Number of seals killed lawfully in 2021: EIR release
- Published
- 28 June 2021
- Part of
- Marine and fisheries, Public sector
- FOI reference
- FOI/202100211308
- Date received
- 9 June 2021
- Date responded
- 24 June 2021
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Information requested
How many seals have been lawfully killed in 2021 by wild salmon interests (nets, Fishery Boards etc).
Response
As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations.
The answer to your question is that four seals have been lawfully killed in 2021 by wild salmon interests. All four were killed in January 2021 under licences granted to prevent serious damage to fisheries and fish farms. On 1 February 2021 changes to the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010: Part 6 - conservation of seals - came into force which removed two reasons for which licences to kill or take seals could be granted. One of those reasons was to prevent serious damage to fisheries and fish farms.
No licences to shoot seals have been granted since 1 February 2021. Marine Scotland do not hold any information on seals killed under licence since this date.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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