Namibe — Environmental experts and researchers advocated over the weekend for urgent measures to halt the decline of seal colonies in Baía dos Tigres, Iona municipality, in south-western Namibe Province, an area under strong pressure from human activity.

The warning was issued to ANGOP on-site during a scientific expedition to Baía dos Tigres, which brought together technicians from the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry and Fisheries and Marine Resources, the National Fisheries Inspection Service, the Institute of Veterinary Services (ISV), as well as environmental specialists and law enforcement agents.

According to information shared by the expedition's experts, the situation has been ongoing since 2015, with the population decreasing from eight thousand to roughly 30 thousand animals, based on assessments carried out using drones.

The veterinarian from the "Marine World" organization, Luciano Reis, explained that analyses were carried out to screen for the H5N1 avian influenza virus, rabies, and brucellosis, in addition to complementary blood count and blood biochemistry tests.

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The work, he said, also included the capture of three seabirds, namely two cormorants and a large seagull, which were also subjected to sample collection for epidemiological screening.

According to the specialist, one of the seals observed showed clinical signs compatible with a possible infection by the H5N1 virus, a situation that remains under investigation. "Definitive confirmation will only be possible after the completion of the laboratory analyses", he clarified. The official results of the collected samples should be released in the coming days by the aforementioned organization, coordinated by the Institute of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.