TY - JOUR AU - Nilssen, Kjell Tormod AU - Skavberg, Nils-Erik AU - Poltermann, Michael AU - Haug, Tore AU - Härkönen, Tero AU - Henriksen, Gunnar PY - 2010/09/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Status of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in mainland Norway JF - NAMMCO Scientific Publications JA - NAMMCOSP VL - 8 IS - 0 SE - Articles DO - 10.7557/3.2672 UR - https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2672 SP - 61-69 AB - <div>Harbour seals were counted along the entire Norwegian coast at known moulting haulout sites in the period mid-August to early September 2003-2006. In 2003-2005, almost all known moulting areas from Finnmark to Vestfold counties were covered by aerial photo surveys flown at altitudes of approximately 800-900 ft (243-274m), and at low tide (&plusmn; 2 hours). Surveys in the &Oslash;stfold County were flown in 2003-2006 at 300 ft (91m), and the small tidal amplitudes permitted counts to be carried out irrespective of the tidal cycle. In some sub-areas, two or three independent surveys were conducted. Visual counts using binoculars from smaller boats and islands were carried out in some selected areas. The surveys revealed a total minimum population of 6,705 harbour seals in Norwegian waters. Harbour seals were most abundant in the Nordland and S&oslash;r-Tr&oslash;ndelag counties with minimum estimates of approximately 2,500 and 1,500 seals, respectively. The presented minimum estimate is approximately 800 seals lower than an estimate obtained in a comparable study carried out during the moult in 1996-1999. Increased anthropogenic removals, and the phocine distemper virus (PDV) epidemic in the Skagerrak region in 2002, may have contributed to the current lower estimate.</div> ER -