The Status of Common Seals in Shetland

A search was made for Common Seals (Phoca vitulina) around Shetland in September 1971. The coast was arbitrarily divided into eight areas and the count of Common Seals in each was adjusted to give an estimated total. 1,219 Common Seals were counted and a grand total of 1,800 estimated for the whole...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bonner,W. N., Vaughan,R. W., Johnson,L.
Other Authors: INSTITUTE FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LOWESTOFT (ENGLAND) SEALS RESEARCH DIV
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1973
Subjects:
Biology
*CETACEA
MARINE BIOLOGY
DISTRIBUTION
CONSERVATION
UNITED KINGDOM
Phoca vitulina
*Seals(Mammals)
*Marine mammals
*Scotland
common seal
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0771358
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0771358
Description
Summary:A search was made for Common Seals (Phoca vitulina) around Shetland in September 1971. The coast was arbitrarily divided into eight areas and the count of Common Seals in each was adjusted to give an estimated total. 1,219 Common Seals were counted and a grand total of 1,800 estimated for the whole of Shetland. The question of whether or not the Shetland Common Seal stock is declining is discussed. It is concluded, on the basis of quantitative evidence and from discussions with local boatmen and seal hunters, that the stock is declining, although the rate of of decline is unknown. (Author) Prepared in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, Edinburgh (Scotland).

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