SCOTLAND'S west coast harbour seal numbers have dropped significantly for the first time in decades, a new study has found.
Monitoring figures from the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) show that the population of harbour seals fell by 20% between 2018 and 2023.
Scotland’s west coast is a region long considered as the last stronghold for the marine mammal in the UK and conservation experts have said the findings should serve as “a real wake-up call”.
Harbour seals have experienced long-term decline across much of the UK since the early 2000s, with the exception of the west coast of Scotland, where numbers held steady in the likes of the Inner Hebrides and the western Highlands.
Dr Debbie Russell, lead seal ecologist and deputy director of the SMRU said the figures mark a “concerning turning point” for harbour seals’ survival.
“For years, we’ve viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay,” she said.
She added: “This is a real wake-up call. For years, we've viewed the west coast as a refuge for harbour seals, a place where they seemed to be doing okay.
“To now see declines in this region suggests that the pressures affecting these animals are becoming more widespread or severe.”
The UK harbour seal population is genetically distinct from harbour seals elsewhere in continental Europe. Experts have said the decline of the UK population is particularly worrying in a wider geographical context.
Researchers said the causes of the decline remain “complex” as scientists are investigating several potential reasons as to why UK harbour seals numbers are dwindling.
Experts have said some possible factors include disease outbreaks such as phocine distemper virus (PDV), environmental changes and reduced prey availability, possibly linked to climate change and competition with and predation by grey seals.
Researchers added that decline on the west coast raises urgent questions about the resilience of the UK’s marine ecosystems and the need for enhanced protections for marine mammals.
Dr Carol Sparling, director of SMRU, called for urgency in addressing the matter.
“We need to act quickly. That means continued investment in research and monitoring and the development of targeted conservation measures,” she said.
