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Reports of dead seals on coasts doubled in 2020, charity says

Seal Rescue Ireland received 202 reports of dead seals around Ireland last year.

THE NUMBER OF dead seals washing up on Irish shores rose significantly last year, according to Seal Rescue Ireland.

The rescue charity says that it received the highest number of dead seal reports of the last five years in 2020.

Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103′s Cork Today show, Seal Rescue Ireland executive director Melanie Croce said that the group is seeing a “huge rise” in reports of dead seals.

Croce said that Seal Rescue Ireland has “been keeping a dead seal database for the last five years, and we have seen a huge rise in the last year”.

“2020 was the highest number of reports we’ve ever had, with 202 dead seal reports coming from all over the country, which was more than double the previous year,” Croce said.

The charity has already recorded 38 reports in the last six weeks, more than a third of which have come from Cork.

Eight reports in the last week came from the Ballycotton and Shanagarry areas in East Cork, where some people thought the seals appeared to have bullet holes in their bodies.

However, Croce said that when the seals wash ashore, they are often already decomposing and that postmortem are challenging because of a lack of funding, so it can be “almost impossible” to determine the cause of death. 

She said the increase in reports is likely due to climate change.

“As the increase in the severity and frequency of storms is happening year to year, we’re getting more and more seals, specifically young pups, who are getting washed up beaches, they can drown, they can get bashed into rocks. It’s just a really rough start to life,” she said.

“We’re also seeing a lot of coastal erosion. Seals have to come up on beaches to rest and rear their young. Basically, when we’re losing our coast lines, they’re losing their habitat.”

Additionally, another cause of mortality for the seals is being caught in fishing nets.

Croce said that Seal Rescue Ireland recorded four seals this winter that washed up in the south-east with “visible evidence of nets”.

“They ultimately drown,” she said.

“Unfortunately a lot of this is happening offshore where we’re not seeing it. We’re only seeing the ones washing up, so there’s really no way of knowing the real number of seals that are being impacted by this out at sea.

“We need to protect them not only to protect the health of our seas but for future generations to be able to enjoy them.”

In November, the National Parks and Wildlife Service launched an investigation into a discovery of dead seals on Banna Beach, Co Kerry, who were missing their heads.

Seals are a protected species in Ireland under the Irish Wildlife Act, 1976 and the EU’s Marine Mammal Protection Act, 1972.

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    Mute Carmella Mcgilvery
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:31 PM

    if television adds 10 pounds …does ryan tubridy even exist ??

    325
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    Mute Seth Mcguinness
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    Dec 13th 2015, 12:25 AM

    He exists as pure energy just for his wages.

    13
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    Mute Luke Sarpish
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:03 PM

    Mark Whalburg didn’t even to get to sit down before chopstick Tubridy asked about his Irish roots.

    280
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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:51 PM

    Sure we claim them just because their great great aunt was raped by an Irish slave-owner ffs.

    36
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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:51 PM

    Great great grandmother obviously :-).

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:02 PM

    Thanks for clearing that up peter.

    141
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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:50 PM

    Ah he probably tipped the two of them , ur ok..

    27
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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:03 PM

    The Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy.

    Ireland’s answer to I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

    240
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    Mute John Smith
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:34 PM

    Ireland’s Alan Partridge.

    78
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    Mute DonalC
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:43 PM

    Brendan O Connor was absolutely horrific as well. People let D’Arcy blind them into forgetting how crap the two of them were. Just rewatch that Pussy Riot interview and tell me O’Connor was doing a decent job!

    Irish TV is just dreadful in general

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    Mute Hypernova
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:29 PM

    In fairness Donal,I don’t think anyone on Earth would be able to have a good interview with Pussy Riot.They were a small bit strange and the language barrier didn’t help.

    43
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    Mute Myles Sheehan
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:56 PM

    Brendan O’Connor’s interview with Liam Gallagher was one of the worst things I’ve seen any any talk show. He’s such a cringey bollocks.

    40
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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    Dec 12th 2015, 4:32 PM

    Really John? That’s like trying to decide which animals dung you would rather have thrown at you.

    23
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    Mute Seán Domhnall O'Sullivan
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    Dec 12th 2015, 8:36 PM

    Pat Kenny with Pete Doherty was the one that sent me over the edge. Truly awful even if I’d ever defend rte, which I wouldnt

    13
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    Mute Linny
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:20 PM

    Every time Tubridy said “You guys”, I died a little inside.

    208
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    Mute Alan Biddulph
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:08 PM

    So tell me about your kids, are they normal? Amazing journalistic skills from the the main man.

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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:09 PM

    If Tubridy is talented, I’m Santa Claus!

    91
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:13 PM

    Dear Fred,
    I’ve been a very good boy this year……..

    66
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:20 PM

    Dear Periguin, I will give you all you wished for this year……

    First prove to me Tubridy is “Talented”

    Ho! Ho! …..Ho!

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    Mute Sinead Hanley
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:27 PM

    When the likes of Tubridy and that dreadful Xpose crew meet a Hollywood Star, I want to barf.. Have you got Irish roots/did u have the craic in an Irish pub/would u like to make a film in Ireland/when are you coming back.. These questions are patronising.. I am sure the stars in question find them boring too

    148
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    Mute Ben Connolly
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:59 PM

    Tubridy asked them are your kids normal omg what a question

    58
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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:36 PM

    Tubridy is just so plain cringe inducing, embarrassing to watch him make an idiot of himself, night after night, surely there is someone reasonably competent in RTE to host a chat show without having to watch this car crash tv.

    55
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    Mute Supernova
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:19 PM

    I had to turn it off.. To cringey!

    35
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:48 PM

    Isn’t it great to be known as a nation of drunks.

    44
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    Mute Martin Healy
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:35 PM

    Ryan turbridy he’s as sincere as a prostuitute’s kiss

    41
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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    Dec 12th 2015, 4:35 PM

    Tubridy; Irelands answer to a question nobody has ever asked.

    36
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    Mute bacoxy
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:24 PM

    Where is the story about Paul Murphy and the FOI request from Irish water gone? Why have ye removed it?

    35
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:24 PM

    Mr. Tubridy reminds me of a Skoda with alloy wheels, pardon me if I sound a little biased.

    24
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:26 PM

    I meant the 70′s Skodas, Not too many reds now boys and girls, or your wishes wont come true.

    Merry Christmas………

    23
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:27 PM

    Lada comes to mind, with a sunroof and heated rear window.

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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:31 PM

    Thats what I meant>>> DOH…

    You’ve been a very good boy Periguin………Now… besides removing a stick insect from the National Broadcaster…..What would you like for Christmas?

    15
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:39 PM

    ummm, world peace and a decent political structure and represntatives. Impossible, i know, but.

    21
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:58 PM

    You’re right, Impossible, meanwhile here is a Ryan Tubridy colouring book with markers, shouldn’t take you too long to fill in………….

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    Mute Richard McCarthy
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:24 PM

    Glad you cleared that up Fred,for the record the 152 hi tec Skoda Octavia 2.0 L TDI combi L@K is one mean machine,best value for money car around bar none,no wonder the taxi drivers at Stansted airport prefer them.

    15
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    Mute Fred Astare Astare
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:36 PM

    Ehhh. I had one, you are right, a great yoke, unfortunately I got it mixed up with my past life as Periguin pointed out the Czech/Russian LADA, which in all honesty were post war cans of proverbial P@ss,

    13
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    Mute molly coddled
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    Dec 12th 2015, 4:30 PM

    What do you call a Lada at the top of a hill?….a miracle.

    15
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 5:51 PM

    Nah, ready to start.

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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:39 PM

    That Turdy is a bad example of a man I ever did see.

    21
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    Mute Periguin
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    Dec 12th 2015, 1:42 PM

    I does be always listening in english grammar class and do be doing all my homework.

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    Mute Bart Renolds
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    Dec 12th 2015, 3:18 PM

    Tubbs is rte ‘s love child

    18
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    Mute lavbeer
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:11 PM

    Tubridy is though evidence that we as a people can see the bigger picture and the better future by not holding the actions good or bad of his grandfather against him.

    Long may this continue.

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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Dec 12th 2015, 2:29 PM

    His grandad was in the ira but besides that tubs was in fianna fail, and paid hundreds of thousands of Euro for being an apologist for the govt. I’m glad I’ve never bought a tv license.

    32
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    Mute James Keane
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    Dec 12th 2015, 7:45 PM

    Why can’t we get a proper presenter to do our number one talk show. I mean Kenny was ok but tubs is actually embarrassing and this season is his worst yet. D’Arcy actually does a worse job, which is sayin something too.

    11
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    Mute paul kelly
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    Dec 13th 2015, 3:21 PM

    If Ryan turd was a chicken curry….

    1
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