Seals

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are the two seal species found on the Norwegian coast. Seals are important elements in the rich marine biodiversity of Norwegian waters. At the same time seal populations are also subject an important part of Norway’s to sustainable useharvesting of marine living resources. This combination of conservation and sustainable use is... Read more

Hooded seals are local to the North Atlantic. Hooded seals breed on pack ice and there are three main whelping areas – those being : off Newfoundland in Canada, in the Davies Strait between Canada and Greenland, and in the Jan Mayen area of the Greenland Sea. The degree of exchange among these whelping areas remains unclear. Whelping occurs in mid–late March. The intensive lactation period last... Read more

The harp seal is local to the North Atlantic. The harp seal breeds on pack ice and there are three main whelping areas: off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (the Northwest Atlantic stock), in the Jan Mayen area of the Greenland Sea and in the White Sea in Russia. Read more

Norwegian sealing focuses on two species, harp and hooded seals. Sealing takes place in the south-eastern Barents Sea, outside the White Sea in the Russian Economic Zone and the area between Greenland and Jan Mayen Island. Read more