February 2009

25/02/09

A COALITION of 26 environmental and wildlife groups have written to first minister Alex Salmond demanding he put an immediate stop to the shooting of common seals in Scotland.

The organisations have written to Mr Salmond saying they believe the government is breaching the European Habitats Directive by not enforcing a complete ban

Last year the St Andrews-based Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) said that common seals in the northern isles and northern Scotland had declined by 40 per cent in the previous decade.

Environmentalists rallied together following the announcement calling for an all out ban on shooting common seals and the promotion of anti-predator nets around fish farms.

After writing to environment secretary Richard Lochhead, the group were told that predation by killer whales and competition with grey seals were a far more likely explanation for the drop in numbers.

However Andy Ottoway, of the Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG), said there was no scientific evidence to back up the government’s claim, while they had been informed of regular seal shootings by supermarkets selling Scottish salmon.

“A leading retailer of Scottish salmon has revealed to us that their supplier kills about 150 seals each year, while another well known retailer’s supplier employed a local marksman to kill over 30 seals at one site in just one day,” Mr Ottoway said.

“We believe it is very likely that thousands of seals are shot in Scottish waters each year, not including those shot at salmon netting stations or by District Salmon Fishery Boards.”

He added that as common seals were suffering what SMRU called a “frightening” decline, they were protected under the EU Habitats Directive, and that those shooting seals should have to demonstrate they had “no satisfactory alternative”.

The groups signing the call are, Animal Aid, Animal Concern, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Campaign Whale, Care For The Wild, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), Cornwall Seal Group, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Hebridean Partnership, International Animal Rescue (IAR), International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Orkney Seal Rescue, PETA Europe, Pure Salmon Campaign, Respect for Animals, Save Our Seals Fund, Scottish Green Party, Scottish Seabird Centre, Seal Conservation Society, Seaprobe Atlantis - Wildlife Cruises, Sea Watch Foundation, Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG), Tara Seal Research, Viva, Whale Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).