Seal licensing system: third review

Executive summary

Section 129 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that Scottish Ministers must review and publish a report on the operation of the seal licensing regime every five years. This review is due for publication in September 2025.

The previous review in 2020 identified several areas for improvement within the licensing system, some of which have been actioned. A new application form has been specifically designed for the purpose of conserving seals or other wild animals (including wild birds) or wild plants (S110(1)) to help address the issue of specialist seals predating on threatened wild Atlantic salmon in rivers. Work has also continued to improve the efficacy of non-lethal measures in deterring specialist seals from predating on salmon in rivers. Recommendations from the 2020 review in relation to seal carcass recovery and updates to the Seal Management Code of Practice have not been progressed due to changes to the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 which came into force on 1 February 2021, however these will remain as recommendations going forward.

In undertaking this review, Scottish Government consulted United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) as required under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, as well as seeking views from a limited number of key stakeholders involved in the seal licensing system.

Four main areas have been identified in the present review as recommendations for further action. These are summarised below and set out in full within the document:

Application process

1. The application process should move to year-round licensing.

2. The application form should be updated to provide applicants with more flexibility to support their application, including the ability for applicants to submit more data and the removal of sub-sections in relation to specific non-lethal measures in Section 8.

3. Clearer guidance should be provided on the evidence required to support a licence application for the purpose of conserving seals or other wild animals (including wild birds) or wild plants (S110(1)(c)).

Non-lethal measures

4. Work should continue to improve the efficacy and practicality of non-lethal measures in deterring seal predation in rivers.

Research licences

5. Marine Directorate-Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) to work with NatureScot to resolve the delay in granting authority to conduct studies requiring capture and/or sampling of seals.

Shooting of seals

6. The seal management course to be updated and reinstated to ensure that marksmen can meet the requirement of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

7. The importance of carcass recovery and reporting to the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS) to be emphasised to licence holders and those applying for seal licences.

8. The Seal Management Code of Practice should be updated as a matter of priority to reflect the most up to date science and the purposes for which licences can be granted.