Seals

(asked on 10th June 2015) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many seals are slaughtered annually in British waters.


Answered by
 Portrait
Rory Stewart
This question was answered on 15th June 2015

Seal conservation is a devolved issue so I can only respond with respect to England. Approximately 85% of the UK seal population is in Scotland and the Scottish Government has its own legislation concerning the protection of seals.

Seals in England are primarily protected by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under this Act, it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season or to use certain methods to kill or take, unless permitted to do so by a licence issued under the Act.

No licences have been issued for the culling of seals in England in the last five years.

The Government has made no assessment of the number of seals killed off the English coast.

There is no evidence to suggest that the limited local control of seals permitted in England is having an adverse effect on the conservation status of the UK seal population as a whole.

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