The Norwegian High Seas Reference Fleet (HSRF) reported one minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) by-caught in demersal trawl fisheries and one in a longline in the period 2011–2020. The HSRF comprises 25–30 concurrent fishing vessels larger than 15 m total length, contracted by the Institute of Marine Research to provide detailed reports on fishing effort, catch, and by-catch. The HSRF is designed to be as representative as possible for large fishing vessels in all of Norway. By-catch per effort for demersal trawl and longline fisheries was calculated based on data from the HSRF and extrapolated using effort data from the corresponding non-observed fleet (vessels ≥ 15 m) to obtain fleet-wide total by-catch estimates. The total by-catch in demersal trawl and longline fisheries was 57 whales for the 10-year period (95% CI: 0–157). No by-catch of minke whales was observed in other gear types (purse seine, Danish seine, and gillnets), but information from various sources indicates that there is an unknown amount of cryptic minke whale by-catch in other gears that we cannot currently quantify. Pot and creel fisheries, for example, were not covered by the HSRF, and there is a need to quantify by-catch in these fisheries. Notwithstanding undocumented sources of by-catch, the results show that even if 100% of minke whale by-catches are fatal, documented by-catch in Norwegian fisheries is only about 0.5% of the PBR and can be considered negligible from a sustainability perspective. Even so, minke whale by-catch is still a serious animal welfare issue.

This study reviews the reintroduction and development of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) hunting in Sweden from 2001 to 2024, together with regional development of the seal population. Implementation of the hunting, together with geographical and temporal trends, as well as implications for management and ecosystem dynamics have been examined. The results provide an overview and support future assessments of protective and licensed hunting as potential tools to reduce conflicts between grey seals and coastal fisheries, while considering implications for ecosystem-based management and conservation. Data were compiled from national management documents, hunter-submitted records and national environmental monitoring programmes. Spatial and temporal patterns of hunting, quota allocations, retrieval rates, and grey seal population trends were examined. Results show that hunting began as protective hunting in northern counties and progressively expanded southwards, becoming nationwide along the Baltic coast by 2014. Seasonal timing of the hunting bag shifted from spring and autumn to late summer, and quota systems evolved from county-specific limits to nation-wide licensed hunting. Despite increased quotas and relaxed restrictions since 2020, the hunting bag did not increase, and the national quota was only fully utilized in 2024 when it was significantly reduced. Retrieval rates declined from 89% (2002–2013) to 57% (2014–2024), raising concerns about hunting efficiency and animal welfare. High regional hunting pressure relative to seal abundance was noted in several counties, with unclear implications for local population trends. Scientific support of grey seal hunting as an effective management measure to reduce seal-induced damage to fishing gear and catches is weak, and evidence of positive impacts on fish stocks is absent. The findings suggest that although grey seal hunting has been widely implemented, its demographic and ecological consequences remain uncertain. Key knowledge gaps persist regarding seal population dynamics, age and sex composition of hunted individuals, and broader ecosystem effects. As grey seals have low reproductive rates and face multiple anthropogenic threats, sustainable management requires improved data collection, spatially explicit ecological modelling, and an ecosystem-based approach. Continued monitoring and research are essential to evaluate long-term impacts of hunting and inform adaptive management strategies.

Over the past decade, anthropogenic noise from activities such as shipping has significantly increased in the ocean, raising questions on their potential impact on coastal species such as harbour seals. In this study, we assessed the spatial overlap between ships (equipped with AIS transmitters) and harbour seals (tracked using telemetry) in the English Channel, one of the densest shipping areas in the world. We then studied how their habitat selection varied according to environmental parameters taking into account shipping noise as a potential driver. A total of 28 harbour seals were captured and equipped with GPS-GSM tags. AIS data (ships > 15 m length) was used to estimate shipping traffic density and model the associated shipping noise. We then used generalised additive mixed models to assess harbour seals’ habitat selection using distance to haulout, distance to shore, bathymetry, tidal current, sediment type, and shipping noise as explanatory variables. The model selected had an explained deviance of 71.8%. Our findings indicate that distance to haulout sites was the primary driver of habitat selection (~91.5% deviance), while other environmental factors such as bathymetry (~4.4%), distance to shore (~3.1%), tidal current (~0.3%), sediment type (~0.6%), and shipping noise (~0.1%) had only minor influences on their selection. Despite a high spatial overlap between shipping activity and tracked seals (73% of overlap), the weak contribution of shipping noise suggests that either seals may be habituated to chronic noise exposure or that noise levels rarely exceed tolerance threshold levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first article integrating shipping noise into harbour seals’ habitat selection models. These findings provide an understanding of harbour seal habitat selection in anthropogenic environments.

Every year pinnipeds from five different species—gray (Halichoerus grypus), harbour (Phoca vitulina), harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus), hooded (Cystophora cristata), and ringed (Pusa hispida) seals—haul out on New York’s beaches. The locations of these animals are often in areas with high human density, resulting in negative interactions between humans and pinnipeds. These human interaction (HI) cases can include harassment, entanglement, and vessel trauma. Live pinniped strandings in New York, U.S.A., from 1996 through 2021 were examined to summarise characteristics, quantify the frequency and types of HI cases and assess overall spatiotemporal stranding trends. Of the 1,407 live strandings, 135 HI cases (55% involving gray seals) were documented. Notably, half of the HI cases involved entanglement in fishing gear or debris. The frequency of HI cases increased significantly over the study period, with more than one-third of cases occurring within the last 4 years. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between pinniped strandings (non-HI and HI) and boat access points, such as ramps and marinas, along a west-to-east gradient on Long Island. Understanding both non-HI and HI strandings is crucial to support the conservation of pinnipeds, as it provides essential insights into population trends, habitat changes, and the impact of human activities. These findings can inform targeted initiatives, such as training procedures for stranding response staff and volunteers, as well as the development of directed outreach materials, to foster greater awareness and proactive measures for species protection.

The distribution of animal species is shaped by environmental conditions and their ecological niches. The understanding of these niches is essential for conservation, especially for cetaceans, as cetacean species may adjust their geographical range in response to ecological changes. Long-term data is vital to monitor these shifts and guide conservation efforts. While environmental changes are occurring globally, localised effects on specific species and habitats, particularly marine ecosystems, remain understudied. This gap in knowledge is evident in Artic regions. As key trophic species, cetaceans can act as indicators of potential significance and contribute significantly to the economy of local communities via the practice of whale watching. Iceland, a biodiversity hotspot, has experienced significant warming as part of global climate change, possibly affecting the abundance of prey species. Cetaceans such as humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises inhabit these waters year-round and may be affected by such changes. This paper focuses on the bay of Faxaflói in southwest Iceland, utilising semi long-term data (2016-2023) from whale watching tours to discern potential changes in the occurrence of these four species. Sightings Per Unit Effort (SPUE) for the four targeted species was calculated for each month and year. ANOVA test (p<.005) and Tukey HSD test were conducted for humpback whales revealing significant differences in Spue in the years 2022-2017 (p=0.006), 2023-2017 (p=0.003), 2023-2018 (p=0.04), 2022-2019 (p=0.02), and 2023-2019 (p=0.009). Seasonal analysis suggests shifts in SPUE, with increased observations during non-touristic periods after 2021. Results indicate intriguing trends in species occurrence, with a significant increase in humpback whale sightings and a steady decline in mine whale sightings since 2018. The inverse relationship between minke and humpback whales suggests possible competition or distributional shifts. Acknowledging limitations and biases from tourism-centric data collection his study highlights the importance of whale watching records as a year-round monitoring tool. Collaborative efforts between operators and researchers are crucial to enhance data quality. Understanding and addressing the observational changes in cetaceans in Faxaflói is imperative for effective conservation measures in this ecologically significant region.

Major changes in the distribution of some cetaceans have been observed coincident with changing oceanography of the North Atlantic in the last 30 years. This study aimed to improve understanding of the underlying ecological drivers of any changes in deep-diving cetacean distribution. We used data from two series of summer surveys (in Iceland-Faroes and Norway) to model density of sperm (Physeter macrocephalus), long-finned pilot (Globicephala melas) and northern bottlenose (Hyperoodon ampullatus) whales as a function of static (relief), physical, and biological oceanographic covariates using GAMs. The best models, based on a robust model selection framework, were used to predict distribution. The study period was divided into two periods, 1987‑1989 and 1998-2015, based on environmental changes in the area and data availability. The common covariates that best explained these three species’ distributions (in both periods) were bathymetric variables and SST. The selected dynamic temperature-related covariates for sperm and pilot whales were for spring, but for bottlenose whales were for summer. Summer relationships were also found for the three species for the other dynamic variables, except spring chlorophyll-a for bottlenose whales. The difference in seasonal relationships for bottlenose whales may be related to a previously suggested north-south summer migration. As expected, the predicted high-use areas for all three species were deep waters, with some overlap among them in the central Norwegian Sea, and the Central North Atlantic, including the Irminger Sea. Differences in distribution likely reflect differences in prey. Changes in distribution between the two periods appear more as a range expansion than a shift, which could result from an increase in suitable habitat due to warming waters. This new knowledge will help improve understanding of how these species may respond over this wide area to a changing environment and inform their conservation.

Accurate data on population abundance is needed to monitor trends through time, especially for species that are commercially harvested or vulnerable to climate change related impacts. Hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in the Northwest Atlantic whelp on drifting sea ice in three areas: Davis Strait, the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and off of northeastern Newfoundland (“Front”), Canada, with the majority of whelping (>90%) occurring at the Front. They are harvested in Canada and Greenland but have not been assessed since 2005. Aerial surveys for harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) took place at the Front in 2012 and 2017. These surveys also captured the vast majority of hooded seal whelping patches in these years and so were used to estimate hooded seal pup production at the Front. Pup production was estimated from photo (2012 and 2017) and visual (2017 only) line-transect surveys. Staging data from 2004, 2005 and 2017 were used to correct these estimates for the proportion of pups not born on the survey days, resulting in total pup production estimates of 41,129 (SE = 7,374) and 39,021 (SE = 18,334) pups in 2012 and 2017, respectively. This is a large decrease from the previous estimate, being 38% and 36%, respectively, of the pup production estimated on the Front in 2005. Extensive reconnaissance that failed to locate whelping hooded seals in Davis Strait (2024) or outside the traditional whelping area at the Front (2012, 2017), along with low sea-ice coverage in the Gulf of St. Lawrence makes it unlikely that significant whelping was redistributed to other areas. The large decline in pup production after 2005 mirrors a similar decline and continued low level of pup production for hooded seals in the Greenland Sea that occurred between 1997 and 2005/07. Although the cause of the decline in the Northwest Atlantic is unknown, it is possible that negative impacts of ecosystem change on female fecundity and juvenile survival, as has been documented for harp seals in the Northwest Atlantic, are also impacting hooded seals.