NEWS RELEASE: 24th September 2010

Salmon farmers, retailers and animal welfare groups are joining forces to bring to an end the killing of problem seals at salmon farms as quickly as possible.

In what is believed to be a world first, Marine Harvest, the world’s largest salmon farmer will work with the Seal Protection Action Group as part of the newly formed “Salmon, Aquaculture and Seals Working Group”, alongside Sainsbury’s, Freedom Food, the RSPCA, the Sea Mammal Research Unit and International Animal Rescue.

Seals have posed a number of problems for the salmon farming industry since its inception in the 1960s, including damaging salmon farm nets and contributing to the release of thousands of salmon into the wild which may threaten wild salmon populations, as well as impacting the welfare of the fish when a site is attacked. Although it remains legal for salmon farmers to shoot problem seals, the new forum aims to find entirely non-lethal ways of deterring seals while protecting fish farm stocks.

As Alan Sutherland of Marine Harvest Scotland explained:  “We appreciate that this has always been a difficult issue for us.  Animal welfare and conservation groups are keen to see an end to the shooting of problem seals and we are keen to find alternative ways to stop problem seals taking fish, damaging nets and releasing farmed salmon into the wild. We believe the best solution is to focus on our common aim, rather than arguing about our differences.”

Ally Dingwall, Aquaculture and Fisheries Manager at Sainsbury’s said: “We welcome the formation of the group and the opportunity to support it through our Responsibly Sourced Salmon initiative. Ground breaking projects such as this are what our Responsibly Sourced Salmon is all about”.

Andy Ottaway of the Seal Protection Action Group said “We are determined to end the killing of seals and we are delighted that the world’s biggest producer of farmed fish and the UK’s leading retailer of Scottish salmon; the RSPCA and the Sea Mammal Research Unit have all committed to work together with us to achieve our goal.  We hope the solutions we find will not just save seals in Scottish waters every year, but countless more worldwide, wherever they are in conflict with aquaculture and other fisheries.”

The Scottish salmon industry has reported that 489 seals were shot on Scottish salmon farms in 2008 whereas some welfare groups believe the number of seals shot in Scottish waters by all fisheries interests including wild netsmen and angling interests to be in the thousands.  The group will bring together leading experts on this issue, who will work with the industry to identify best practice methods and equipment to deter seals without harming them or other wildlife.  It will look at the current range of seal deterrents such as noise and strengthened and tensioned net systems as well as novel deterrents and examine other methods used in salmon farming countries across the world. Other areas of work will include benign research to identify things that seals will avoid such as particular noises, smells or movement.

The Scottish Marine Bill and seals: A licence to kill

The Seal Protection Group welcomes the provisions of the Scottish Marine Bill that will help greater protect our seas and wildlife. However, we are extremely disappointed that the Scottish Government has not seized this opportunity to fundamentally change the law, and with it attitudes, in order to greater protect our globally important seal populations.

The proposed licensing scheme for the killing of seals may reduce the indiscriminate shooting and otherwise killing of seals, but it will not end it.  We will be watching closely to see how the licensing scheme develops. We note with concern that the Government is not prepared to prescribe non-lethal methods of deterring seals, or other proposals intended to address cruelty issues, such as banning the shooting of seals in the breeding seasons to save dependent pups from starvation.

We are further concerned that the debate over the licensing system did not include discussion of the ongoing Moray Firth Management Plan (MFMP), a programme involving the targeted killing of seals, and a cull in everything but name, that the Government wishes to expand throughout Scotland. We are seeking an explanation as to how the new licensing scheme and the MFMP will be integrated to ensure that seals are not simply culled where licences are not granted.

The Seal Protection Action Group has written to the Scottish Government asking for reassurances that the proposed licensing scheme will be fully transparent and that licences will only be granted in the most exceptional of circumstances i.e. where all possible non-lethal alternatives have been tried and demonstrably failed. Additionally, we are demanding that no licences be issued during the breeding seasons for grey and common seals.

We are also calling for increased funding for research, development and mandatory deployment of non-lethal devices to deter seals and other predators that are attracted to aquaculture sites, salmon netting stations and sports angling rivers. In particular, we seek the urgent replacement of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) already widely in use that are known to be harmful to seals and other marine life, especially cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises).

We are aware of an extremely promising new ADD, that has been developed and laboratory tested, which is believed to be extremely effective in deterring seals without harming them or other wildlife. We are working with a leading salmon retailer and salmon producer to field-trial this device.  However, we would like to see this equipment trialled on a large scale and for its use to be made mandatory if it is proven to be as effective as it promises to be.

The Seal Protection Action Group was founded to oppose the mass culling of seals in Scotland some three decades ago – culls that provoked a huge public outcry. Since then, the systematic slaughter of seals has continued undercover, unabated and enshrined by law. We see no reason why the Scottish salmon industry, which is worth hundreds of millions of pounds, cannot invest in and resolve an issue that is harmful to Scotland’s image and taints Scottish salmon products.

If the Scottish Government and salmon industry collude in order to continue the killing of seals, then Scotland and Scottish salmon products are likely to become targets for public boycott campaigns as a consequence. We sincerely hope that this can be avoided and that they will work together to resolve this issue as a matter of absolute urgency.

Today, the Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG) and International Animal Rescue (IAR) have released the results of a new poll revealing that the majority of the UK public wants better protection for UK seals and for retailers to stop buying salmon from producers that shoot them.

The poll, conducted by YouGov (17-20th July) revealed that 64% of the public think the law should be changed to protect all UK seals from deliberate killing, with just 13% disagreeing.

58% believe that High Street retailers should not buy salmon from any suppliers that kill UK seals’ with only 15% disagreeing.

53% of people who buy salmon products said they would be prepared to pay more for them to stop UK seals being killed, with only 20% disagreeing.  61% of women polled said they would be prepared to pay more.

“With the majority of people supporting a change in the law to protect seals and believing that High Street retailers should not buy salmon from producers that shoot seals, the tide is turning against the routine killing of our seals” said Andy Ottaway of the Seal Protection Action Group, “Even in these harsh economic times over half of the salmon buying public said they would be prepared to pay more for salmon products to stop seals being killed”.

Under the Conservation of Seals Act (1970), seals can be killed in Scotland and the rest of the UK to prevent ‘serious damage’ to fish stock or equipment. Seals can even be killed in the closed or breeding seasons despite the risk that dependent pups will be left to starve. SPAG argues that salmon can and should be protected by measures that do not involve the killing of seals, such as the mandatory use of anti-predator netting and other devices on fish farms.

We also believe that thousands of seals are shot in Scottish waters alone each year. The Industry has disputed these figures, but under existing laws there is no requirement to report the numbers being killed. 

127 MPs have signed a Parliamentary Motion calling for the law to be changed to protect seals from all deliberate killing and for the British and Scottish Governments to liaise on the issue. The Scottish Government has already begun a programme of selective culling of seals in the Moray Firth that it intends to expand throughout Scotland. Additionally, the Scottish Government wants to introduce a licensing scheme for killing seals that would require reporting the number of seals being shot. The British Government has said that seals are a devolved issue for Scotland and that the law protecting seals is perfectly adequate.

Common seals are suffering what has been described by Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) scientists as a ‘frightening decline’ nationwide. Although shooting is not directly blamed, SPAG believes that it should be banned to allow populations to recover. SPAG also accuse the industry of a ‘culture of killing seals’ that can only be changed with a change in the law.

SPAG has dismissed recent reports that grey seals might ‘impair the recovery of cod stocks’ arguing it was ‘too simplistic and convenient’ to blame seals when clearly chronic over-fishing had caused the collapse and that other factors, such as climate change, were impacting upon their recovery.  

Alan Knight, Chief Executive of International Animal Rescue, said: “Common seals are one of the UK’s most popular marine mammals and now we know that most people in the UK don’t want them to be slaughtered to put salmon on their plates. Fish farmers must be persuaded to adopt alternative means of protecting their salmon that will allow seals to be left in peace.”

PRESS ENQUIRIES: Please click here to download the official media release

POLL RESULTS: Please click here to download the poll results

Tags: Cod stocks, International Animal Rescue, Scotland, Scottish salmon, Seals in scotland, SMRU

Over 90,000 seals, including 85,000 pups are brutally clubbed to death each year in Namibia, making it the second largest seal cull in the world next to the Canadian hunt. The slaughter begins in July and continues for around five months. Clearly, the authorities and hunters are determined to hide this cruel atrocity from public view and the inevitable international condemnation it rightly deserves. Some footage of the hunt can be seen on this website by clicking the link under the ‘Take Action’ section below. WARNING! This film contains graphic images of shocking cruelty.

The seals are clubbed to death for their skins, fur and meat, with the genitals sold as traditional medicines and aphrodisiacs in the Far East. The sealing industry in Namibia is only worth around £400,000, while tourism, including seal-watching at Cape Cross, is worth many millions.

Cape Cross is a dedicated ‘seal reserve’, yet every morning between 6-9am the hunters club around 200 seal pups to death. At 10am, coach loads of international tourists arrive to take photos of the few terrified seals left behind, unaware of the massacre that has just taken place.

“It is beyond belief how anyone could inflict such appalling cruelty on these defenceless creatures” said Andy Ottaway of the Seal Protection Action Group, “We are determined to end the Namibian seal hunt just as soon as we can”

Take Action:

Please help us to stop Namibia’s cruel seal hunt by protesting to the Namibian Embassy in your country, please click here for further details.

You can also help SPAG to protect seals around the world by:

Tags: Cape Cross, Namibian seal hunt

The Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG) condemns attempts by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) to undermine attempts to protect seal populations under proposals in the Scottish Marine Bill.

In a document submitted to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee the SSPO also calls for provisions to be included to ‘protect the health and welfare of farmed fish’, as required under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, which they claim is ‘a statutory farmers’.

“The industry is trying to justify the mass slaughter of seals in order to protect the welfare of caged fish”, said Andy Ottaway of SPAG , “We can’t help feeling it is a tad hypocritical to argue that seals must die so that caged fish are protected. These fish live their lives in cages to be slaughtered for profit. I don’t think this argument will wash with the salmon buying public. They already think killing seals is too high a price to pay for Scottish salmon.”

The SSPO document also takes issue with the proposed requirement to report the killing of individual seals to Scottish Ministers, which they dismiss as ‘disproportionate and unnecessarily bureaucratic’. They argue that an annual reporting scheme would suffice, SPAG believes that that the new measures, if applied correctly, would protect individual seal colonies from being wiped out, as well as hugely reduce the number of seals killed overall.

Common seals are suffering what has been described by Seal Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) scientists as a ‘frightening decline’ nationwide. Although shooting is not directly blamed SPAG believes that it cannot be ruled out as a contributory factor and should be banned if only to let populations recover. The industry is a ‘culture of killing seals’ that must be changed by law.

Perhaps most disturbingly the SSPO try to justify continued secrecy over seal killings by accusing the campaigners of unspecified extremism. They state, ”there is a deep concern on both the part of individuals and of businesses about the way seal licence data will be publicly reported. There is a body of seal activists in the UK who have shown a willingness to engage in direct and, in some cases, extreme measures”.

This totally unsubstantiated statement is used to justify their further argument that ‘fish farm personnel have a corresponding right to be protected from threats or actions in undertaking their lawful business. We therefore respectfully request that the Bill should make specific provision for the publication only of aggregate annual data relating to Seal Licences.’

“If the SSPO believe that our campaign to peacefully expose the appalling scale of Scottish seal slaughter is extreme then we are proud to be guilty as charged”, said Andy Ottaway, “When will they understand that public opinion is firmly on the seals side and this slaughter has simply got to stop.”

We are calling on members of the public to avoid Scottish salmon unless their retailer can guarantee that producers do not shoot seals. Please show your support by signing our ‘Save Scotland’s Seals’ pledge.

PRESS ENQUIRIES: Please click here to download the Media Release

You can also help SPAG to protect seals by:

Tags: protect seals, Scotland, Scottish salmon, Scottish Salmon Producers, Seals

On Tuesday 5th May in an historic vote for animal welfare the European Parliament voted by a huge majority (550 – 49) to ban trade in all seal products derived from commercial slaughter.

The ban will be implemented in 2010 and will help save hundreds of thousands of seals that are brutally clubbed, shot and often skinned alive each year in Canada and around the world.

“The European ban is a massive blow to the seal killers that profit from horrific cruelty to defenceless animals”, said Andy Ottaway, Campaign Director of SPAG, “However, seals are still being persecuted all over the world including in Scotland and we will continue to actively campaign to provide them with the full protection they deserve.”

It is estimated that thousands of seals are killed each year by the Scottish salmon industry with scientists recently reporting a ‘frightening decline’ in common seals around the UK coast. The Scottish Government has recently suggested that this decline may be due to competition with grey seals or even predation by orcas (killer whales) however these statements lack scientific credibility. 

On 30th April the Scottish Government launched its draft Marine Bill announcing a licensing system for killing seals and salmon farms, salmon netsmen and sea fisheries will be able to apply for a license to shoot seals. The Seal Protection Action Group welcomes stronger legislation to protect Scotland’s marine environment, but we do not believe that a licensing system for killing seals is desirable, realistic or enforceable.

“European nations have voted by public demand to protect seals from cruelty yet Scotland continues to persecute these wonderful animals”, said Andy Ottaway, “Seal killing leaves an indelible stain on the international image of both Scotland and Scottish salmon products and must be stopped.”

We are calling on members of the public to avoid Scottish salmon unless their retailer can guarantee that producers do not shoot seals. Please show your support by signing our ‘Save Scotland’s Seals’ pledge.

You can also help SPAG to protect seals by:

Tags: Canadian seal hunt, EU seal trade ban, protect seals, Scottish Marine Bill

The European Parliament will be voting on May 5th on proposals to ban trade in all seal products derived from commercial slaughter. This is a fantastic opportunity to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of seals that are brutally clubbed, shot and often skinned alive each year in Canada and around the world.
 
The Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG) has written to all UK Members of the European Parliament (MEP) urging them to support the strongest possible Regulation next Tuesday, rejecting any amendments or loopholes that would allow the trade in seal products to continue.
 
You can play your part today by urgently contacting your MEP calling on him or her to support the strongest possible ban.
 
This historic vote will help put to an end the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world. Please contact your MEP by letter, email and telephone as quickly as you can. Your letter, email or call will really make a difference. Please do it today!
 
UK residents can contact their MEP by visiting www.writetothem.com. Once on the site, search for your MEP using your post code.
 
For contact details of MEPs in other European countries, please click here to be redirected to the European Parliament website. 
 
Please do all you can, and invite friends, family and workmates to do the same. Thank you!
 
You can also help SPAG to protect seals by:

Tags: Canadian seal hunt, EU seal product ban

On Sunday 5th April, our campaign to stop the slaughter of up to 5,000 seals in the UK was featured on the BBC One’s flagship rural affairs programme ‘Countryfile’.

Millions of viewers watched the show and we have been overwhelmed by the number of people that have contacted us expressing their support for our campaign.

If you missed the show, then don’t worry, it will be available to watch until 11th April online via BBC’s I-Player.

In addition to Countryfile, our campaign was on the BBC 1 News and also covered by:

BBC News Online         

The Daily Telegraph

MSN News

The Scotsman

And many others!

For further details about our campaign to protect seals in the UK, please click here.

PRESS ENQUIRIES: Please contact us for further details

Please help SPAG to protect seals by:

Tags: BBC Countryfile

Our campaign to stop the slaughter of up to 5,000 seals in the UK has been so successful it is to be featured on BBC One’s flagship rural affairs programme ‘Countryfile’ this Sunday 5th April at 7pm.

Last week, SPAG’s Campaign Director Andy Ottaway travelled to a remote location in western Scotland to film an interview for the programme, hosted by veteran broadcaster John Craven, to highlight our campaign to stop the shooting of seals by the Scottish salmon industry.

“Millions of Countryfile viewers will be horrified to learn that dead seals is the price of Scottish salmon,” said Andy Ottaway, “We want retailers to insist that salmon producers stop killing seals and members of the public to avoid all Scottish salmon products until they do”.

For further details about our campaign to protect seals in the UK, please click here.

The show will also be available online from 5th April via the BBC I-Player, please click here for further details.

PRESS ENQUIRIES: Please click here to download the official media release

Please help SPAG to protect seals by:

Tags: BBC Countryfile, John Craven, Shooting Seals

Guess what? We won an award! Last weekend at Brighton’s first ever vegan fayre, SPAG along with our sister organisation ‘Campaign Whale’, was awarded the ‘best dressed campaign stall’.

Thousands of visitors attended the ground breaking event at the Brighton Centre, which featured over 120 stallholders. Our award winning stall focused on two key campaigns, ending the annual slaughter of 5,000 seals in the UK and massacre of 20,000 dolphins in Japan. 

“Visitors to our stall were horrified to learn about the cruel persecution of these wonderful marine mammals” said Andy Ottway, SPAG and Campaign Whale’s Campaign Director, “we urgently need the UK public to back our campaigns in order to protect seals and dolphins before it is too late!”

For details about SPAG and Campaign Whale’s campaigns, please click on the links below:

Help end the slaughter of 5,000 seals in the UK

Help end the massacre of 20,000 dolphins in Japan

Please help SPAG to protect seals by:

Tags: Brighton Vegan Fayre, Campaign Whale