Saimaa ringed seal count reveals 52 new pups

One result of the abundance of snow this past winter is that the population of the endangered Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) looks to be rising again. Based on this spring’s lair count, a total of 52 pups have been born over the winter.
      The only existing population of these seriously threatened seals is found in Lake Saimaa, in Finland.
      Metsähallitus, which manages publicly owned forests and wilderness areas, says that the biggest surprise was encountered when the first two pups since 1995 were discovered in Rääkkylä in the Northern Saimaa area.
     
Further exciting findings were made in various locations of Lake Saimaa, including Kaartilanselkä in Sulkava, Yövesi in Ristiina, Ruokovesi in Puumala, and Ilkonselkä in Taipalsaari.
      Otherwise, the number of pups is similar to the average number of young seals born in the past few years. Three pups were found dead, which corresponds to the normal annual lair death rate of seal pups.
      The current winter has been excellent for seal pups, as there has been a lot of snow and the nests dug in the snow on the shorelines have been good enough to protect the pups against the cold.
     
Some observations have also been made on the fringes of the nesting area and outside of the area where net fishing has been banned by a government decree.
      Metsähallitus points out that the municipalities in the areas where pups have been born could make an agreement on fishing restrictions with the South Savo Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. Metsähallitus also hopes that fishing would be voluntarily avoided in the fringe areas in the current spring and early summer.
      The government decree that bans net fishing from April 15th to the end of June will extensively protect most of this spring’s pups.
     
A year ago, the population of the Saimaa ringed seal was about 270 prior to the pup count. The population has now risen momentarily, but only a part of the seal pups born will survive their first year.
      In addition to counters from Metsähallitus, the University of Eastern Finland, and the World Wide Fund for Nature, about 130 local volunteers participated in the lair count for the Saimaa ringed seal.
      The Saimaa ringed seal has been protected since 1955.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Protection of Saimaa ringed seal puts shoreline construction under closer scrutiny (1.4.2011)
  Modest recovery in Saimaa ringed seal population (11.11.2010)
  Researchers pile snow for use as nests by endangered Saimaa ringed seals (8.1.2010)
  Saimaa ringed seal extinction likely without massive conservation measures (17.2.2009)
  Water area owners sign 109 agreements to protect Saimaa ringed seal (27.8.2009)

See also:
  Net fishing ban to come into force next week to protect Saimaa ringed seal (7.4.2011)
  European Commission prepared to bring Finland to court over protection of Saimaa seals (6.5.2010)

Links:
  Saimaa ringed seal (Wikipedia)
  Metsähallitus
  Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)