SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Monday that a satellite tracking device has been attached to a spotted seal that has been released to the sea, in order to determine out the routes and timing of the seal’s seasonal migration in real-time.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science has been conducting habitat research since 2006. Last August, the institute released a 2-year-old spotted seal on the coast of Baekryeongdo Island, with a GPS device attached to its back.
Observation has showed that thus far, the young spotted seal continues to rigorously roam about the southern and northern coast of Baekryeong Island.
The government expects that the seal will leave the island to head over to China within the next month.
Spotted seals are the only pinnipeds with a confirmed habitat in South Korea. They give birth to pups in China’s Gulf of Liaotung during the winter and migrate south to the West Sea between spring and autumn for feeding and resting.
Image Credit: Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries / National Institute of Biological Resources / photonews@koreabizwire.com
