In the North sea will always be born more seals. In Zählflügen in the Wadden sea of Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands were recognised in this year, 9285 young animals, according to the Wadden sea Secretariat in Wilhelmshaven.

in 2017, had been with 9167 puppies, a record value since the beginning of the censuses in 1974, never before have so many of the animals were recorded.

Regional rates of Change but in different ways. In Schleswig-Holstein compared to the previous year, an increase of 15% to 4576 puppies, in lower Saxony and Hamburg, the number remained 2158 with a slight decline of two percent or less stable. In Denmark, they went back.

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The total population of all registered animals will remain with 25,000 to 27,000 seals since 2012, however, largely constant The Wadden sea Secretariat pointed out that this could indicate that the stock could have achieved under the given environmental conditions, and the maximum size. However, Bets10 the adult animals can not be counted even all of them, because they dive, unlike puppies, are often in the water.

“We are seeing a stable and vital Seal,” said Sascha Klöpper from the Common Wadden sea Secretariat (CWSS) in Wilhelmshaven. These cross-country co-ordinating the Zählflüge in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

In the past few decades, the seals had been decimated by human interventions in the environment and the outbreak of devastating epidemics such as the seal distemper in 1988 and 2002. In the meantime, protection mechanisms are developed.

Zählflüge had to be

Regional differences in the development of the Seal about the movements of the animals are paying the professionals, according to different factors. Plays a role also, that Zählflüge are not able to take place due to local weather conditions or other reasons, always at the scheduled times. So about parts of the Dutch Wadden sea were due to military maneuvers is not accessible, in Schleswig-Holstein the weather was on the days to bad.

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands coordinate their protective measures in the Wadden sea. They have called for the so-called Trilateral Wadden sea cooperation. The work of the group will be organized by the Common Wadden sea Secretariat in Wilhelmshaven.

joe/dpa/AFP