It appears that the Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead MSP will insist that the shooting of pregnant seals remains in place, forcing this section of the Marine (Scotland) Bill through.

It is difficult to accept that an obviously capable Government Minister is prepared to act with such irresponsibility in the case of creatures with no commercial constituenny to speak for them. They do, though, have a constituency and its voice will increasingly be heard. Will Mr Lochhead pay attention?

Shameful Government avoidance of responsibility

This state of affairs was revealed earlier this week during Stage Two of the Marine Bill scrutiny, where the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee failed to make a decision.

Why would a government want to see the killing of pregnant seals, lactating seals and even seal pups some just a few days old – shot or left to die incapacitated or starving? The seals and the tourist industry alike can only hope for a reprieve during Stage Three of the Bill. It is important for all sides of this issue to make their evidence and their opinions publicly known.

This Government inaction comes despite calls for more protection for seals within the up and coming Marine (Scotland) Bill.

Evidence from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation representative, Professor Thomas, given to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee stated that common seals cannot break salmon cage nets, as they do not have this sort of power.

(Transcripts of the evidence given can be viewed here on the Scottish Parliament’s website. Rural affairs and environment Committee 19th Meeting 2009, Session 3, the relevant section can be found between Col 1817 and 14:15)

Scottish Government in Denial

The government says that it believes that fewer than 1,000 seals are shot annually.  It has no facts to back up this statement, yet it still feels competent to present it to the public and expect the public to accept the figures on its word.

It openly backs an industry that routinely ‘hides’ or refuses to disclose the numbers of seals shot. One SNH spokesman is recorded in the minutes of the Lismore Seal Management Meeting as saying that if the figures (of seals being shot) were disclosed to the meeting, it would have to be released under the Freedom of Information Act. (Editor: So why is no-one going for an FoI on this matter?)

The Scottish Government also states that there is no evidence that pregnant seals are being shot in large numbers.

In a criminal investigation, if the police have insufficient evidence they conduct an enquiry.

This government has done nothing to establish the facts. And it’s worse than that. At the last Scottish Seals Forum, I asked the government spokesman on seals that if the government could fund scientific research of Orcas taking seals, could it not fund research into the shooting of seals? Mr Walker could only sidetrack the issue and no research on seal shooting was undertaken.

Proof lies with the Government and Commercial Industries

Furthermore, with reference to ‘evidence’, the burden of proof lies with the perpetrators and the government.

This is the ‘polluter pays’ principle and it reverses the burden of proof.

To date there has been no requirement by government or government agencies to insist or even ask for this to be carried out.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead says he has a duty to protect businesses and seals. It’s time that this government came clean and stopped treating the public as a bunch of ‘numpties’.

If the aquaculture industry states that common seals cannot break through nets and that they can be deterred – why is the Cabinet Secretary so intent on forcing this policy through?

He clearly has no interest in protecting seals, or he would have taken action.

The Scottish common seal population is facing  an ‘alarming’ decline in numbers: over 50% in some places and, up to 30% in Argyll waters. No Conservation Order has been set in place in Argyll.

Tourist Industry left hanging out to dry

Mr Lochhead states that he wants to protect businesses, yet nothing is done to protect the tourist businesses that depend upon Scotland’s scenery and wildlife.

Tourism is worth around £8 Billion to the Scottish economy and nearly one fifth of people polled stated that they would avoid visiting a country that engaged in culling seals. In another poll, three quarters of people said that they did not want to see seals shot.

The Scottish Common Seal population has taken a dramatic decline over the last two years. Anyone can view the data at the government-funded Special Committee on Seals, produced by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St. Andrew’s University.

Mark Carter, Environment Editor

So there’s no evidence to make the Government act?

We have kept this until the end of this article so that those who know the evidence exists but do not wish to see it may avoid looking further. This is distressing material – and is no more than a small random selection of photographs taken by people who happened to have a camera on them at the point of discovery. This is the smallest tip of a major environmental issue – but it demonstrates that seals are being shot and that evidence does exist.

One particular distressing photograph shows a seal shot in labour, with the consequent death of mother and pup. Whoever did this cannot have failed to know that the seal was gving birth as the gun was raised. This shames humanity.

The photographs are supplied by courtesy of members of the Seals Protection Groups. (The photograph at the top of this article is by copyright holder, Mark Carter.)

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