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October 2002 News |
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Seal
workshop
Tuesday 22nd
There is a Seal workshop going
on for the Tayforth group on Tuesday 22nd October at 7pm. It is part
of SMRU at St Andrews Uni (Gattie Marina) and is designed for those
taking part in the beach surveys. The session will last approx 1hour
and will cover identification and assessing of live animals. If you
are interested in attending, please meet at the main foyer at East
Sands. Please give Gareth Norman a call on 07836
327815 if you are interested in attending.
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Virus
Attack !!
Sunday 20th
Lucie White ( National Co-ordinator
) and Kerion Copeland ( Anglian Co-ordinator ) are back online after
having the PC's brought back to life by Nick Kail ( Medic and computer
'boffin' ! ).
Nick has offered that if anyone
wants to put his skills to use to repair/upgrade their system, he
will do it and profits will go to BDMLR .... what a generous offer.
If you wish to contact Nick ...... here's his email : nick@bdmlr.org.uk
Thanks Nick !
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Rescuers
unable to save beached whale
Sunday 20th
Rescuers were unable to save
a 23-foot humpback whale found stranded on a Cape Cod beach.
Teams from the Cape Cod Stranding
Network worked for hours, using everything from blankets to heavy
equipment to keep the whale alive and attempt to push it back out
to sea. But the whale died Friday evening, probably of shock, Stranding
Network officials said.
"We were hoping we would
be able to help her out but she didn't make it,'' Stranding Network
Executive Director Kristen Patchett told the Cape Cod Times. "It
just wasn't meant to be for this animal.''
The whale was first spotted
at about 11:30 a.m., stranded on Nauset Beach.
Volunteers covered the animal
with wet sheets and doused it with water to keep its skin from blistering.
The teams even enlisted, for the first time in a rescue attempt, the
use of heavy equipment to dig out sand around the whale to keep it
from turning on its side, which would have caused damage to its organs.
But the whale died at about
7 p.m., before rescuers had a chance to use the high tide to try to
ease it back out to sea.
The rescue team planned to
spend Saturday conducting a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
However, experts said entanglement
with fishing gear or damage caused by
a ship did not appear to be likely causes. Blood tests also showed
the animal was in relatively good health.
Strandings of humpbacks are
rare, and the animals only tend to wash ashore after they have already
died.
( Source : www2.bostonherald.com
)
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Lone
surviving pilot whale dies in Panhandle
Friday 18th
The lone survivor among nine
short-finned pilot whales found stranded on a Florida Panhandle beach
last year has died, officials said.
Amelia, an 8-foot juvenile
female, died Wednesday at Gulf World Marine Park, where she was undergoing
treatment. Staff officials said they were unsure whether Amelia's
death was related to the stranding.
"That's something they're
still trying to identify," said Cheryl Joyner, director of stranded
animal rehabilitation.
A necropsy was performed Wednesday
night but park officials said they will not have a complete understanding
of what caused Amelia's death until they get results back from a lab.
"They saw some things
in the stomach and intestines that they're looking into," Joyner
said.
Amelia, estimated at 20 months
old at her death, was one of three whales brought to the park after
they were found at Pensacola Beach on Oct. 11, 2001.
One of the rescued whales died
within days and the other was euthanized Nov. 1. The rest of the stranded
whales died or were euthanized on the beach.
[ Pic : archive pic
of mass stranding 11-10-01 ]
Veterinarians said Amelia showed
no signs of infection after being treated with antibiotics in the
weeks following the beaching.
Amelia lost her appetite during
her last few months and began to lose weight, symptoms that point
to a gastrointestinal ailment, Joyner said.
Until recently, the whale's
prognosis for long-term survival seemed excellent.
"Overall the picture we
were seeing was pretty good," Joyner said. "Her blood tests
through this were not really a problem."
Joyner said Amelia's carcass
will be buried at the park once the necropsy report is complete.
( Source : www.heraldtribune.com
)
[ An item detailing the mass
stranding that this refers to was sent out on the BDMLR News on the
22nd October 2001. If you would like to receive a copy of this archived
item ... drop me a line to :tony@bdmlr.org.uk
]
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Pygmy
sperm whale dies
Friday 18th
Ami, a pygmy sperm whale, died
Saturday night at Mote Marine Laboratory's Dolphin and Whale Hospital.
A necropsy showed she died of digestive complications; her intestines
became twisted, which ultimately lead to her death. Ami arrived at
Mote in January 2001 and was the longest living pygmy sperm whale
in captivity, officials said. "Although her death could not have
been prevented, her life here will certainly save lives of whales
yet to come," veterinarian Dr. Charles Manire said.
Ami had become stranded with
her mother in the Miami area; her mother died three days later, and
Mote's staff fed Ami a specialized formula based on ingredients found
in her mother's milk.
( Source : www.bradenton.com
)
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Entanglement
probably killed right whale - U.S.
Friday 18th
Ferocious winds and raging
tides tore at the remains of a North Atlantic right whale that came
ashore on Nantucket Island Saturday. The surf was so rough that scientists
may not be able to determine exactly what killed the young female
whale.
"The surf was basically
acting like a Cuisinart and basically tore the animal apart from the
inside," Center for Coastal Studies spokesman Scott Landry said
yesterday.
Nevertheless, scientists said
the likely cause of death was an entanglement.
Though the whale has not been
named or identified, it is one that rescuers repeatedly tried to save
in the Bay of Fundy, east of Nova Scotia, this summer. A sixth attempt
made by the New England Aquarium in September was successful.
[ pic : file pic of
whale entanglement ]
But by the time rescuers removed
line and gear that was wrapped around the fluke of the whale, there
were signs that a serious infection was spreading. The whale was emaciated
and line was embedded in places, New England Aquarium research scientist
Amy Knowlton said.
This is not the first time
a whale has been freed only to die later because of an entanglement.
It happened with a humpback whale earlier this year, Landry said.
"The real solution is
to avoid entanglement to begin with," Landry said.
This is the fifth right whale to die this year, National Marine Fisheries
Service spokeswoman Teri Frady said. With a population of about 325,
North Atlantic right whales are the most endangered large whales in
the region.
Right whales often become entangled
while feeding because their mouths catch onto gear or rope that is
fixed to the ocean floor. About 65 percent show signs of entanglement,
New England Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse said.
[ Centre for Coastal Studies
- www.coastalstudies.org
]
( Source : www.capecodonline.com
)
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New home for
Free Willy star
Friday 18th
The six-ton star of the Free
Willy films has finally found a winter home after weeks of searching.
The friendly orca, or killer
whale, showed up in Norway's Skaalvik fjord in September after swimming
870 miles following his release off Iceland in July.
His trainer and Norwegian authorities
studied many sites to find him a home, and to the delight of the people
of Halsa, the main village on the fjord, they settled on the nearby
Taknes Bay.
Lars Olav Lilleboe, who, as
the village's Keiko co-ordinator, deals with the thousands of fans
who show up weekly, said: "It's great that he gets to stay here."
After he arrived in Norway,
the whale let his fans swim with him, pet him, even climb on his back,
until he became so popular that Norwegian authorities imposed a ban
on approaching him.
His Canadian trainer Colin
Baird said they expect to move him next week - using fish to get him
to follow a small boat - after setting up a base. He will not be penned
in.
The bay in the Korsnes Fjord,
also in Halsa township, is only about 6 miles from Keiko's current
location, a trip Baird said would take about 90 minutes.
Keiko was captured near Iceland
at the age of two. The Free Willy films sparked his rescue from a
Mexico City amusement park in 1996.
After two years of rehabilitation
at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the whale was airlifted to Iceland in
1998, taught to catch live fish and then released off Iceland in a
=A313 million program to return him to the wild.
He swam to Norway - the only
country that conducts commercial whaling - and became so listless
in the Norwegian fjord that his team started feeding him up to 175
pounds of fish per day.
"We're still feeding him,"
said Baird. "He's lazy, just like all of us. He'll take a free
meal."
The Norwegian Fisheries Directorate
approved the plan by the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation team to move
him. Conditions included that he not be penned up, commercially exploited
or placed in conflict with other interests.
At least one aquarium, Miami
Seaquarium, had expressed an interest in capturing Keiko, but US and
Norwegian authorities rejected the request.
Baird said the new bay has
deep water, plenty of fish and a good chance that other wild killer
whales will pass by, but said it was impossible to say whether Norway
would become Keiko's long-term home.
"It might be possible
for us to 'walk' him with wild killer whales during the winter,"
said Baird.
( Source : www.itv.com
)
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Information
on Phocine Distemper Virus in the UK
Report No. 10
Friday 18th
Between 9 October and 15 October
there have been 288 dead seals reported bringing the total to 2653
since the beginning of the outbreak. A total of 2294 dead seals have
been reported from around the English coast. 75 post-mortem examinations
have been carried out, 35 cases have been confirmed as positive for
PDV (34 common seals and 1 grey seal), 5 cases have been confirmed
as negative for PDV and test results from 35 are pending. A total
of 231 dead seals have been reported from around Scotland, 44 of which
have been reported in the last week. At least 17 of the 26 seals reported
in Orkney in the last week were grey seals that had been shot. 11
post-mortem examinations have been carried out in Scotland, 1 case
has been confirmed as positive for PDV and the other 10 have been
confirmed as negative. A total of 90 dead seals have been reported
from around Wales. 3 post-mortem examinations have been carried out
but test results are pending. A total of 38 dead seals have been reported
from Northern Ireland. 3 post-mortem examinations have been carried
out, 1 case has been confirmed as positive for PDV, 1 case has been
confirmed as negative for PDV and the results from the other post-mortem
are pending. The confirmed case of PDV in Northern Ireland was found
near Tyrella, County Down. See map below for regional information
on reported dead seals and confirmed PDV cases in the UK. On 08/10/02
the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Stormont, Northern
Ireland reported a PDV positive common seal found dead on 21 September
on the Aran Islands, Republic of Ireland.
Catriona Stephenson
Sea Mammal Research Unit
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Infection
!!??
Friday 18th
Lucie White ( National Co-ordinator
) and Kerion Copeland ( Anglian Co-ordinator ) will be off-line until
at least the 21st November due to a massive virus infection ........
of their computers !
Their PC's have been sent to
'Dr' Nick Kail ... BDMLR's computer whiz for life saving surgery.
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Cornwall Seal
Rescue
Friday
18th
Just to keep you up dated four days ago ( 5th October ) we had a very
young Seal stranded on the beach in Port Isaac Harbour I estimated
three weeks old which was later confirmed by Gweek , the animal was
badly under weight although it did not appear to have any severe infections
other than a cough...... Sam Littlechild and I attended and got him
into our animal box and made contact with Gweek who arranged to come
and collect him...owing to a long time delay we moved the Seal from
the harbour to Sam`s home courtyard where the collection was made
some three hours after our recovery.
I understand from Gweek that
it is a female now named Lyle since the Tate and Lyle company is giving
some financial support to the centre ...it is very active and although
severely underweight is making progress.
We have been very quite down
here so far and over the past year..... for the time being all of
our floatation equipment is with David Ball so will call on him if
it is necessary to co-ordinate a rescue using the equipment.
Best regards,
Bob Bulgin
BDMLR Port Isaac
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Large
Donation for BDMLR
Friday
18th
Dear all I'm very pleased
and excited to tell you that Divemaster, BDMLR's long suffering insurance
providers have just donated some £300 to the cause. This is
very generous of Bob, Sue and all at Divemaster. Support like this
makes them BDMLR's biggest and most consistent corporate sponsors.
I for one am not only grateful
for the money but also the advice and friendship Divemaster shows
BDMLR. Bob is always willing to investigate ideas that we have and
give us a non biased opinion, that is always in the best interest
of BDMLR and the animals we work with.
Thanks Divemaster!!
By the way you will find a
link to their website from www.bdmlr.org.uk Take a look, if you need
the services they can provide.
Mark Stevens
Director BDMLR
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Dive
Show
Friday
18th
I would like to say a big thank
you to all of the volunteers who helped on the BDMLR stand at the
dive show at the weekend in Birmingham.
I am delighted to say that
we were able to collect £1504 in donations and sold £616
worth of sales goods making a grand total of £2120.
Our efforts were made easier
by the sale of our very own original SCUBA-SQUIRREL, at £4 each.
These were donated to us by NPI, the Insurance company and we had
to send for back up stocks. We sold over 150 of these little darlings
(see photo of Scuba squirrel being loved by Kate). We still have 500
more to sell so if you think you can find a home for some for Christmas
please contact Kate or Clare in the office. ( info@bdmlr.org.uk )
Many thanks
Alan Knight
Chief Executive
International Animal Rescue + BDMLR Director
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Seal Talk
Friday 18th
On Tuesday 29th October Marine
Awareness North Wales will present a talk by Stephen Westcott, one
of the UK's leading grey seal experts. The talk will take place at
7.30pm in the Main Arts Lecture Theatre, Bangor University, North
Wales. Entry will be 1.00 (proceeds will be put towards the 'Centre
for Marine Awareness' on Bangor Pier).
Stephen has been studying grey
seal behaviour for the last 14 years. The majority of his research
has been around the coast of Cornwall, but with funding from CCW he
has been in North Wales for nearly two years where he is conducting
a study of grey seal behaviour and population dynamics using photo
ID.
Stephen has a truly unique
method of research allowing him to get closer to seals in places seldom
seen. He has some astonishing photographs and video footage of seals
in their natural environment, and combined with his natural ability
to entertain, inspire and enlighten, this talk will certainly not
be one to miss.
There will also be a short
introduction featuring an update of the group with some stunning local
photographs, as well as the latest on the recent outbreak of PDV.
Refreshments will be served
and there will be the opportunity to meet Stephen and get involved
in a local sightings scheme.
Many apologies to those of
you who live too far away. Thanks for reading.
Best regards to you all
George Stoyle
Marine Awareness North Wales
http://www.saveourseas.co.uk
- (almost finished!)
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Cyclists
'help' rescue beached whale
Sunday 13th
Dozens of determined volunteers rushed to save a pygmy sperm whale
that washed up Friday morning on the shore of Palm Beach.
Unfortunately, the ones who
knew the least about whales got there first.
A group of bicyclists who cared
for the stricken mammal through the morning helped it out to sea --
and to a probable cruel death, according to the experts who arrived
minutes later.
Lying on its side, its tail
mangled and barnacle-encrusted, the roughly 10-foot whale appeared
dead when a beach walker reported seeing it about 7:30 a.m.
Police discovered it was alive,
its side heaving weakly, its eye opening to look back at an officer.
They summoned help from the
closest whale rescue volunteer groups -- one in Fort Pierce and one
in Miami.=20
In North Miami, Marine Animal
Rescue Society volunteer coordinator Sarah Gomez was heading to a
college class. She switched gears and rounded up other volunteers
-- pulling one out of a class, catching another who was packing for
a trip and headed up Interstate 95.
In the meantime, Palm Beach
police officer Kevin Morine, a motorcycle cop who has a bachelor's
degree in biology with a minor in oceanography, called in instructions
to fellow officer Scott Duquette, who stood watch over the whale.
Turn it over so its blowhole is out of the breaking waves, he said,
and cover it with wet towels. Duquette and Maurici Luz, a beach walker
who had been pouring water over the whale for a half-hour couldn't
move the mammal, estimated to weigh 1,000 pounds.
Duquette stepped up to the
800 block of Ocean Boulevard and saw about 20 strapping bicyclists
pedaling toward him and flagged them down.
" 'We need manpower,'
" Vicki Loveland, a rider from Memphis, said the officer said.
"Of course, most of us are women."
Most of the bicyclists, who
had arrived Thursday from the South and Midwest for this weekend's
Cyclefest, had never seen a whale. About a dozen cyclists turned the
whale over on a count of three. A few had towels, others stripped
down to athletic bras, draping sea-soaked T-shirts over their patient.
Duquette relayed more instructions:
most of the crowd needed to back off to reduce stress to the whale.
All but a half-dozen headed back to their hotel.
The whale appeared to rally,
its mangled tail twitching, until suddenly it righted itself.
Luz said he often saw whales
on the beach in his native Brazil and urged the group to roll the
whale into the water. It took about five big shoves.
The bicyclists cheered when
the whale continued on its own, with a burst of water from its blowhole.
Several hundred yards from the shore, they saw, at least three more
whales waiting.
Duquette looked doubtful. "I
hate to be a party-pooper, but how far can it get with that tail?"
A few minutes later, Gomez
and her team arrived. The volunteers didn't hide their dismay.
"An animal beaches itself
for a reason," one said. "I'm sick about this."
Veterinarian Rene Varela, who
arrived with volunteers from Fort Pierce, said there was good reason
to worry. He predicted the whale would either beach itself again or
die at sea.
Of the 30 beached whales he
has seen in the past few years in Florida, Varela said, 25 had a progressive
but noninfectious disease -- dilated cardiomyopathy -- that makes
an animal too sick to find food or escape predators.
"When an animal is sick,
it's a harsh environment out there," Varela said
( Source : www.palmbeachpost.com
)
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Permit denied
Sunday
13th
The National Marine Fisheries
Service has rejected a request by the Miami Seaquarium to capture
the famous whale and display him there. In a letter sent to the Seaquarium,
the agency called the request premature because the Norwegian government
isn't considering allowing the capture of Keiko. The Norwegian government
currently has jurisdiction over the whale. Had the agency approved
the application, the request would have undergone a 30-day public
comment period.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
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Still no home
for Keiko
Sunday
13th
Authorities and experts have
been pondering for weeks, but still no final decision has been taken
about where celebrity killer whale Keiko will be spending the frosty
winter months in Norway.
The municipality of Halsa has
an area near Taknes in Arasvikfjorden that Keiko is currently in Halsa's
Sk=E5lvikfjorden, which will freeze over in the winter. "But
we have plenty of time. SkE5lvikfjorden doesn't freeze until well
into winter," said nutritional consultant Lars Lilleboe. He believes
the decision will take time as various local interests and the desires
of American organizations caring for Keiko all have their say.
A TV documentary sent on Norwegian
Broadcasting (NRK) has set off a new wave of visitors to the area,
all eager and expecting to meet and frolic with the star of the "Free
Willy" films. Most of the sightseers are disappointed, finding
that current reality doesn't match up to television.
"Obviously there is a
difference between wonderful close-ups of Keiko and a black spot near
a boat 150 meters from land," Lilleboe said.
Now that Keiko is getting regular
exercise with his handlers he spends more of his free time resting.
Keiko fans rarely see his soaring leaps and can no longer go near
him.
"Many think it is still
possible to come and pet him. But it isn't. So if you want a good
look at Keiko now it is wise to bring binoculars," Lilleboe said.=20
Local authorities expected
the now regular thousands of weekend visitors to continue streaming
in to see Keiko - the whale is still popular, even if he now can only
be admired from afar.
( Source : www.aftenposten.no
)
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Information
on Phocine Distemper Virus in the UK
Report No. 9
Sunday 13th
Between 2 October and 8 October
there have been 232 reports of dead seals around the UK making a total
of 2374 since the beginning of the outbreak. The majority of these
(2077) are from the English coast. Out of 75 post-mortem examinations
carried out in England there have been 35 cases confirmed positive
for PDV (34 common seals and 1 grey seal), 5 have been confirmed as
negative and test results from 35 are pending. A total of 180 dead
seals have been reported from around Scotland. 10 post-mortem examinations
have been carried out and one case has been confirmed as positive
for PDV. See map below for regional information on reported dead seals
and confirmed PDV cases in England and Scotland. A total of 80 dead
seals have been reported from Wales where one post-mortem has been
carried out. Test results are pending, although there were no signs
suggestive of infection with PDV on post-mortem or histopathology.
The increase in the total number of dead seals reported for Wales,
when compared to last week=92s status report, is due to some retrospective
reporting of dead grey seal pups found over a week ago. There have
been a total of 37 dead seals reported from Northern Ireland, one
post-mortem has been carried out that has been confirmed as negative
for PDV. On 08/10/02 the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Stormont, Northern Ireland reported a PDV positive common seal found
dead on 21 September on the Aran Islands, Republic of Ireland.
Catriona Stephenson
Sea Mammal Research Unit
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PDV has reached
the coasts of Kent
Wednesday 9th
Following on from my previous
e-mail I can now confirm that PDV has indeed reached the coasts of
Kent. A report sent to me by Becki Lawson MRCVS from the I.o.Z confirmed
the post mortem findings of a Common seal from Cliftonville near Margate,
Kent.
I have listed below the most
recent data about the seals in this area for your information. I have
also been out to see the colony with Geoff Hammock and others to find
a good number still on the sand banks and doing well, although we
can't say for certain how those will cope long term by viewing alone.
However, I will keep you posted.
[click images for
larger pics]
 
I have also had lots of sightings
of seals in different areas around the Kent coast which is a reflection
on the number of people on the look-out which is very good to know.
Thanks to all those that have contacted me.
I previously posted some pictures
to the news group (pre-confirmation), which I am now happy to share
with you should you wish to use for data purposes.
Take care - Keep up the good
work....
Brett Lewis
Kent Area BDMLR
______________________________________________________
Total dead seals reported to date: 39
Total number of post mortems to date: 6
Total number of confirmed PDV positive: 1
Total number of results pending: 5
Details on the positive PDV
confirmation:
Date found: 16.09.02
Location: Cliftonville
Species: Common seal (Phoca vitulina)
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Hello to everyone
at BDMLR
Wednesday 9th
I am here with The Whale &
Dolphin & Shark Roadshow, touring 10 major cities in Chile leading
up to the CITES meeting in Santiago in November, when the future of
many endangered marine and other species will be decided. The Roadshow
is working with a Chilean NGO, CCC Centre de Conservacion Cetacea,
to raise awareness of the wealth of Marine Species off the coast of
this country, and the threats they face. So far its been a great success,
with thousands of people visiting the show in Shopping Malls and Museums
to see life size models, info boards and leaflets,sign petitions,draw
and colour one of the featured species, and take part in a simulated
Dolphin Stranding Rescue. Everything culminates in Santiago, where
tens of thousands of petition signatures will be presented to Chilean
Government asking for better protection for Marine Species, and a
selections of children's drawings and comments will be exhibited during
the CITES Conference.
There is interest in coming
back in the future to establish and train a Stranding Network....more
on this next year, when this Tour is completed
Meanwhile, here is picture
of some of the 1500 school children that visited the Roadshow in Antofagasta,
as they prepare to 'refloat' a stranded Dusky Dolphin, under the expert
instruction of a vet..she really is a vet!
I will send updates in a few
weeks from other Roadshows.
Best wishes,
Andy Starbuck,
The Whale Workshop
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Information
on Phocine Distemper Virus in the UK -
Report No. 8
Sunday 6th
Between 25 September and 1
October there were 308 reports of dead seals around the UK making
a total of 2114 since the beginning of the outbreak. The majority
of these (1896) have been from the English coast. In England 70 post-mortem
examinations have been carried out, 35 have been confirmed as positive
for PDV (34 common, 1 grey), 5 have been confirmed as negative for
PDV and the results from 30 post-mortems are pending. A total of 133
dead seals have been reported from Scotland where 10 post-mortem examinations
have been carried out and one case has been confirmed as positive
for PDV. See map below for regional information on reported dead seals
and confirmed PDV cases in England and Scotland. In Wales a total
of 52 dead seals have been reported and one post-mortem examination
carried out that showed no signs of PDV, although further test results
are awaited. A total of 33 dead seals have been reported from Northern
Ireland, one post-mortem examination has been carried out that has
been confirmed as negative for PDV.
Catriona Stephenson
Sea Mammal Research Unit
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Exmouth Carnival
Sunday 6th
Hello,
On the 12th Saturday October
it is the Exmouth Carnival procession and I
would like BDMLR to take part.
This will be an opportunity
to show off our new Rescue Trailer and raise funds as we will receive
25% of what we collect.
I am asking for volunteers
to assist with walking along next to the vehicle and shaking tins/buckets
and handing out leaflets.
Please email me if you can
help and I'll send you further details.
Many thanks,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
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SAC and Scottish
Executive
Sunday 6th
News just in from the SAC and
Scottish Executive that PDV has in fact now reached us all here in
Scotland!
A post mortem examination was carried out by vets from the Scottish
Agricultural College in Inverness on a common seal found washed ashore
at Dornoch in the Moray Firth on 11 September 2002. Subsequent laboratory
tests have confirmed the presence of PDV in the seal.
Tom Finnie, the Minister for
Environment and Rural Development, announced today: "The first
confirmed case of this deadly seal virus is a worrying development
for Scotland's coastal communities. We are working closely with a
core group of organisations to co-ordinate a response to the latest
outbreak, and to put in place a range of measures to minimise its
impact.
He added: "I recently
announced the introduction of a conservation order in Scotland to
provide additional protection for seals likely to be at risk from
this virus.
"Although the virus is
not dangerous to humans, the public should not touch any seals washed
ashore and are advised to keep their dogs away. They can help us to
learn more about this terrible disease by reporting any sick or dead
seals as quickly as possible to the UK hotline: 08712 447999
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