New seals report out now
Tuesday, 21 April 2009 00:00
Advocates for Animals' new report 'A Seal's Fate' highlights the animal welfare implications of shooting seals in Scotland. Download the report.
This report has been produced to explain why Scotland is not meeting the standards set down and internationally accepted as guidance on humane killing of mammals, both domesticated and wild.
Recommendations from report
Advocates for Animals recommends that the Scottish Government should use the Scottish Marine Bill to prohibit the shooting of all seals.
If the Scottish Government considers it necessary to permit limited derogations from such a ban, Advocates for Animals believes that this must be by way of a robust licensing scheme. This would cover only those situations where it could be independently verified that an individual seal was causing significant damage to a fishery, fishing equipment or fish farm cages and that all nonlethal alternatives to killing had genuinely been tried, and had failed.
As a minimum, any proposed licensing scheme must include the following conditions:
- A prohibition on the shooting of seals during their breeding seasons.
- A prohibition on the shooting of seals in water.
- A prohibition on the shooting of seals from boats or other unstable platforms.
- A requirement for independent assessment of shooting competence.
- A requirement to ensure that whenever a seal is shot, it is actually killed.
- Regular reviews to take account of new scientific evidence.
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“I find it deplorable that current legislation allows the shooting of seals during the breeding season. A bullet may kill an adult seal outright but for any still dependent pup their ultimate death is preceded by starvation and untold misery.”
Gordon Buchanan
Wildlife film-maker
“Our seals have a tough enough time as it is...pollution, disease, disturbance – all the unfortunate hazards of the modern environment, without being shot during their breeding season. These wonderful animals must not be victims of our own mismanagement of the seas.”
Chris Packham
Conservationist, Writer,
Television Presenter
"I fully support the protection of seals, not only during the breeding season, but all year round - wonderful to see the LOOK OUT for SEALS campaign go ahead."
