Number of seals killed lawfully in 2021: EIR release

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.

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