Seal population rebounds in NE China's Liaodong Bay

A spotted seal is released in the waters off Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, April 16, 2026. Five spotted seals were released into waters off the coast of Dalian on Thursday. Three of them were rescued and rehabilitated by the Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, while the other two were artificially bred by Sunasia Ocean World in Dalian. As a national first-class protected species, the spotted seal is the only pinniped marine mammal to breed in Chinese waters. They migrate to the Liaodong Bay in the Bohai Sea between October and December each year and stay here to give birth and nurse pups. They remain here until around mid-to-late April, when they gradually swim out of the Bohai Sea to begin their return journey. To protect and expand the wild population of spotted seals, Dalian has institutionalized rescue and artificial breeding efforts, releasing adult spotted seals back into the sea once they meet health standards and complete rewilding training. (Xinhua/Han He)

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The population of spotted seals in Liaodong Bay in northeast China has recovered to more than 2,000, up from less than 1,000 in the 1980s, thanks to effective habitat improvement, authorities said on Thursday.

The spotted seal is the only pinniped species that breeds in Chinese waters and is classified as a first-class protected wild animal in China.

In recent years, a series of protective measures have been implemented, including a dedicated conservation action plan and regular law-enforcement operations, to strengthen the protection of this species.

On Thursday, five spotted seals, including one rescued off the coast of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, were released into the sea in the city of Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Each released seal is fitted with an identification code and a satellite tracking device to enable continuous monitoring and enhanced protection.