seal shooting: cruel, unnecessary and bad for business

In Scotland, seals are being shot and killed as a measure to protect salmon aquaculture and local fishing interests. As a natural predator of salmon, some seals have learnt to interfere with fishing nets and aquaculture facilities, sometimes causing significant damage. However, there is no substantial evidence to prove that shooting reduces seal interactions or that the seal shot is the one that has caused the damage. Shooting seals also raises serious welfare concerns and has a detrimental effect on the reputation of Scottish aquaculture.

Since 2011 (when seal shooting licences were first required), the number of seals shot has steadily decreased. This decline demonstrates that seal shooting has become an unnecessary and outdated practice, which could now be phased out completely.

Putting an end to seal shooting would benefit both the local seal population and the Scottish salmon farming industry, which, under new regulations, will not be able to export salmon to the US after 2022 if shooting continues.