WRITTEN QUESTION E-2436/97 by Jessica Larive (ELDR) to the Commission (16 July 1997)

Subject: Monk seal catastrophe off the coast of Mauritania

Between 200 and 300 monk seals live along the Atlantic coast of West Africa, most of them in Mauritania and off the coast of Western Sahara. Large numbers of them have died, probably as a result of an infection, and are currently being washed ashore in Mauritania, as reported in the Telegraaf of 11 June 1997 and in the press release issued on 22 May 1997 by the Seal Centre (SRRC) in Pieterburen, according to which the seal population has plummeted.

The Seal Centre is working with various local centres to limit the extent of this catastrophe as far as possible. ISIFER, a Spanish group, is also studying the monk seals as part of a Commission-funded LIFE project but is working completely on its own. A steering committee has been set up to oversee scientific research activity.

Given what may be described as a catastrophe, it is crucial that all the organizations concerned join forces to prevent the disappearance of monk seals from this region.

1. Is the Commission aware of the catastrophe currently occurring off the coast of Mauritania? If so, can it do anything about it?

2. What conditions are imposed on ISIFER under the aforementioned LIFE project?

3. Who or what is responsible for monitoring this?

4. Has cooperation between the various organizations and with the local population been ensured?

5. Has it been ensured that the steering committee has all the required expertise (e.g. in the area of infectious diseases)?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (18 September 1997)

1. The Commission is aware of the exceptionally high rate of mortality within the monk seal colony at Cabo Blanco. The Commission has authorised the Canary Islands Government, a beneficiary of the Life-Nature project entitled 'Action for the conservation of the monk seal in the Atlantic', to, if necessary, redirect part of its initial budget in order to step up its emergency activities (analyses in order to identify the cause of the mortality; boosting the scientific team at the scene; meetings of the scientific committees monitoring this event; emergency action to be taken on the spot in order to safeguard the surviving animals).

2. As a beneficiary under the Life contract the Canarian Government has made the ISIFER Association responsible for carrying out certain of the activities provided for in the contract. To this end the ISIFER is cooperating with various partners. The Commission does not share the Honourable Member's view that the ISIFER is working completely on its own.

3. In view of the critical situation as regards this species and the technical complexity of this project this has from the outset been accompanied by a scientific committee comprising specialists from the Seals Specialist Group within the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and its Resources (IUCN). During the mortality period information on the developments in the situation and on the action taken has regularly been sent to the specialist scientists and institutions (IUCN, United States Marine Mammal Commission, Bonn Convention, Mediterranean Action Plan within the United Nations Environment Programme).

4. The ISIFER Association is cooperating closely with the Mauritanian authorities that are responsible for nature conservation. In addition frequent contacts have been maintained with the Mauritanian Association of Monk Seal Friends in Nouadhibou.

5. The scientific committee consists of several world specialists in seal conservation, including the Chairman of the IUCN's Seals Group, Dr P. Reinjders. Dr Kennedy from the Northern Ireland Veterinary Science Division, a virologist specialising in infectious diseases of marine mammals, is also involved in the project. He travelled to Mauritania during the mortality period in order to take samples and examine the disease. He himself and Dr E. Costas from the Madrid veterinary faculty have carried out several virological and toxicological analyses on the seal tissue sent by the ISIFER team. In addition a large number of analyses have been conducted on the samples sent by the same team to the Community reference laboratory in Vigo (Spain).