Orphaned monk seal pup ‘Artemis’ has been found dead on Skiathos in the Northern Sporades.
The body was discovered on 14 May 2009, floating in Skiathos harbour. It was transferred the same day to Athens for necropsy, conducted by Prof. Dr. Thijs Kuiken, a veterinary pathologist specialising in marine mammals from Erasmus University, Rotterdam.
The necropsy established that Artemis was in excellent nutritional condition and overall health, with a body weight normal for her age. There was clear evidence that the seal had died as a result of drowning – most probably the result of becoming entangled in fishing gear.
Further information on Artemis’ state of health prior to her sudden death could be gleaned from data retrieved from her satellite tag, which showed her progressively achieving greater confidence both in mobility and diving. Though at first she remained close to her release site at Piperi in the core zone of the National Marine Park of Alonissos, Northern Sporades, she eventually travelled more than a 100 nautical miles, straying beyond the borders of the Park; her dives exceeded 150 m.
“Although the young seal quickly adjusted to its natural environment,” says Vangelis Paravas, Conservation and Policy Coordinator of MOm, “the harsh but unavoidable fact is that Artemis ultimately also had to face the reality of surviving in the wild, just as the rest of the remaining monk seals in the Mediterranean Sea.”
Data gathered by MOm through its EU-funded project on seal-fishery interactions indicates that lethal entanglement in fishing gear is the most serious cause of death among immature monk seals. The organisation is developing proposals aimed at lessening monk seal mortality stemming from such interactions, whilst promoting sustainable coastal fisheries.
Further information can be obtained from the MOm press release, A sad last message from Artemis [PDF 120 KB]
On a personal note, TMG would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to all concerned; those who rescued Artemis as a struggling pup on Leros; those who fought for her survival; and all those who helped in a multitude of different ways during her rehabilitation.