Review of the operation of the seal licensing system under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010: report
This report considers all aspects of the operation of the seal licensing system during the period from 2011 to 2014.
Annex 1 Seal Licences 2011
Marine Scotland received 74 applications for seal licences and 66 licences were granted. Table 1 below provides a full breakdown.
TABLE 1
| Seal Management Area | Application Type | Licence Type | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protection of Health and Welfare | Prevention of Serious Damage | Total | Protection of Health and Welfare | Prevention of Serious Damage | Total | |
| East Coast | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Moray Firth | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Orkney and North Coast | 2 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Shetland | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| South West Scotland | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| West Scotland | 14 | 6 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 18 |
| Western Isles | 10 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Grand Total | 39 | 35 | 74 | 32* | 34 | 66 |
The maximum number of seals involved is 1025 grey and 314 common. Tables 2a and 2b over provide details. This maximum represents less than 1% of the grey seal population of 108,000 and slightly over 1.5% of the minimum common seal population of 20,400. The numbers are significantly lower than previous estimates proposed by Non-Government Organisations at between 2,000 and 5,000.
TABLE 2a Grey Seals
| Seal management area | Grey seals applied for | PBR | Grey seals granted | Grey seals shot: 1st quarter | Grey seals shot: 2nd quarter | Grey seals shot: 3rd quarter | Grey seals shot: 4th quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | 246 | 277 | 132 | 3 | 27 | 16 | 0 |
| Moray Firth | 85 | 152 | 75 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Orkney & North Coast | 461 | 959 | 349 | 26 | 62 | 44 | 35 |
| Shetland | 384 | 163 | 120 | 18 | 13 | 27 | 11 |
| Western Isles | 209 | 408 | 148 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 10 |
| South West Scotland | 115 | 45 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| West Scotland | 206 | 297 | 170 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
| Grand Total | 1706 | 2301 | 1025 | 62 | 117 | 115 | 72 |
The 12 month total of 366 grey seals represents only 0.3% of the overall grey seal population of 108,000.
TABLE 2b Common Seals
| Seal management area | Common seals applied for | PBR | Common seals granted | Common seals shot: 1st quarter | Common seals shot: 2nd quarter | Common seals shot: 3rd quarter | Common seals shot: 4th quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | 92 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Moray Firth | 52 | 23 | 20 | 1 | 1* | 2 | 2 |
| Orkney & North Coast | 53 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Shetland | 47 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Western Isles | 101 | 54 | 40 | 4** | 0 | 4* | 3 |
| South West Scotland | 153 | 35 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| West Scotland | 296 | 442 | 203 | 11 | 11 | 21 | 15 |
| Grand Total | 794 | 593 | 314 | 20 | 17 | 30 | 26 |
The 12 month total of 93 common seals represents only 0.4% of the minimum common seal population of 20,400.
Summary
The average level of shooting was 34% for the first year of operation.
32% of all licensees have shot no seals at all during the first year of operation.
52% of shooting has occurred at fish farms.
A total of only 241 seals were shot across 235 individual fish farms and 218 across over 40 river fisheries and netting stations.
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