Seals Endangered and Conservation Efforts
There is conflicting information about whether seals are endangered or not. The reality of it is that some species are while others like the gray seal continue to increase in numbers. Therefore conservation efforts need to be in place to help those that are vulnerable due to low numbers. Conservation efforts continue for all seals though because research shows their natural habitat continues to be destroyed.
When you also factor in hunting, the lack of food that can be in the water due to fishing and due to pollution, the threats out there are real enough to affect all seals. There is a good chance that many of them will see a reduction in numbers over the next decade. Since seals only have one pup annually and approximately 15% of them will die, when the numbers get very low it will be hard to get them back up.
This is why conservation efforts are in place now. By protecting the seals and making changes now we don’t have to wait until those numbers are drastically low. One seal out there that really needs the help is the Mediterranean Monk Seal as it is critically endangered at this time. This species lives along the coastline of Africa. It is believed less than 600 of them have survived.
More than 2/3 of them were wiped out in 1997 due to a type of virus. Since then efforts have been made to protect them, and the numbers are slowly climbing up. Another threat to them though are the humans that lives close by. They are known to hunt these seals for meat even though they are protected. The fact that these people are so poor means they will do anything they have to in order to survive.
One way that conservation efforts have helped is by creating a marine area for the seals. This way they have adequate food supplies. At the same time, this same food supply can help the people that live in the area. That way they will no longer feel forced into a position where they need to consume the seals for meat.
The Seal Conservation Society continues to play a primary role in helping seals to remain on Earth. They are a non-profit organization that has been in place since 1996. Their goal is to offer effective ways to protect seals around the world. They continue to monitor seals to identify their current numbers. They contact political figures to push for further protection of seals as well.
They work very closely with other animal rights groups. They understand they have plenty of support from such organizations so they use that to their benefit. The Seal Conservation Society strives to offer educational materials for schools too. They wish to promote their feelings towards seals to the younger generations in the hopes that they will be more compassionate towards them from an early age.
Research has shown that exposure to oil spills is a huge problem for seals. Keeping them out of the oil is something that volunteers do as a form of conservation. While they clean up takes place the seals are temporary placed in a new location. However, that isn’t where the risks end for them. These seals can also suffer ongoing problems from these oils spills including problems with their breathing, ear problems, and even problems with their throats.
There are plenty of elements out there that continue to endanger the lives of seals. There seem to be very susceptible to a variety of diseases including parasites. The pollution that humans continue to place in the air and in the water also affect their natural life span. When seals are in the same waters as fishermen, their nets can injure or kill those that get tangled up in them. Many seals also are harmed due to coming too close to the boats found on the waters.
