Marine Life & Conservation
Hundreds Of Seals Are Being Secretly Slaughtered By Britain’s Fish Farming Industry
Seal cubs in the UK are being left to starve to death as their mothers are slaughtered by Britain’s fish farming industry.
Hundreds of the protected animals are being secretly shot along the nation’s coast every year, yet the culling is legal.
In Scotland alone, 205 seals were killed in 2014 as farmers looked to protect their stocks of salmon and other fish.
But campaigners claim this is the tip of the iceberg as those figures are not independently verified and kills are not recorded for the rest of the UK.
Andy Ottaway, director of the Seal Protection Action Group, said: “There’s a lot of prejudice against seals and people see them as pests.
“Before we had an organised cull which was stopped by public opinion. But this is an ongoing cull that goes on all year.
“And it is leaving young pups to starve when their mothers are killed.
“People eating Scottish salmon don’t realise the price seals are paying.
The animals are a protected species under EU law but there are exceptions for killing them to protect fish or equipment.
In Scotland farmers and waterways managers need a licence to cull seals.
They have to stick to quotas and record numbers killed, but there is no such requirement for the rest of the UK.
Describing the problem of baby seals being left to die, Mr Ottaway said: “If there’s a weaning pup and its mum has been killed, it won’t go back to feed it and it starves.
“The licence in Scotland allows seals to be shot all year round which means they are shot in the breeding season.
“When the licence was introduced we asked for at least a ban during the breeding season but the Scottish government said no.
“If you’re shooting them throughout breeding season there’s a high probability you’re shooting mothers. A quarter to half of them will be with pups.”
Mr Ottaway said the scale of the slaughter was unclear in the rest of the UK.
He continued: “Around the North there are salmon rivers and we know seals are being shot there.
“There was a case in South Shields when someone was shooting seals from a boat.
“People reported him to the police and when officers turned up they had to tell them it’s perfectly legal. It’s terrible.”
Holidaymakers in Scotland have been left equally shocked by the killing.
Mr Ottaway said: “People do not realise that behind the scenes wholesale slaughter is going on.
“Visitors have been left horrified when they have been on holiday and seen seals being shot at the beach in front of them and their children.”
Figures from Scotland show a decline in kills from 459 in 2011 to 433 in 2012, 274 in 2013 and 205 in 2014.
This year the Government has authorised the deaths of up to 859 – 662 grey seals and 197 common seals.
But campaigners argue none should die and demanded companies invested in nets and acoustic deterrents.
Mr Ottaway said: “The bullet is a cheap and permanent solution for those that dislike seals and blame them for fish crashes caused by over-fishing.
“Anywhere where there is salmon netting or angling there is a likelihood of seals being ‘controlled’.”
He spoke amid global outrage at the start of the Canadian seal cull, where up to 468,000 will be hunted for their pelts.
There have been no organised culls in Britain since 1978 but fish farmers still insist they need to control them.
The Scottish salmon industry alone produces 155,000 tons of fish a year, has annual exports of more than £285million and employs thousands of people.
Scott Landsburgh, head of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, said: “We have championed deterrence techniques that are designed to keep seals away from our fish, and shooting is always last resort.
“When a determined seal attacks fish in our pens it can kill and damage large numbers and it is important that we do whatever we can to reduce the chances of this happening.”
But Mimi Bekhechi, of animal rights group PETA, insisted: “There is no justification for shooting beautiful animals to protect the cruel and unnecessary fish-farming industry.”
A spokesman for another campaign group, Sea Shepherd UK, added: “Typically every year over 300 seals are declared as having been shot – but this official declared number come solely from the companies and individuals who pull the triggers of the guns.
“Sea Shepherd UK is convinced the real number of seals shot greatly exceeds this official number and some conservation groups have previously claimed up to 2,000 grey and common seals are shot around Scotland’s coast.”
Source: www.mirror.co.uk
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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