ðə kˈɜːɹənt pˌɑːpjʊlˈeɪʃən ɪz ɐbˌaʊt tˈuː,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ θɹˈiː,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ, dˌaʊn fɹʌm ɐpɹˈɑːksɪmətli twˈɛnti,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ æt ðə bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ʌvðə twˈɛntiəθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi, dˈuː tʊ ˌoʊvɚhˈʌntɪŋ; hˈʌntɪŋ ʌvðə sˈiːlz wʌz bˈænd ɛntˈaɪɚli ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi, bˌʌt sˌʌm ɪlˈiːɡəl pˈoʊtʃɪŋ stˈɪl əkˈɜːz.
The current population is about 2,000–3,000, down from approximately 20,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, due to overhunting; hunting of the seals was banned entirely in 1980, but some illegal poaching still occurs.