4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-3837313136 English Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en 2026-03-03T15:02:00.719Z NRW 1.0 wel British National Grid (EPSG::27700) Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) Monitoring 2005 Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) Monitoring 2005 Monitro morloi llwyd Ardal Gadwraeth Arbennig mor Sir Benfro 2005 2006-12-31 NRW_DS87116 The Habitats Directive establishes that the management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) should aim to achieve the favourable conservation status of habitat and species features listed within its Annex I and Annex II. For SACs in Wales, the former Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), now part of Natural Resources Wales (NRW), is therefore required to report on a regular basis on whether features are in favourable conservation status. Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are among the rarest seals in the world: the UK population represents about 40 percent of the world population and 95 percent of the EU population. Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol SAC is home to one of the largest populations of grey seals around the west coast of the UK. The purpose of this data capture was to record, document and report indicators of the condition of grey seals within the SAC. In addition to this, monitoring is also used to document and report on the impact of human activities, assessment of supporting habitat, and used in the estimations related to the population and structure (age and sex). The data collected will contribute to an estimate of whole site (SAC) production using indices developed following the 1992-94 seal census. The Habitats Directive establishes that the management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) should aim to achieve the favourable conservation status of habitat and species features listed within its Annex I and Annex II. For SACs in Wales, the former Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), now part of Natural Resources Wales (NRW), is therefore required to report on a regular basis on whether features are in favourable conservation status. Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are among the rarest seals in the world: the UK population represents about 40 percent of the world population and 95 percent of the EU population. Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol SAC is home to one of the largest populations of grey seals around the west coast of the UK. The purpose of this data capture was to record, document and report indicators of the condition of grey seals within the SAC. In addition to this, monitoring is also used to document and report on the impact of human activities, assessment of supporting habitat, and used in the estimations related to the population and structure (age and sex). The data collected will contribute to an estimate of whole site (SAC) production using indices developed following the 1992-94 seal census. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Pembrokeshire College, Coastal Zone and Marine Environment Research Unit Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1SZ, Wales admissions@pembrokeshire.ac.uk http://coast.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/ Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme halichoerus grypus seals (see also specific species) Pembrokeshire Marine cSAC Ramsey Island seal breeding census grey seals pinnipedia (pinnipeds) NRW Thesaurus 2025-01-08 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords Seal abundance SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2024-06-19 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml There are no access restrictions to this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely. no limitations © CNC/NRW. Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and NRW's copyright. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose. Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Open Government Licence English biota Pembrokeshire (45) Wales (WLS) -5.39370442 -4.62679588 51.49805951 52.08615526 SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2013-02-05 creation littoral 1995-01-01 2005-12-31 Cetaceans recorded by the west Wales grey seal census 1992 - 1994 Field observations on the disturbance of grey seals in North Wales 2003 Grey seal pup production monitoring, Ramsey Island and North Pembrokeshire, 1995 Grey seal pup production monitoring, Ramsey Island and North Pembrokeshire, 1996 Grey seal pup production monitoring: Ramsey Island and North Pembrokeshire, 1997 Pembrokeshire marine SAC grey seal monitoring 2005 Image Unknown [A] Dataset consists of: Digital versions of the contract report: Microsoft Word document(s); and an equivalent Adobe Portable Document Format version. Digital photographs (in .jpg format) - A series of 13 photos showing survey sites used for data collection. - A series of 68 grey seal pelage photos from N.Pembrokeshire mainland sites. - A series of 86 grey seal pelage photos from Ramsey Island sites. [B] An index of grey seal pelage photography filenames in Microsoft Word format (as reproduced in Appendix 5 of the report). [C] A series of 8 MapInfo (GIS) tables in MapInfo format (.dat, .id, .map, .tab). [D] A series of 4 Microsoft Excel spreadsheets containing raw survey data. Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation. false Natal sites were scanned thoroughly and systematically using binoculars (10x40 or 8x 40) from the standard observation points. At each monitoring site, abundance, estimated age, sex and behavioural categories were recorded. Environmental conditions were recorded, including date, time, wind, cloud cover and sea conditions (sea state and swell). Recent wind, sea and tidal conditions were also recorded as field notes. The 1992-94 West Wales seal Census established a 'population' baseline for the area between Caldey Island in the southeast and Aberystwyth in mid Cardigan Bay. The pupping data for Skomer Island is the longest running dataset for the area (beginning 1974, then annually since 1983). The data set for the Skomer MNR as a whole runs from 1991 to the present. This project will continue the work previously carried out in Pembrokeshire by Strong (1995, 1996, 1998) in an effort to be comparable to the previous work and concurrently address monitoring objectives. Images collected at sites within and outside the key study area, using pelage photography techniques, will be used to evaluate seal movements, abundance estimates and distribution of adults in future work. Natal sites were scanned thoroughly and systematically using binoculars (10x40 or 8x 40) from the standard observation points. At each monitoring site, abundance, estimated age, sex and behavioural categories were recorded. Environmental conditions were recorded, including date, time, wind, cloud cover and sea conditions (sea state and swell). Recent wind, sea and tidal conditions were also recorded as field notes. The 1992-94 West Wales seal Census established a 'population' baseline for the area between Caldey Island in the southeast and Aberystwyth in mid Cardigan Bay. The pupping data for Skomer Island is the longest running dataset for the area (beginning 1974, then annually since 1983). The data set for the Skomer MNR as a whole runs from 1991 to the present. This project will continue the work previously carried out in Pembrokeshire by Strong (1995, 1996, 1998) in an effort to be comparable to the previous work and concurrently address monitoring objectives. Images collected at sites within and outside the key study area, using pelage photography techniques, will be used to evaluate seal movements, abundance estimates and distribution of adults in future work.