The dead seal was discovered by researchers from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), who informed MOm (the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal).

“Despite the difficult weather conditions in Attica that day, the MOm team immediately reached the area for an inspection and sample collection. With deep sorrow, we found that the seal — an adult male — had been deliberately killed with the use of a hunting weapon,” the organization stated.

They described the incident as a “criminal act that deprived the animal of its right to swim freely in the waters of the Saronic Gulf.”

A report of the incident was filed with the Palaia Fokaia Coast Guard, accompanied by all findings from the on-site examination.

“As we approach the end of the year, this incident leaves a bitter taste but also a strong reminder: the protection of wildlife is not only the job of experts. It is the responsibility of all of us. Such actions — even if committed by a sad minority — offend society as a whole. A big thank you to the HCMR researchers for their immediate report and cooperation during the necropsy, as well as to the Coast Guard officers,” the announcement concludes.