EDM 678: Protection for seals – That this House recognises the UK’s international obligations to maintain its globally important seal populations at a favourable conservation status; notes that seal populations remain depleted and are threatened by further outbreaks of the phocine distemper virus and remain under increasing threat from climate change, depletion of prey species pollution and deliberate killing; notes with extreme concern scientific reports of a frightening decline in the population of common seals in UK waters; further notes that an estimated 5,000 seals are shot in Scottish waters by the salmon industry; believes that the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 is outdated and in urgent need of review or replacement; and calls on the Government to implement an immediate and comprehensive ban on the deliberate killing of all seals, to replace the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 with legislation for the comprehensive protection of seals in the forthcoming Marine Bill and to liaise with the Scottish Executive to this end.

Mr Tipping said:

““It makes no sense to be shooting seals however much of a threat they might occasionally be to fish farms. When you have a population that looks as though it is going through a terminal collapse measures must be taken to stop that.”

SPAG is calling on the public to contact their MP’s asking them to support Paddy Tipping’s EDM.

The easiest way to contact your MP is by visiting www.writetothem.com. Once on the site, search for your MP using your post code and then simply send a message using the box provided.

For information about our campaign to protect seals in the UK and how you can help – please click here.

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You can also help SPAG protect our seals by:

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”.

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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: