,000 AT PRESENT,
PRODUCING 55,000 TO 60,000 PUPS ANNUALLY. POPULATION IS
INCREASING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY. ELEPHANT
SEAL POPULATION WAS ABOUT 300,000 IN 1950'S AND HAS
PROBABLY INCREASED. THERE IS A RELIC POPULATION OF
WEDDELL SEALS (LEPTONYCHOTES WEDDELLI) PRODUCING SOME 30
PUPS PER YEAR. AS ON FALKLAND ISLANDS, THERE ARE A
FEW LEOPARD SEALS.
ANNENBERG
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