Iceland seal population in decline

Iceland’s seal population is in sharp decline, according to the preliminary results of this year’s counting exercise by the Icelandic Seal Centre.

A group of over fifty took part in yesterday’s seal count in Hvammstangi in Northern Iceland, organised by the Icelandic Seal Centre. A total of 446 seals were spotted, as compared to 706 last year and 757 in 2013.

Sandra M. Granquist, Head of the Centre’s Biological Department, suggests that yesterday’s weather may have played a part in the lower than usual figures. Seals usually emerge in warm, sunny weather – the opposite of the weather experienced yesterday.

That said, seal numbers appear to be in steady decline, and before 2011 regularly exceeded 1,000.

Granquist cannot categorically pin-point what is behind this decline, but the most common cause of death for adult seals is getting caught in fishing nets. Seal hunting is also a possible factor, but no data on such are available.