The Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea is an agreement between

Wadden Sea The Wadden Sea ( nl, Waddenzee ; german: Wattenmeer; nds, Wattensee or ; da, Vadehavet; fy, Waadsee, longname=yes; frr, di Heef) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern conti ...

countries, aimed at protection of seals and concluded in the aegis of

Convention on Migratory Species The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...

(CMS) in 1990.

Seals

Common seals, or

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...

s, are nearly threatened true seal species, inhabiting temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern hemisphere. They are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as those of the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals are brown, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. An adult can attain a length of 1.85 meters (6.1 ft) and a mass of 132 kilograms (290 lbs). Females outlive males (30–35 years versus 20–25 years). Harbor seals stick to familiar resting spots, generally rocky areas where land predators can't reach them, near a steady supply of fish to eat. Their global population is 400,000 to 500,000, and subspecies in certain habitats are threatened. Seal hunting, once a common practice, is now mostly illegal.

History

In 1988, due to an outbreak of the

phocine distemper virus ''Phocine morbillivirus'', formerly ''phocine distemper virus'' (PDV), is a paramyxovirus of the genus '' Morbillivirus'' that is pathogenic for pinniped species, particularly seals. Clinical signs include laboured breathing, fever and nervous ...

, there was a dramatic decline in the population of the Common Seal. The Agreement on Conservation of Seals was signed on 16 October 1990 in Bonn, Germany. It entered into force on 1 October 1991, and population has recovered significantly since then. In 2002, however, the same virus caused another population decline in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

, the Wadden Sea and

Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. T ...

area.
CMS- official web-site

Agreement area and members

The Agreement was concluded between the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. The Agreement area includes: * In the Netherlands: the areas under Key planning Decision Wadden Sea. * In Germany: the Wadden Sea national parks and the protected areas under the Nature Conservation Act seaward of the main dike and the brackish water limit including the Dollard * In Denmark: the Wildlife and Nature Reserve Wadden Sea.
Wadden Sea Secretariat official web-site The Secretariat of the Agreement is located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

The Seal Management Plan (2002–2006)

The Seal Management Plan (2002–2006) contains objectives and action points on habitat protection, research and monitoring, pollution and wardening, taking and public information. The plan is aimed at the Wadden Sea stock of the common seal (''Phoca vitulina vitulina'') and is also extended to cover the two breeding stocks of the

grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" o ...

(''Helichoerus grypus'') in the Wadden Sea (grey seal is not covered by the Agreement). The overall aim of the plan is to restore and maintain viable stocks and a natural reproduction capacity, including juvenile survival of the common and grey seal. The Plan seeks a balance between conservation and management of the area, and contributing to achieving viable stocks.

References

{{reflist

External links