The Department coordinates the Northern Ireland seal counts undertaken by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division and National Trust. Assistance is also provided by Loughs Agency. This report provides a review of the data collected from 1992 –2017 and assesses whether the methods employed have produced sufficient data to inform trends in seal populations over time. In addition, the Department wanted to determine whether the methods employed are fit for future monitoring and if the count programme can be rationalised to better fit currently available resources.
A review of Northern Ireland seal count data 1992-2017: Investigating population trends and recommendations for future monitoring