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NOAA Fisheries
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Saimaa Seal (Phoca hispida saimensis)

  saimaa seal
Saimaa Seal
(Phoca hispida saimensis)
Photo: Juha Taskinen

 

Did You Know?

· The Saimaa seal only exists in the Saimaa Lake system of eastern Finland, with only 270 individuals remaining in the wild.

· Females dig their lairs in snow drifts and create a hole in the ice below through which to enter and exit for fishing.

· The primary threat to the population is entrapment of young seals in fishing nets and collapse of lairs.
 

Status
ESA Endangered - throughout its range
MMPA Depleted - throughout its range

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Phoca
Species: hispida
Subspecies: saimensis

The saimaa seal is a subspecies of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida).

Key Documents
(All documents are in PDF format.)

Title Federal Register Date
ESA Listing Rule 58 FR 40538 07/28/1993

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