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A large number of seals left Hvammstangi last weekend. There, about 50 volunteers contributed and counted the seals on the beaches of Heggstaða and Vatnsness. The count is a good indication of the total count that is carried out every four years.
With a 70% decrease in population, harbor seals are on the verge of extinction
The seal population on the coast of Iceland has been included in the endangered species list, and the harbor seal population is in danger of extinction, according to the last census conducted in 2020. According to Sandra, the total number of animals in the 2020 census was about 10,000, but in the first count in 1980, the number exceeded 30,000. This means that the population is about 70 percent.
Volunteer from the age of five
Sandra Granqvist, an expert at the Swedish Maritime Administration, said the count was a fun tradition that also had educational value for participants. Because the count was conducted by volunteers, it was not highly scientific, but Sandra said it was still a good indicator of what was to come. Every four years, scientists would conduct a more accurate count on an airplane.
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