Mass death of seabirds, seals, and sea otters, abnormal behavior in eastern Hokkaido

Since mid-March, seabirds and marine mammals that appear to have been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has a high fatality rate, have been confirmed on the eastern coastline of Hokkaido. 　Volunteers are conducting their own surveys in Nemuro City, and as of the 4th, a total of 614 dead seabirds, seals, and sea otters have been confirmed.

AI Comment from Gemini 2.5 Pro:

This distressing event in Hokkaido, detailing significant mortality in 23 seabird species (including five on the Red List) and the first confirmed HPAI cases in seals and sea otters in Japan, reflects a troubling pattern of highly pathogenic avian influenza impacting marine ecosystems worldwide. Previous LEO Network posts have highlighted similar occurrences:> * In Canada, bird flu was confirmed in two ringed seals in Nunavut in late 2024, following detection in local seabirds, illustrating the pathway of transmission.> * Earlier in 2024, Norway reported the first case of a walrus dying from bird flu in Svalbard. This incident, along with an unusual number of other dead walruses, raised serious concerns about the virus's potential to spread within these social marine mammals.> * A mystery mass death of seals and birds on a remote Siberian island in August 2023 was also investigated with avian flu considered a likely cause, pointing to the widespread nature of these events.> These observations, including the current situation in Hokkaido, underscore the escalating threat HPAI poses as it increasingly jumps from wild bird populations to marine mammals across various regions. The potential for widespread die-offs, especially with transmission occurring within colonies and through scavenging as noted in Hokkaido, is a severe concern for marine biodiversity, echoing the broader crisis captured by the title of a related post: 'Unprecedented': How bird flu became an animal pandemic.