Page 146 - Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy: Environmental Report

Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy:
Environmental Report
Distribution and Abundance Around Alderney
The distribution of seals is shown in Figure 19. Grey seals haul-out on the Nannels and
Renonquet rocks to the west of Burhou Island near Alderney (Alderney Wildlife Trust, 2012;
Open Hydro, 2008). The total size of the Alderney grey seal population is estimated at
between 15 and 20 individuals (Open Hydro, 2008). In 2012, there was the repeat presence of
grey seal pups in the late summer and early autumn on the Burhou reefs and, therefore, the
Alderney Wildlife Trust is starting to consider this as a potential breeding site (Alderney Wildlife
Trust pers. comm., June 2013).
Grey seal were only recorded within the inshore waters of the north coast of Alderney during
the OpenHydro Subsea Tidal Array Installation Seabird and Marine Mammal Monitoring (ARE,
2009; Entec UK Limited, 2007). No grey seals were recorded in the seabird and marine
mammal baseline survey within the south east region of Alderney commissioned in 2010 by
Alderney Commission for Renewable Energy (Alderney Wildlife Enterprise, 2011).
Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina)
The common seal (also known as harbour seal) is the smaller of the two native UK seals
measuring up to approximately 1.85m in length and typically weigh 80-100 kgs. Britain is home
to approximately 30% of the population of the European sub-species of common seal (having
declined from approximately 40% in 2002). Scotland holds approximately 85% of the UK
harbour seal population. Common seals are found in a wide variety of coastal habitats and
come ashore in sheltered waters, including on sandbanks, in estuaries and along rocky areas
(SCOS, 2012).
Distribution and Abundance in the English Channel
The most southern European colonies of harbour seals are located in France in the Baie du
Mont Saint Michel, Baie des Veys and Baie de Somme with a total count of 295 seals hauled
out at these sites recorded in 2008 (Hassani et al, 2010).
Distribution and Abundance Around the Channel Islands and Cotentin Coast
Common seal do not regularly haul-out on islands in the Channel Islands. However, common
seals from colonies along the French coast are observed foraging around the Channel Islands
(GECC, 2011; GECC, 2010).
Distribution and Abundance Around Alderney
No common seal sightings were recorded in any of the recent monitoring surveys around
Alderney (ARE, 2009; Entec UK Limited, 2007; Alderney Wildlife Enterprise, 2011). The
species is therefore only likely to occur rarely in the Alderney area.
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