Protecting the natural environment - Seal count first flights launched in the Wadden Sea.
To census the number of seals in the Wadden Sea from above, teams of pilots, hunters, and researchers will conduct the initial aerial surveys of this year using small planes. Two propeller aircraft will simultaneously take off at Norddeich on the East Frisian coast and at Mariensiel in Wilhelmshaven on Tuesday, as revealed by the Consumer Protection and Food Safety Authority in Oldenburg. The chief aim of these aerial surveys is to assess the population size of these marine mammals, shedding light on their overall status.
Seals are considered vital indicators for the Wadden Sea's unique marine ecosystem. The optimum time for conducting these surveys is during low-tide, when the seals gather on sandbanks, seeking to benefit from basking in the sun.
This operation aligns with an international protection agreement signed between Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Simultaneous surveys will be conducted in the other countries involved.
In collaboration with local hunters and the Consumer Protection and Food Safety Authority, scientists in Lower Saxony will conduct these surveys. Unlike previous years, where three aircraft were used, the area along the Lower Saxony coast has been divided into two count areas of approximately similar size. Further counting flights will occur until mid-August.
In recent years, the seal population in the Lower Saxony region has remained consistently high, as reported by the authority. A record high of 8,912 seals was counted between the Ems and the Elbe in 2023. The Wadden Sea Secretariat also reported that the total number of seals in the Wadden Sea in the previous summer was 22,621. For the third consecutive year, a slightly lower number of seals has been counted.
