China marks its first national spotted seal protection day on April 6. Experts have pointed out that hunting and human greed have led to the decline of seal populations in the past.

Back In September 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched an action plan to establish four to six rescue stations for spotted seals and marine animals along the coast of Liaoning, Shandong and Hebei provinces. The plan will be in place until 2026.

Liaodong Bay is one of eight spotted seal reproduction areas in the world. The animals usually cross the Bohai Strait in November and enter Liaodong Bay in the Bohai Sea for reproduction. They typically stay until May.

Thanks to the improved supervision and reporting system for protecting the endangered animals, the number of spotted seals inhabited in Liaodong Bay has reached over 2,000.