Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will develop a strategy to phase out the shooting of seals in the UK.

Seal conservation is a devolved issue meaning separate legislation is in place in Scotland, where 85% of the UK seal population can be found.

We consider that current legislation in England strikes a balance between ensuring protection and welfare for seals with their management if they become problematic to netsmen. We have no plans to change the current legislation in place at this time.