Andy Ottaway of the Seal Protection Action Group along with representatives from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the Cornwall Seal Group handed in a letter to the Prime Minister asking him for an immediate and comprehensive ban on the deliberate killing of all seals in UK waters, including Scottish waters.

Under current laws, which are almost 40 years old, fishing interests, including salmon farmers, can shoot seals to prevent supposed damage to their stock. Recent studies show that total numbers of seals in the UK declined by 12% last year, and an estimated 5,000 are shot each year in Scottish waters alone.

Talking about his support for our Saving Scotland’s Seals campaign, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, Norman Baker said:

“It is disgraceful that so many seals are still subject to this annual slaughter. The current legislation is woefully outdated and it is vitally important that we immediately amend the law so that seals get the protection they deserve. The government must act.”

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For further details about our campaign to protect seals in the UK please click here to be redirected to our ‘Saving Scotland’s Seals’ campaign.

Take Action – Please help protect seals!

In order for our campaign to be successful we need your help, please consider:

An estimated 5,000 seals are shot in Scottish waters alone each year by salmon farmers and other fisheries interests. (Click here for further information on the persecution of seals in the UK)

During the event on Tuesday we will be unfurling a banner which demands a ‘CEASEFIRE FOR SEALS!’ Joining us will be Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, Conservative MP David Amess and Labour MP Robert Flello.

Talking about his support for our campaign Rob Flello MP for Stoke-on-Trent South has said:

“It’s a disgrace that seals are still tragically slaughtered in parts of the UK and it needs to end.  There can be no excuse for such barbaric practices and I support the calls to ban this practice and restore the rapidly declining numbers of our common seals.”

During the event on Tuesday SPAG Campaign Director Andy Ottaway will be handing in a letter address to Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for greater protection for our globally important seal populations. The same letter which has been signed by 28 leading conservation and animal welfare charities was also handed in to the Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond on Tuesday 24th November.

Campaign Director Andy Ottaway at SPAG has stated:

“We are calling on the British and Scottish Governments to introduce emergency measures to fully protect all our seals from any deliberate killing and to replace outdated legislation with a Protection of Seals Act as quickly as possible. We are also calling on the public to avoid Scottish salmon unless they can be assured that no seals have been killed. Dead seals are too high a price to pay for Scottish salmon”.

PRESS ENQUIRIES: PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL MEDIA RELEASE

Take Action – Please help protect seals!

For further details about our campaign to protect seals in the UK please click here to be redirected to our ‘Saving Scotland’s Seals’ campaign.

In order for our campaign to be successful we need your help, please consider:

The aim of our protest was to call for an immediate and comprehensive ban on the deliberate killing of seals by Scottish salmon producers and other fisheries interests in Scotland and the United Kingdom. An estimated 5,000 seals are shot in Scottish waters each year by salmon farm and fisheries interests.

During the protest we unfurled a banner reading ‘CEASEFIRE FOR SEALS’ outside of the Scottish Parliament and handed in a letter addressed to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, whilst he was not available to personally accept the letter, Green Party MSP Robin Harper was able to accept it and personally delivered it to the Scottish Government.

The letter was signed by 27 leading conservation and animal welfare charities including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Advocate for Animals, PETA Europe, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), Animal Aid, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), Animal Concern, International Animal Rescue (IAR), Save our Seals Fund, Seawatch Foundation and Care for the Wild amongst many others. The letter has also been supported by the Labour Animal welfare Society and Scottish Green Party.

Recently scientists from the Sea Mammal Research Unit revealed what they described as a ‘frightening’ decline in the number of common seals around the UK coast. Under present outdated legislation – The Conservation of Seals Act (1970) – salmon farmers can shoot seals, even during the breeding season, to prevent ‘damage’ to equipment or stock.

The coalition believe that salmon farmers can deter seals and other predators by using properly maintained, tensioned nets and other devices, without resorting to lethal methods.

Andy Ottaway, Campaign Director at the Seal Protection Action Group said “Scientific evidence now supports our view that this culture of killing seals must stop. We are calling for a ceasefire for seals with immediate effect and the comprehensive protection of our disappearing seal populations from deliberate killing before it is too late.”

SPAG has also called on major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer to insist that seals are not shot by their salmon suppliers. Sainsbury’s, the market leaders in Scottish salmon sales have just committed to end seal shooting as quickly as possible and are calling on their competitors to follow their lead.

In January of this year a public opinion poll found that 75% of the Scottish public support the killing of seals being made illegal in Scottish waters with only 12% supporting Fish farmers and fishermen continuing to kill them.

“Until the governments protect our seals as they surely must, we are also calling on the public to avoid Scottish salmon unless they can be assured that no seals have been killed. We know they support our view that dead seals is too high a price to pay for Scottish salmon”

If you would like to take action to protect seals in Scotland please:

• Get involved in the Saving Scotland’s Seals campaign
• Make a donation
• Join our ‘Seal Savers’ scheme