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Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre

Coordinates: 53°23′54″N 6°27′17″E / 53.39833°N 6.45472°E / 53.39833; 6.45472
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Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre
Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen
AbbreviationSRRC
Established21 December 1971; 52 years ago (1971-12-21)
FounderLenie 't Hart
Location
Managing director
Niek Kuizenga[1]
Operational director
Bas Wemmenhove[1]
Websitewww.zeehondencentrum.nl/en/
Formerly called
  • Zeehondencrèche Pieterburen (until 2006; 2014–2016)
  • Zeehondencrèche Lenie 't Hart (2006–2014)
Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre
YouTube information
Channel
LocationNetherlands
Years active2013–present
GenreNonprofits & Activism
Subscribers426 thousand[2]
Total views48.3 million[2]
Contents are inDutch, English, Japanese
100,000 subscribers2024
Last updated: 12 October 2024

The Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC; Dutch: Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen; lit. 'Pieterburen Seal Centre') is located in the village of Pieterburen in Groningen, the Netherlands. Until 2016, it was called a 'seal crèche' (zeehondencrèche),[3] because it had mainly cared for young orphaned pinnipeds before then. In recent years, sick and weakened seals of all ages are taken in for treatment and then released. The centre is committed to the management and conservation of the seal habitat, trains people to work with these marine mammals, conducts research, and provides education.[4]

The SRRC in Pieterburen will close in early January 2025 and will reopen in April 2025 in the new Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre (Dutch: Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee, WEC) in the harbour of Lauwersoog.[5][6][7]

History

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20th century

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In Pieterburen, pinnipeds have been cared for on the initiative of Lenie 't Hart since the first seal, a young male named Loeskus, arrived on 21 December 1971.[8] This was a continuation of the efforts of René and Anneke Wentzel, who had rehabilitated orphaned seals in the nearby village of Uithuizen since 1961.[9][10] In 1952, Gerrit de Haan and Annie de Haan-Langeveld had founded the first European seal sanctuary in De Koog as part of the Texels Museum, a venture that became Ecomare in 1986.[11][12]

The SRRC, located at 't Hart's home, has been expanded several times. Construction on the current building officially began on 7 September 1978. VARA radio and television presenter Bert Garthoff [nl], known for hosting the popular radio programme Weer of geen weer, laid the foundation stone. He was asked to do so because he had been one of the first Dutch media personalities to call attention to environmental issues through his work.[13] Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, a founder and the inaugural president of the World Wide Fund for Nature, was present for the opening of four additional outdoor pools, quarantine units, a public information hall, and a video room in 1993.[13]

21st century

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On 16 September 2006, Lenie 't Hart's 65th birthday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality awarded her its silver honorary medal for her tireless efforts for marine mammals and the Wadden Sea area over the years.[14] In honor of 't Hart and on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, the 'seal crèche' was renamed Zeehondencrèche Lenie 't Hart that same day.[15]

In 2011, the year she turned 70 years old, "seal mother" Lenie 't Hart announced that she would be stepping down as director of the SRRC.[16] Eventually, Niek Kuizenga assumed leadership. 't Hart remained connected to the centre as a volunteer and ambassador,[16] but she grew strongly opposed to the introduction of new, science-based policies for seal rescue and treatment that were based on recent knowledge and experience, and were considered appropriate for the current seal population of the Wadden Sea.

In January 2014, the simmering conflict between Lenie 't Hart and the centre came to a boil. The management and employees wanted to accommodate seals under different conditions, no longer to immediately remove pups from their mothers as was the case under 't Hart, and to have a shorter care period for the seals if the physical condition of the animals allowed it. The use of antibiotics in the animals taken in had to be reduced to prevent antibiotic resistance. This was very much against 't Hart's vision, who believed that all animals should be treated preventively with antibiotics.[17] A central point of contention was the question of whether all juvenile pinnipeds lying on the beach required rescuing. According to Lenie 't Hart, a seal pup on the beach is always in need of help, while the management and employees disputed this: according to new scientific insights, seal mothers sometimes leave their young alone for an entire day to get food at sea.[18][19][20][21] This put the management in direct conflict with the supervisory board set up by 't Hart.[22] The crisis publicly erupted after Lenie 't Hart appointed a personal friend, TROS luminary Wibo van de Linde [nl], as chairman of the supervisory board and announced through the media that the new reception policy was illegal.[23][24] The staff then demanded more policy freedom and, when they were not given this, went on strike.[25]

After the supervisory board was replaced in February 2014,[26] 't Hart cut ties with the centre. Several attempts by Lenie 't Hart to obtain a severance payment of €150,000 (US$199,275)[27] came to nothing.[28] The Dutch name of the SRRC was temporarily changed back to Zeehondencrèche Pieterburen and became Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen on 1 July 2016.[3]

Activities

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The centre has evolved from a simple 'crèche' for young seals to a scientific research-based seal hospital, with accompanying facilities such as quarantine units, a laboratory, a chemist, and modern research facilities.[13]

Hundreds of seals are cared for annually. The center rescues seals that have been injured by boats or fishing nets and those that have been sickened due to water pollution. The center also rescues orphaned pups. All rehabilitated seals are released into the wild after their rehabilitation period, which lasts from several weeks to a maximum of six months. None of the animals remain in captivity and none of the seals are bred. The center also collects pieces of fishing nets that float in the sea and injure the animals. The center is open to visitors daily.

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Images

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  • Mount of fishing nets recovered from the North Sea
    Mount of fishing nets recovered from the North Sea
  • Seal pup in a quarantine unit in 2005
    Seal pup in a quarantine unit in 2005
  • Main building
    Main building
  • Seal transportation crates
    Seal transportation crates
  • Seal ambulance used by the SRRC in 2007
    Seal ambulance used by the SRRC in 2007

Videos

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  • 1972 newsreel about the early seal rehabilitation effort in Pieterburen, with commentary by Lenie 't Hart (in Dutch)
  • 1979 newsreel showing the seals in Pieterburen being moved into a new enclosure (in Dutch)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Bas Wemmenhove onze nieuwe directeur". Zeehondencentrum.nl (in Dutch). Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b "About Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen". YouTube.
  3. ^ a b "Zeehondencrèche heet voortaan zeehondencentrum". Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 1 July 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  4. ^ "About us". Zeehondencentrum.nl. Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Last year in Pieterburen". Zeehondencentrum.nl. Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Working hub of the Wadden". WEC-Waddenzee.nl. Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre Foundation. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Na bijna 45 jaar krijgen de zeehonden van Pieterburen een nieuwe plek" (in Dutch). Omrop Fryslân. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  8. ^ "50 jaar geleden …". LenietHart.nl (in Dutch). Lenie 't Hart Fund Foundation. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Hoe het begon". LenietHart.nl (in Dutch). Lenie 't Hart Fund Foundation. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  10. ^ "History of seals". Zeehondencentrum.nl. Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  11. ^ "History seal sanctuary on Texel". Ecomare.nl. Ecomare. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  12. ^ Texels Museum Foundation (2 August 2022). "Jubileum bij Ecomare: 70 jaar zeehondenopvang". Texelse Courant (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Hart, Pieter de (7 September 2019). "Deze dag: Bouw zeehondencrèche Pieterburen begint" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Zilveren erepenning voor Lenie 't Hart". Trouw (in Dutch). The Hague. 16 September 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  15. ^ Wijngaarden, Arend van (16 September 2006). "Zeehondencrèche Pieterburen heet voortaan Zeehondencrèche Lenie 't Hart". WaddenZee.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Lenie 't Hart geen 'zeehondenmoeder' meer". Trouw (in Dutch). 2 March 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Personeel zeehondencrèche laat Lenie 't Hart zakken" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Seals". SNH.org.uk. Scottish Natural Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  19. ^ Gentry, Roger L.; Kooyman, Gerald L. (14 July 2014). Fur Seals: Maternal Strategies on Land and at Sea. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1400854691.
  20. ^ "Huiler of geen huiler? Dat is de vraag" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  21. ^ Huygen, Maarten (11 August 2017). "Zeehondenpups zijn minder zielig dan ze lijken". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Lenie 't Hart: Van de Linde is de baas in Pieterburen" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Tros-coryfee Van de Linde interim-manager zeehondencrèche" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  24. ^ "'Zeehondencrèche doet niets onwettigs'" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Staking bij Zeehondencrèche Pieterburen" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Raad van toezicht zeehondencrèche Pieterburen stapt op". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 17 February 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  27. ^ "'t Hart definitief weg bij zeehonden" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Lenie en crèche bereiken akkoord over vertrek" (in Dutch). RTV Noord. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
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