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About Advocates for Animals

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Our vision is that all animals live their natural lives free from exploitation and abuse.

Advocates for Animals works to secure respect for all animals, by overcoming exploitation and abuse, and inspiring a more compassionate society.

We affect positive change for animals through high profile campaigns, political lobbying, investigations and public education.

People dressed as animals outside Scottish parliament

About the campaign

Why do we need this campaign?

Seal pupSome fishermen and fish farmers shoot seals because they eat fish. A seal swimming close to a fish farm, in a salmon river or near coastal nets is seen as a competitor for fish. The current law does not protect seals, the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 allows the shooting of seals all year round, even during breeding seasons which can mean that dependent pups could be left to starve to death.

Scotland is the guardian of internationally-important populations of both grey and common (or harbour) seals - around 90 per cent of the UK’s population of grey seals and 85 per cent of common seals are found in Scottish waters. However, populations of common seals have declined dramatically - by around 40 per cent - in some parts of Scotland over the last five years. Although a number of different factors are thought to be responsible for the decline in seal numbers, the unnecessary shooting of seals is clearly an important issue.

Both grey and common seals are considered to be conservation priority species in the UK and Europe - but in Scotland, there is no legal requirement to keep a record of the numbers of seals killed. It is has been estimated however, that thousands of seals are shot by fishermen and fish farm employees, or contractors around Scotland’s coastline, every year.

 

Can the killing be stopped?

Seal pupYes. Last year, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation on a new Marine Bill for Scotland and has proposed a reform of the out-of-date and unenforceable Conservation of Seals Act. The consultation closed on 6 October 2008 and we recently received the Government’s summary of responses to the consultation which showed an overwhelming 98% of all respondents supported an outright ban on the killings. You can read Advocates for Animals’ summary of responses below which show that 99% of responses called for greater protection of seals in Scotland.

The basic principle of the reformed law must be that any killing of seals is prohibited. Such a move is already supported by the vast majority of people in Scotland.

Please keep checking back to find out ways how you can help the LOOK OUT for SEALS campaign. In the meantime, if you would like some campaign posters to display and stickers to distribute to friends and family, please contact us.

 

PDF Download the marine consultation response (PDF | 240KB)

PDF Download the summary of responses (PDF | 240KB)