Hip hip hooray! The Wadden Sea has been given a Michelin star. Does that mean that the seals have a star too? Will they be living in a better environment? Will their fish be less polluted? That would be great, but possibly a star too far...
But there is more to celebrate...
Another celebratory hooray: After a verdict by the Council of State, we have finally been granted permission by the province of Friesland to fly over the Wadden Sea at a lower altitude, thus allowing us to observe seals more closely for scientific research. Counting the seals has never been a problem. The SRRC has been making observation flights at the prescribed altitude of 450 metres since 1993, in order to count the seal population on the sandbanks. The SRRC is now allowed to fly over the Wadden Sea at an altitude of 150 metres. This is necessary, in order to be able to determine the make-up of the population: Counts can be carried out adequately at a higher altitude, but details, important for research (such as age-determination) can only be seen at a closer range.
This year’s first observation flight on June 20th, delivered a total of 4325 common and grey seals, including their young. Last year, we counted 4135 seals. Further details are still being researched.
We do not add any numbers to the total amount, like a government subsidised research institute does. We have doubts about adjusting the figures upwards, because this method is based on models in areas outside of the Wadden Sea and on the behaviour of a few seals wearing a transmitter.
A seal wearing a transmitter does not display normal behaviour. That has already been scientifically proven.
The article containing our research about the influence of transmitters on seal behaviour will soon be appearing in an international scientific magazine (peer reviewed).
Luckily, thanks to our work, the numbers of common seal in the Wadden Sea are not in decline, unlike elsewhere in the world. This is why we will be awarding ourselves with a Michelin star. And the seals get two, because they, despite everything else (pollution, overfishing, disruption), still remain in our Wadden Sea.
But then... sadly, they have nowhere else to go...06-28-2009 Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart
