Scottish seal populations plummet

Advocates for Animals has renewed its call on the Scottish Government to end the killing of seals in Scottish waters as new research shows a “frightening” fall in the numbers of common (or harbour) seals around the coast.

Scotland has internationally-important populations of harbour and grey seals in its waters and is guardian to 90% of UK seal populations. Scotland has a moral and legal duty to protect these seals. Advocates for Animals is calling on the Scottish Government to use its upcoming new Marine Bill to introduce full legal protection for seals.

The new research on seal populations by the Sea Mammals Research Unit (SMRU) at St Andrews University reveals dramatic declines in seal numbers. In the worst affected areas, such as the Orkney Islands, the number of common seals are falling by 10% a year, and have dropped by as much as half in the past six years.

Along the Argyll coast, from Oban to the Mull of Kintyre, the numbers fell by a quarter last year. Professor Ian Boyd, head of SMRU has said it was as if the entire population had stopped breeding:”We’re seeing a massive decline. It’s quite a frightening decline because these populations don’t change as quickly as that under normal circumstances.” Professor Boyd continued: “This is very abnormal. To give you an idea of the level of abnormality, the rates of decline are equivalent to these populations producing no offspring for five or six years.” John Baxter, a senior marine biologist with Scottish Natural Heritage, added: “These fluctuations are very large, and we’ve no way of knowing whether there’s a natural fluctuation and numbers may recover, or whether there’s more serious underlying causes.”

Although a number of different factors are thought to be responsible for the decline in seal numbers, the unnecessary shooting of seals is clearly an important issue. Many people are unaware that every year thousands of seals are needlessly shot in Scotland by the fish farming and fishing industries. The existing Conservation of Seals Act 19703 is widely agreed to be ineffective and unenforceable, allowing seals to be shot even when they are pregnant or with dependent pups. The Act does not require any standard of marksmanship, meaning that seals can suffer and die at sea after being shot and wounded. Unbelievably, no records are required to be kept of the numbers of animals shot.

Advocates for Animals’ Campaigns Director, Ross Minett, said: “This new research showing continuing declines in seal populations is most concerning and reinforces the need for the Government to use the new Marine Bill to give seals full legal protection. Now more than ever there are overwhelming animal welfare and conservation reasons to end the unnecessary killing of seals by members of the fishing and fish farming industry. The vast majority of people of Scotland expect our Government to bring this slaughter to an end.

Members of the public can quickly and easily support our campaign to protect seals at www.lookoutforseals.org .” Thousands of people have supported Advocates for Animals’ LOOK OUT for SEALS campaign and responded to the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on a new Marine Bill asking for an end to the killing of any seals on Scottish waters. Such a move would be supported by 75% of people in Scotland.

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