From Xu Weiwei, Senior Statistician of Spotted Seals Research Monitoring
1. Monitoring is divided into land island monitoring and maritime monitoring. When monitoring at sea, in the case of strong convective weather such as winds above six levels and heavy fog, monitoring should be prohibited or immediately stopped. Because the synchronous monitoring node we chose just happened to encounter the transition of the cold and warm season, that is to say, the north wind to the south wind has a large cutting wind. This node happens to be the time point for the spotted seals' population to gather, so it brings great difficulty for the simultaneous investigation on the spotted seals. It is very difficult, but all monitoring must be carried out with the safety of the personnel.
2. Survival clothing (in accordance with CCS standards) is required for monitoring at sea or for monitoring along the coast. In principle, the monitoring personnel needs to be capable of swimming.
3. In the mornings and evenings with foggy days and low visibility, nighttime monitoring vessels need to be equipped with satellite navigation.
4. The people involved in synchronous monitoring are generally professionals in the fields of scientific research and wildlife protection. At the same time, the protected areas can be opened to the public. The public is welcome to participate as volunteers. Children need to participate under the supervision of adults.
5. When monitoring, keep a safe distance from wild animals such as spotted seals. Generally, the distance between the downwind and the spotted seals should be at least 300 meters, and the clothing should be plain or light blue. If you wear an orange life jacket, need to conceal or obstruct the life jacket. Monitors should not be shouted, and the engine needs to be shut down during monitoring. Keeping a safe distance from wildlife ensures both human safety and wildlife safety. Wild animals should not be lured during observation and photographing.
Spotted Seal Godson (Photo credit: CBCGDF)
By / Niu Jingmei