Baltic Sea: Seal Pups face tough winter due to reduced ice levels

The Seals need ice to keep themselves safe from predators such as wolves and foxes. However, the declining ice in the Baltic sea has disrupted their survivals

Highlights

With depleting ice levels, the seals are forced to inhabit the islets (small islands) that they normally hesitate to inhabit. This has caused overcrowding and is disrupting the survival rates of their pups. Around 3,000 Seal pups are born on the Baltic Sea Coats every year.

The Grey Seals are the most common seals in these seas and have been categorized as “Least Concern” under IUCN Red List. However, experts believe that the depleting ice levels has raised concerns and it is time to change their conservation status.

Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea is a Mediterranean Sea. It is enclosed by Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Russia. The group of countries that are currently referred to Baltic states are Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

Helsinki Convention

The Helsinki Convention that was signed in 1992 is on the protection of the marine environment of Baltic Sea. It was signed by Russia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Poland, USSR, Germany, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark and Finland.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2020