Unusual Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)

Observation: One of our local hunters, hunting about 14 miles west of Shishmaref, reports shooting a regular Bearded Seal, the physical appearance was of the weight and shape of the Bearded seal was described as the appearance of a regular spotted seal. The first thing the hunter visually noticed was a clear slime within the mouth. After pulling up the oogruk, upon butchering there was hardly any fat, and further butchering, the liver was described as small than normal, approximately 1/2 the size of a normal liver for that size. The next thing they noticed was the one side kidney was approximately twice as big as the other, and that the bigger kidney had the appearance of darker color, and also most black. After seeing this they stopped butchering and left the seal for other hunters to observe. The hunter was unable to take pictures, or samples, due to the trail conditions, and distance required to hunt. There was no visual hair loss, and no visual sores, only on the liver and kidney. I haven't been out yet, but the other hunters are doing good, so far there have been no other reports for the past week and a half of hunting, currently we are using snow-machines to hunt. Richard Kuzuguk

LEO Comment: This observation has been shared with the UAF Marine Advisory Program (MAP) Agent, Gay Sheffield in Nome, Alaska.

Resource:

Alaska Department of Fish & Game – Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) factsheet,

• NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Regional Office — Bearded seals: On December 28, 2012, NOAA Fisheries published a final rule listing the Beringia and Okhotsk distinct population segments (DPSs) as threatened. Beringia bearded seals occur in U.S. waters off Alaska’s coast. On July 25, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska issued a decision vacating NOAA Fisheries' December 28, 2012, listing of the Beringia DPS of bearded seals as threatened. Therefore, at this time, Beringia DPS bearded seals are not listed as a threatened species under the ESA. NOAA Fisheries has appealed the district court's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.