Causes of mortality and non‐fatal conditions among grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) found dead on the coasts of England, Wales and the Isle of Man

A survey of the diseases detectable in 141 grey seals stranded on the coasts of England and Wales away from breeding colonies was carried out between mid‐1989 and early 1997. The most common fatal conditions in pups less than three weeks of age were trauma (24 per cent of deaths) and dystocia (12 per cent); in pups more than three weeks of age they were starvation (22 per cent) and pneumonia (22 per cent); in juveniles they were drowning in fishing gear (30 per cent) and starvation (19 per cent), and in adults a variety of respiratory diseases were the most common causes of death (45 per cent). Many other diseases, both fatal and non‐fatal, were recorded.