Monica Arso The number of harbour seals across the UK are showing “significant signs of decline”, a new study has found.
Monitoring figures from the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) show that Scotland’s west coast harbour seal numbers have dropped significantly for the first time in decades.
The figures show a decline of 20% between 2018 and 2023.
Experts said the figures mark a “concerning turning point” for harbour seals’ survival in British waters.
Monica Arso This latest data revealed that numbers are now declining on the west coast of Scotland, where they had previously been stable or increasing.
The west coast region had long been considered a “stronghold” for the species, holding over 65% of the UK population and offering a glimmer of hope amid widespread population declines elsewhere in the UK.
Since the early 2000s, harbour seals have experienced long-term declines across much of the UK, particularly in the Northern Isles, the east coast of Scotland, and, more recently, parts of south eastern England.
Dr Debbie Russell, lead seal ecologist and deputy director of the SMRU said the figures are a “real wake up call”.
Monica Arso “For years, we’ve viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay,” she said.
“To now see declines in this region suggests that the pressures affecting these animals are becoming more widespread or severe.”
The UK harbour seal population (Phoca vitulina) is genetically distinct from harbour seals elsewhere in continental Europe, so the decline of this unique population is particularly worrying in a wider geographical context.
Researchers said the causes of the decline remain “complex” with scientists are investigating several potential drivers.
Some possible factors include disease outbreaks such as phocine distemper virus (PDV), environmental changes and reduced prey availability, possibly linked to climate change and competition with and predation by grey seals.
The decline on the west coast raises urgent questions about the resilience of the UK’s marine ecosystems and the need for enhanced protections for marine mammals.
Dr Carol Sparling, director of SMRU, called for urgency in addressing the matter.
“We need to act quickly. That means continued investment in research and monitoring and the development of targeted conservation measures.”
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