Rescue centres work together to help entangled seals.

People who sail on the Wadden Sea and the North Sea on a daily basis regularly see entangled seals. The animals have become entangled in materials such as fishing nets, potato sacks, construction plastic or other waste that has ended up in the water. This severely restricts the seal, preventing it from hunting. The animal will eventually die of starvation, suffocation or exhaustion. To help these entangled seals, the three seal centres in the Netherlands have joined together. Specially trained staff from A Seal, Pieterburen Sanctuary and Ecomare Sanctuary form the Seal Response Team.

The seal centres set up the Seal Response Team because the number of entangled seals has been increasing for years. The Seal Response Team strives to provide assistance several times a year to seals in distress with a specially trained team by boat. At least one veterinarian is always on board in case an animal needs to be sedated.