Distribution, habitat use and status of protection of harbour seals Phoca vitulina and grey seals Halichoerus grypus in Finnmark, North Norway

Abstract

During surveys in the year 1989 - 91 approximately half of the breeding and moulting populations of harbour seal in Finnmark were located in the inner parts of Porsangerfjord and Laksefjord in central Finnmark. Grey seals were observed only occationally in these fjords, but was the most abundant and widely spread species between Laksefjord and the Russian border and between Porsangerfjord and Troms County. Totally, 97 % of the harbour seal population prefered to breed on small islands in the inner parts of the fjords, 45 % prefered to moult in the same areas and 42 % moulted on coastal rocks at low tide. The grey seal prefered the outer coastal areas, both for breeding and moulting. On the breeding sites, there seemed to be a preference for the most sheltered areas. Approximately 50 % of the harbour seal and 40 % of the grey seal populations in Finnmark hauled out in protected areas.