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Tsunami hits Midway

Bonin petrel trapped in the sand. Courtesy: Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has provided details of the severe impact to wildlife of the Japanese tsunami, as it rolled over the islands comprising Midway Atoll on Thursday March 10th.

A news release issued by FWS states: “Fortunately, Midway residents received approximately 4 hours of advanced warning and successfully implemented its tsunami emergency plan. All essential infrastructure and equipment were secured and all staff, contractors, and visitors evacuated to the third floor of the Charlie Hotel. Fortunately, no one was injured and no major damage occurred to the island’s infrastructure. Debris washed onto the airfield which caused its temporary closure for less than 24 hours.

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Monk seal stamp issued by Croatia

A new postage stamp commemorating the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal has been issued by the Croatian postal service, Hrvatske pošte, reports Jasna Antolovic, of the Zagreb-based NGO Grupa Sredozemna Medvjedica (GSM). The design derives from photographs taken by Gianni Pecchiaro, a volunteer of GSM, at Verudela, Pula.

Despite earlier conjecture that the species might be effectively extinct in Croatian waters — despite sporadic sightings of vagrant animals from Greece or other areas of the Mediterranean — recent research has convinced GSM that as many as 20 monk seals may still survive in Croatian waters.

The stamp (No. 796 – Mediterranean monk seal) appears as part of a Croatian Fauna series issued by Hrvatske pošte.

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‘Nereus’ close to release

Monk seal pup ‘Nereus’, currently undergoing rehabilitation on Alonnisos, is responding well to treatment, and is likely to be released within days, reports MOm.

The 3-month old pup was found stranded on a remote beach on the Aegean island of Kythira on 7 February, and was visibly weak and undernourished when the decision came to transfer him to the MOm rehabilitation unit on 13 February [Stranded pup enters rehab on Alonnisos].

“Nereus now exceeds 40 kg,” reports MOm, “consumes 6 kg of fish per day, and spends the majority of his time swimming. In a few days he will complete his treatment regimen and, upon passing veterinary and blood examinations, will be ready to bid us farewell.”

MOm has appealed for funds to assist its rehabilitation effort.

Source: Τα νέα του “Νηρέα”! / “Nireas” news! MOm press release, 10 March 2010.

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Pup shot dead on Evia, Greece

A young female monk seal has been shot and killed on the Aegean island of Evia, reports Greek NGO MOm. An onsite necropsy by the organisation’s rescue team indicated that the still nursing pup had been in good nutritional health before being shot in the head with a hunting rifle by “person or persons unknown” on 16 February.

The killing comes 10 months after the shooting of a male pup in the same area. “Markos“, who suffered horrific head wounds as a result of the attack on 27 April 2010, quickly succumbed to its injuries despite intensive care at MOm’s seal rescue unit on Alonnisos.

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Stranded pup enters rehab on Alonnisos

In an announcement dated 18 February, Greek monk seal NGO MOm announced that a young seal found stranded on the Aegean island of Kythira had been transferred to its rehabilitation unit at Steni Vala, Alonnisos, in the Northern Sporades.

MOm reports that the pup was initially seen hauled up on Feloti beach, Kythira, by a local resident on 7 February. A week later, on 13 February, it received another alert, this time by a Kythira veterinarian, who reported that the animal appeared in distress, the photographic evidence and information provided leading MOm to speculate that the animal had remained stranded for the entire week. First aid instructions were communicated by phone. The young seal, however, failed to show any visible signs of improvement after a further two days, was visibly weak, and failed to react to human presence.

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Hawaiian monk seal scoping report available

NOAA announcement, 1 February 2011

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) has published the Scoping Summary Report for the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Actions PEIS, which presents a public record and summary of the scoping activities that occurred from October 1, 2010 through November 30, 2010.  The report can be viewed online.

In the coming months, the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Actions Draft PEIS will be released and a 60-day public comment period will be announced.