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Hanover (dpa) - The number of harbor porpoises in the German North Sea fell drastically from 2006 to 2019.

This is the result of a current study by the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, which was published in the specialist magazine “Frontiers in Marine Science”.

The number of animals initially increased after 2002, but overall it fell by an average of 1.8 percent per year in the period from 2002 to 2019.

In 2019, around 23,000 harbor porpoises were still living in the German North Sea.

"The trend we see here is worrying," said co-author of the study Anita Gilles.

Particularly worrying is the fact that the harbor porpoises have strongly withdrawn from their most important protected area off Sylt.

On Sylt's outer reef, the number had decreased by an average of 3.8 percent per year during the study period.

In contrast, the population increased further south in the North Sea off Borkum.

The reasons for this are unclear and need to be investigated further, said Gilles.

However, other studies have already suggested that shipping, fishing, and offshore wind farms may be partly responsible for changing populations.

"It's likely a mix of causes and cumulative effects," said Gilles.

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The number of porpoises, also known as bottlenose dolphins, was determined using estimates and counts from the air by air.

The porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is the smallest and only native whale species in the North and Baltic Seas.

It is extremely important for the balance of the North Sea ecosystem, emphasized Gilles.

If the population of this sensitive animal species declines, this is an indicator: "The balance is no longer right." 

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210107-99-927250 / 2

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