About the LOOK OUT for SEALS campaign

Following an intensive campaign by Advocates for Animals, seals in Scottish waters will have more legal protection under the Marine (Scotland) Bill. 

The Bill, which replaces the outdated Conservation of Seals Act 1970, was strengthened and passed on February 4 2010 by the Scottish Parliament:

• Seals can no longer be shot without a licence to do so

• A requirement to use non-lethal methods of excluding or deterring seals before a seal licence is granted

• Welfare conditions are to be placed on licences meaning that seals cannot be shot: by untrained marksmen; in bad visibility; from over a set distance away; from an unstable platform; and measures must be taken to reduce the risk of seals suffering unnecessarily when shot. The type of firearm which must be used is specified and there are conditions regarding the recovery of carcases.

• The law specifies that the Government can prohibit the killing of seals at certain times such as the breeding seasons when seals may be heavily pregnant or have dependent pups

• Seals are protected from intentional or reckless harassment at a haul-out site

• The numbers of seals killed under a licence must be reported quarterly

• The licensing regime will be formally reviewed every five years

 

We ideally wanted a complete ban on killing any seals, especially during their breeding seasons – such a move would have been supported by 75% of people in Scotland. Although these measures fall short of the complete ban on shooting, the process has meant that everyone is much more aware of the need to protect our seals and that those who wish to shoot them will finally have to account for the number shot, and the reasons for doing so.

The Scottish Government has accepted the need to control shooting more strictly and we will use the review process ensure that measures are having the desired affect. We look forward to the day when these beautiful creatures are no longer persecuted.

We want to thank our supporters, who sent over 21,000 messages to MSPs in the final stages of the Bill asking them to vote for better legal protection for seals, celebrities that supported our campaign including Queen rock legend Brian May and TV naturalists Chris Packham and Terry Nutkins, and Elaine Murray MSP and Robin Harper MSP for their work with us and with the Scottish Government to make the Bill clearer and more robust.

Together, we have improved protection for Scotland's seals.