Fur Seal “Baby Boom”

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK. 17 September. VOSTOK-MEDIA. Unprecedented increase of fur seal population on the island Tulenii is registered this year, said Chief Specialist in ichthyology, fishery and water-biological resources monitoring of Sakhalinribvod, Ms. Tatyana Chupahina.
In July-August she was a member of the expedition monitoring population, state and cropping of creatures on the island Tulenii. In this summer there were born 38 thousand fur seals; it says about seal population renewal. Now age of female seals is 6-12 years. Enough fodder and favourable climate conditions have bolsteredyoung seal to live longer in the last 10 years. Ms. Chupakhina said that population of seals on the island is in good state. Also it is evident from the fact that seal rookery settled the eastern part of the island (traditional) along with the western, southern and northern parts where mostly bachelor and non-herd seals live in. Though, there is one thing that made specialists worry such as intensive rock devastation, especially of the northern-eastern and western parts which are being destructed by storms and waves in winter. Sometimes, it leads to death of seals. This summer casual observers saw how a piece of split rock killed 8 young seals.
Tuleniii island is a piece of rock 740 meters long and 98 wide. It is located in the Terpenie Bay in 20 miles from Terpenie Cape and 70 miles from Poronaisk. There live 3 types of sea animals and hundreds types of birds. For two kinds of sea animals (seals and sea lions) the island is maternity place. Specialist have monitored seal population, state and cropping since 1970s. For this purpose annual expeditions are held.
Along with increasing population of seals specialists said about increase in red-skin sea lions population (614 young seals and 1.5 thousand mature animals) and larga seals (1 thousand of mature animals), guillemot, rhinoceros auklet and etc.
Ms. Chupakhina remarked also that this time they have not seen any poacher boats near the island. But a number of occasions when seals are trapped with artificial materials such as nets, strings and package belts have not decreased. At this time specialists registered 135 seals trapped in nets and tapes.