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

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:

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