Say Goodbye to the Mediterranean Monk Seal

Oh, and another one bites the dust. Maybe it is because they are so cute, but the demise of monk seals sure does get a fair share of attention. Time to say goodbye, if you can find one that is. Why is it going? The usual reason...us.

For marine species, pollution and accidental mortality from fisheries by-catch or ship collisions are the main risks. These threats are most severe in the enclosed seas of the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Within the European Union, six species have been classified as Critically Endangered. The most threatened category includes the Arctic fox and the European mink, which both have very small and declining populations. Only 150 Iberian Lynx survive today and the Mediterranean monk seal population has decreased to between 350-450 individuals.

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