Entanglement of Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella in man-made debris at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, 2002/03

The results of the seventh annual survey of entanglement of Antarctic fur seals at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands are reported for the 2002/2003 summer season. There was a single sighting of a seal wearing a neck collar of man-made debris. Data are compared with results from a parallel study undertaken at Bird Island, South Georgia in 2002/03. In the case of Bird Island, data indicated that the number of entangled fur seals had decreased by 67% compared to the previous year, this being the lowest number recorded at Bird island since1999/00. Although such a decrease is encouraging, the presence of the entangled seal at Signy, together with the considerable number of seals with neck collars at Bird Island, highlights the need for CCAMLR members to continue their campaign to ensure that vessels are aware of and comply with regulations prohibiting the disposal of man-made debris at sea.