Conservation of all things natural is necessary. This includes conservation of marine animals such as seals. There are four species that probably won’t survive much longer. They are in danger of disappearing forever from their natural habitat. Other seals still have strong numbers that are growing in some cases because of seal conservation. The US and the UK both have implemented seal conservation which makes it illegal to kill seals. Unfortunately in the UK there are exceptions. Fishermen are still allowed to kill seals if the seals are bothering their fisheries. Should this be stopped? Although seal populations are still rising, they are doing it at a much slower rate. How long before the numbers begin to decline again?

The Grey Seal

The grey seal can be found in many locations but there are a large number of them that make the UK their home. About 36% of the world population can be found in the UK. That puts the UK in a place of being able to show the world how to save this species. It is probably due to the law that began in 1970 that gave rise to the success of the grey seal species. There are approximately 120,000 grey seals in the UK. These numbers did take a nose dive when a virus took 1/3 of the seal population away. After the virus wiped out so many seals in 1993 the UK stepped in and made it illegal for anyone to kill a seal. Since then, with the rise in numbers, fishermen are once more allowed to cull seal.

The grey seal is actually not a fitting name for this seal breed. There are several colors from black to creamy white that the grey seal comes in. They are on average 2.3 meteres long for males and 1.8 meteres for females. They can be found in Canada, the Baltic Sea and Scandinavia.

The Common Seal

The common seal is also known as the harbor seal. The numbers of harbor seals is much smaller than that of the grey seals with only around 55,000 in the British Waterways. With so few seals being present throughout a country as large as the UK should spark an interest in seal conservation. More people need to take action to prevent the killing of any seal for any reason. The common seal lives a difficult life since they are a primary food source for killer whales and great white sharks. They eat many of the same foods as the grey seal with a number of species of fish being a main food source for them. They will also eat shellfish, eels, squid and octopus.

It is important that everyone band together to protect seals. In Canada the yearly hunt for seals continues to grow while seal numbers deteriorate. It is up to everyone to let countries know where they stand. In the UK, there is still much to be done. Special nets should be used that will prevent the deaths of hundreds of seals every year. Is it right that a seal is killed for doing what comes naturally to them? Help stop the killing of any seal in the UK waters by fishermen.

Visit one of the UK Seal Sanctuaries in Cornwall, Scotland or Norfolk at one of the SEA LIFE Centers.

Visit one of the UK http://www.visitsealife.com/seal-sanctuaries Seal Sanctuaries in Cornwall, Scotland or Norfolk at one of the SEA LIFE Centers.

Author Bio: Visit one of the UK Seal Sanctuaries in Cornwall, Scotland or Norfolk at one of the SEA LIFE Centers.

Category: Society
Keywords: common seal, grey seals, grey seal, few seals, seal conservation