Madeira

Henrique Costa Neves, former director of the Parque Natural da Madeira, and currently environmental councillor for the city of Funchal, reports that two monk seal pups have again been born on the open beaches of the Desertas Islands Reserve [see Guest Editorial, this issue]. With habitat deterioration (most notably pupping in caves whose characteristics cannot meet the biological needs of the species) and human disturbance being increasingly cited as one of the greatest threats to the survival of Monachus monachus, the phenomenon of seals returning to rest and give birth on protected open beaches is being seen as a major conservation success [TMGs, passim]. Historical records dating back to ancient Greece speak of herds of monk seals occupying sandy beaches and shoreline rocks [see Monk seals in antiquity, TMG 2(1): May 1999, and Mass tourism and the Mediterranean monk seal, TMG 2(2): November 1999].

After being alerted by the Reserve’s wardens on 27th November, writes Henrique, “I promptly travelled to the Desertas and spent 23 hours on the spot with the aim of identifying the adult mothers (they were identified as being “Desertinha” and “Birisca”). We have observed similar behaviour during the last four years, but this time another non-breeding female joined the group. It is fantastic to have the privilege of seeing 5 seals (3 adults and 2 pups) laying at the sun, for hours and hours, without demonstrating any fear or anxiety, in a undisturbed environment.”

	Monk seals at the Desertas Islands (Luis Quinta © www.luisquinta.com)

Exceptional photographs of monk seals and the Desertas Islands have been published in National Geographic Portugal, the work of Luis Quinta, a specialist in underwater photography. The images accompany a detailed description of the conservation experience at the Desertas by Parc Natural da Madeira biologist Rosa Pires, and Gonçalo Pereira.

The issue (April 2002) can be accessed on line at:
http://www.nationalgeographic.pt/revista/0402/feature8/default.asp.

Other photographs of Luis Quinta can be viewed at: www.luisquinta.com.

Rosa Pires, biologist at the Parc Natural da Madeira, reports that at least 3 monk seal pups have been born in the Desertas Islands Reserve this season.

Over on the main island of Madeira, the Parc launched a public competition to find names for the new infants.

Monk seal sightings around Madeira also continue [see Homeward bound, this issue, and Madeira island observations, TMG 4(2): November 2001]. Observations have been reported from Camara de Lobos (literally, “Chamber of the Sea Wolves”, one of the first settlements on Madeira that, in the 15th century, drew its name from the numerous monk seals that congregated there) and even in the bay of Funchal, the island’s capital.

Mauritania & Western Sahara

	Weam, with satellite tag

On 18 September 2001, Fundación CBD-Habitat technicians Hamdy M’Barek and Mulay El Haya sighted a monk seal pup being driven away from breeding caves by ocean currents at the southern part of the cliffs which form the Côte des Phoques. The pup was rescued after several attempts [See Pup rescued at ‘Cabo Blanco’, and Seal pup in rehab, TMG 4(2): 2001], and brought ashore. She was identified as P-23/01, a female born in cave number 1 just 4 days earlier. The animal’s symptoms gave immediate cause for concern: exhaustion, dehydration, swollen head (probably from being dashed against a rock by storm waves), and low body temperature.

The pup, later named Weam, was immediately transported to the rehabilitation facilities of the National Centre for Oceanographic Research and Fishing (CNROP) in Nouadhibou, established with the technical and financial support of the Netherlands-based Seal Rehabilitation & Research Centre (SRRC). At CNROP’s request, nursing and veterinary personnel were quickly dispatched from Pieterburen to lend assistance.

The rehabilitation process lasted 6 months. Upon attaining an optimum pre-release weight of 60 kilos, specialists of Fundación CBD-Habitat and the Spanish Ministry of Environment attached two plastic tags to her rear flippers, and a satellite transmitter to her head to facilitate tracking.

On 27 February Weam was released in the area known as Barco de Azúcar, around 3 kilometres south of the colony’s breeding caves. Since then, members of CBD-Habitat have undertaken intensive monitoring of the seal, both through visual contact and satellite tracking.

Immediately after the release, Weam moved south about 2 kilometres, displaying behaviour patterns that showed the seal’s need to adapt to its new environment and to the open sea conditions.

She became accustomed to hauling-out on two small beaches located between rocky outcrops. In the water, she habitually moved very close to the shoreline, performing frequent dives in search of food in the intertidal area, although she was never observed eating. Nevertheless, during the 17 days in which she remained in this area and the subject of visual monitoring, she showed no symptoms of weight loss or of related lack of activity.

During a big storm on 14 February, Weam moved continuously towards the south until she reached an open stretch of sea below the Cabo Blanco peninsula, adjacent to the central area of the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin (See map). Here she remained almost a month, moving back and forth in various directions and completing trajectories similar to those performed by another rehabilitated monk seal which was released in 1997 under similar conditions.

This area of Mauritanian sea may possess some ecological conditions which encourage released seals to remain during the dispersal phase – such as abundance of food and shallow waters. With the exception of those portions that lie within National Park limits, however, this stretch of sea is also characterised by intense fishing activity, and could pose a danger for Weam’s survival.

	Weam’s post-release movements. N.B. Identified locations are only approximate (click to enlarge)

On 12 April, satellite transmissions indicated that the seal had returned to the Cabo Blanco peninsula area, keeping close to the shore. The observation team was quickly re-activated and on 14 April sighted Weam sleeping on a sandy beach between two cliff areas very close to the Satellite Reserve of the Banc D’Arguin National Park. Her physical condition appeared normal. Rear flipper tags were still in place and the satellite transponder was operating as expected.

Battery life of the transmitter expired during this period, but direct monitoring in the field continues in collaboration with local fishermen. The seal has been observed on several occasions since mid-April on the Atlantic coast of the Cabo Blanco peninsula, the last time on 2 May, sleeping on a beach around 10 km south of the breeding caves. Monitoring continues. – Miguel Angel Cedenilla, Ingrid Mozetich and Pablo Fernández de Larrinoa, Fundación CBD-Habitat.

Mother and pup at Cabo Blanco

As reported in November’s issue of The Monachus Guardian [Pupping season on the Côte des Phoques, TMG 4(2): November 2001], 11 pups were born at the Cabo Blanco colony during October 2001 (3 of which subsequently died). From then until the end of 2001, only 3 additional pups were born, of which 2 survived to the age of the first moult.

An examination of final figures for the year shows that the total number of pups born during 2001 was 26, 13 of which died, thus giving a neonatal mortality rate of 50%. All deceased pups died during the first week of life. Mortality rates therefore continue to maintain the same high levels as in previous years.

During the first months of 2002, from 1 January to 30 march, 2 more pups were born in the colony. – Miguel Angel Cedenilla, Ingrid Mozetich and Pablo Fernández de Larrinoa, Fundación CBD-Habitat.

	PHVA, Valsaín: Cold weather, heated debate (© W.M. Johnson)

As previewed in the last issue of TMG [Workshop attracts international attention, TMG 4(2): November 2001], a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment Workshop (PHVA) was convened in Valsaín, Segovia, Spain on 11-13 November 2001, hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Environment and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the IUCN, with Dr. Ulysses Seal acting as chair.

The principal aim of the PHVA was to consult the scientific community, monk seal experts, the authorities of range states and other relevant parties, on the wide range of issues relating to the Monk Seal Recovery Plan in the Atlantic [TMGs, passim], in the hope and expectation that technical aspects could be improved.

The Plan has already been officially endorsed by representatives of the four nations directly involved in the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal in the region – Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal and Spain – under the auspices of the Bonn Convention.

Organised by Fundación CBD-Habitat, the Workshop attracted 62 participants, of which 18 were official representatives of the range states.

On the basis of their perceived expertise, the participants – or ‘assistants’ as the Workshop preferred to describe them – were assigned to 7 different working groups, each one corresponding to a set of conservation actions proposed by the Recovery Plan. In individual brainstorming sessions, each group subsequently developed and expanded upon those actions, and later presented their findings to the Workshop for interim comment and review. By the close of the Workshop, each group had submitted its own report.

The recommendations of the working groups will appear in their entirety in the PHVA Final Report, to be published shortly. However, some of the Workshop’s most significant proposals include:

The latter – involving the pre-emptive removal of pups from caves during storm warnings in an effort to reduce high infant mortality at Cap Blanc [TMGs, passim] – remains one of the most controversial aspects of the plan, and one that defied resolution during the Workshop. The working group therefore recommended that a dedicated workshop be convened at a later date to discuss the issue in greater detail and also to formulate protocols for rescue, rehabilitation and release of pups.

Despite freezing temperatures in the Valsaín mountains – around -8º C one morning – heated debate was also evident in the management working group. It was, nevertheless, able to reach consensus and produce a final report after prolonged discussion.

Although most assistants had never previously participated in a PHVA organised by CBSG/IUCN, and were taken aback by its unfamiliar format – particularly the way in which the divided groups only focused on specific aspects of the Plan – the Workshop’s final accomplishments probably more than made up for any initial discomfort.

Aside from issues on the technical front, one of the Workshop’s most remarkable feats was undoubtedly the way in which experts from profoundly different fields (toxicology, virology, population dynamics, protected areas, public awareness, fisheries, etc.) could be brought together under one roof with the aim of achieving one common objective, the conservation of an endangered species.

The Workshop’s final report, currently under preparation, will serve as a technical support document for the management and conservation authorities of the range states concerned. – Luis Mariano Gonzalez.

Editor’s note: An electronic version of this report will be lodged in the Monachus Library as soon as it becomes available.

Morocco

In what appears to be a first for the country, Morocco has issued a 6.50 dirham postage stamp in honour of the Mediterranean monk seal. For more information on how the species is represented on the world’s postage stamps, turn to Monk Seal Philately, TMG 3(2): 2000.

Facts & figures Country Morocco Michel catalogue 1390 Issue date 28 September 2001 Theme Marine animals Value 6.50 DH