Seals around the British Isles

Common and Grey Seals

There are two types of seal found around the British Isles – the common (harbour) seal and the grey seal. Both are relatively common and in certain areas are seeing their numbers increase – an issue which some say is responsible for reducing fish stocks and leads to concerns from sea and freshwater anglers alike. According to the Mammal Society the common seal is in fact less common in British waters than the grey seal, at about 55,000 compared with around 120,000 grey seals, but around Ireland the two species are more equally represented: about 3,000 common seals and 4,000 grey seals. Other species of seals, such as the harp seal, hooded seal and ringed seal are very occasional visitors to the British Isles, and any sightings of these species are extremely rare.

Common Seal

Grey Seal

Seals in Freshwater

Hunting and Culling Seals

Humans have hunted seals for thousands of years. There is evidence that ringed seals (Pusa hispida) have been hunted in Canada for over 4,000 years. Seals were harvested intensively throughout Canada, Alaska and Europe throughout the 1700s. In the 1800s the development of steam-powered ships which had the ability to break through ice allowed the hunting of seals to massively expand and 1872 saw almost 750,000 seals killed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland area alone.

Today, seals are still hunted commercially by six countries: Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Russia and Namibia (the only Southern Hemisphere country which hunts seals).

The Canadian quota of seals which are killed in the annual seal hunts has been rising in recent years as the value of seal products has gone up. In 2015 the quota was set at almost 500,000 seals with harp seals, hooded seals and grey seals making up the majority of the quota. The Canadian seal hunt is subsidised by the government and environmental campaigning bodies campaign strongly against the actions of the Canadian government and attempt to draw public attention to the hunting of seals. Norway is responsible for killing around 30,000 seals per year and Russia accounts for around 5,000-6,000 seals.

Seals are not hunted in the United Kingdom although licences can be granted to shoot seals if they threaten the stocks of fish farms (see licensing section below).

Seal Legislation & Licensing

The principal piece of UK legislation is the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 which prohibits the killing or taking of seals by certain methods and during close seasons. Both seal species are Annex II species protected under the European Habitats Directive in sites known as Special Areas of Conservation. Seals are protected within these sites from any activity that could impact the favourable conservation status of that population, which could include restrictions on control.

Distribution of SACs/SCIs/cSACs containing species
Common or Harbour Seal Phoca vitulina.

Distribution of SACs/SCIs/cSACs containing
species Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus.

Explanation of grades

A: Outstanding examples of the feature in a European context.

B: Excellent examples of the feature, significantly above the threshold for SSSI/ASSI notification but of somewhat lower value than grade A sites.

C: Examples of the feature which are of at least national importance (i.e. usually above the threshold for SSSI/ASSI notification on terrestrial sites) but not significantly above this. These features are not the primary reason for SACs being selected.

D Features of below SSSI quality occurring on SACs These are non-qualifying features (“non-significant presence”), indicated by a letter D, but this is not a formal global grade.

The Conservation of Seals Act 1970 prohibits the following methods of killing or taking seals:

Use of any poisonous substance
Use of any firearm other than a minimum specified rifle with specified ammunition

There is a close season for grey seals from 1st September to 31st December, and for common seals from 1st June to 31st August.

It is an offence to take or kill a seal during the close season

However, the Secretary of State and devolved administrations can extend that protection to the entire year for either or both the above seal species in any area specified in an order.

Both grey and common seals on the east and south-east coast of England (from Berwick to Newhaven) are protected all year from being killed, injured or taken – (Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999). This includes the counties of Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham, North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and East Sussex, and administrative area of Greater London. It also covers territorial waters next to England that are south of a line drawn from the point on the mainland at 55’48.67N 02’02.0W and next to any of the areas specified above to no further west than a line drawn true south from Newhaven Breakwater Health Light (50’46.5N 00’03.6E).

There are certain exceptions under this legislation, which are not considered offences and for which a licence is not required:

Taking / attempting to take a disabled seal for the purposes of tending and releasing it.
Unavoidable killing / injuring as an incidental result of a lawful operation.
Killing / attempted killing a seal to prevent it causing damage to a fishing net / tackle, or to fish held in the net, if the seal is in the vicinity of the net / tackle. An appropriate firearms licence must be held to act under this defence.

Licences

However, seals are still killed in Britain under licence with several hundred seals killed in Scotland alone by the owners of fish farms in order to protect their stocks.

England & Wales

In England, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for wildlife licence applications and enforcement between the high water mark for this Act and also inter-tidal riverine areas. Natural England is responsible for any wildlife licence applications in other areas (e.g. rivers) but which are unaffected by the tide. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) can grant wildlife licences for specified purposes within Wales.

The appropriate body can grant licences under powers conferred by the Secretary for State for the following purposes (Section 10(1)):

Scientific or educational purposes (to kill or take, other than by use of strychnine)
Zoological gardens / collections (to take)
Prevention of damage to fisheries (to kill or take)
Reduction of population surplus for management purposes (to kill or take)
Use of population surplus as a resource (to kill or take)
Protection of flora or fauna within areas specified in subsection (4)

Licences to prevent damage will be issued only where all three of the following apply:

Seals are causing, or likely to cause, sufficiently serious damage to justify a licence
Other non-lethal methods of control have been shown to be ineffective or impractical, e.g. Acoustic Deterrent Devices/Scrammers
The licensed activity is likely to be successful in solving the problem

Where a licence application proposes the use of methods prohibited under Regulation 43(3) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended), the relevant governing body will consider the application under those regulations.

More information is available at:

Scotland

On the 1st February 2011 it became an offence to kill, injure or take a seal at any time of year except to alleviate suffering or where a licence has been issued to do so by Marine Scotland under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

The actual offence of killing, injuring or taking a seal under the Act applies to all seal species throughout Scotland and includes not only its territorial waters and inland waters, but also the land.

The method of killing or taking seals is detailed in the licences issued annually and regular reporting will be required. Licences can be issued to take or kill a seal for the following purposes:

for scientific research or educational purposes;
to conserve natural habitats;
to conserve seals or other wild animals (including wild birds) or wild plants;
in connection with the introduction of seals, other wild animals (including wild birds) or wild plants to particular areas;
to protect a zoological or botanical collection;
to protect the health and welfare of farmed fish;
to prevent serious damage to fisheries or fish farms;
to prevent the spread of disease among seals or other animals (including birds) or plants;
to preserve public health or public safety; or
for other imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of a social or economic nature and beneficial consequences of primary importance for the environment.

Before granting a seal licence the Scottish Ministers must have regard to any information they have about:

damage which seals have already done to the fishery or fish farm concerned; and the
effectiveness of non-lethal alternative methods of preventing seal damage to the fishery or fish farm concerned.

More information available here

Frequently asked questions and answers on the implementation of the new seal legislation was produced in 2011. To read them click here

You can contact Marine Scotland at: [email protected]
or by writing to: The Scottish Government, Victoria Quay. Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.

Sources:
British Sea Fishing
Marine Management Organisation
Natural Resources Wales
Scottish Natural Heritage
Sea Mammal Research Unit