Management and conservation of the harbour seal, Phoca vitulina, population in the international wadden sea area

A population assessment of the harbour seal in the international Wadden Sea area was carried out. The results show that the populations in the different areas must be considered as one entity. Therefore management and conservation measurements should be placed in an international context. Because of the low pup production in the Dutch area the survival of a harbour seal population in the Dutch Wadden Sea depends on migration from the adjacent areas as long as adverse environmental factors, i.e. pollution and disturbance, are not under control.