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Publication - Progress report

Seal licensing system: second review

Published
28 September 2020
Directorate
Marine Directorate
Part of
Economy, Environment and climate change, Farming and rural, +1 more … Marine and fisheries
ISBN
9781800040939

This report is the second statutory review of the operation of the seal licensing system in Scotland under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 which covers the improvements since the last review and makes recommendations for the future operation of the system.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Annex 2: Information Tables 

Table 5: Number of seals granted and killed by species in each management area, and annual PBR for each species (2015).
Seal Management Area Grey seals applied for Harbour seals applied for Grey seals PBR Harbour seals PBR Grey seals granted Harbour seals granted Grey seals  killed Harbour seals killed
East Coast 92 14 297 1 66 0 6 0
Moray Firth 120 15 201 16 70 5 32 5
Orkney & North Coast 315 37 1240 11 220 0 39 0
Shetland 89 5 235 18 82 3 10 0
Southwest Scotland 65 82 57 35 15 18 1 0
Western Isles 183 71 386 82 89 34 12 1
West Scotland 183 260 414 464 120 137 18 36
Grand Total 1047 484 2830 627 662 197 118 42

There were 29 licences issued for protection of health and welfare, covering a total of 214 individual fish farms in 2015, and one issued for prevention of serious damage.

The maximum number of seals granted in 2015 was 662 grey and 197 harbour seals. This maximum represents less than 0.7% of the grey seal population of 101,000 and 1% of the minimum harbour seal population of 20,700. 

Table 6: Number of seals granted and killed by species in each management area, and annual PBR for each species (2016).
Seal Management Area Grey seals applied for Harbour seals applied for Grey seals PBR Harbour seals PBR Grey seals granted Harbour seals granted Grey seals  killed Harbour seals killed
East Coast 46 8 327 1 14 0 2 0
Moray Firth 45 6 81 4 18 0 18 0
Orkney & North Coast 215 20 1234 11 64 0 12 0
Shetland 72 5 235 18 55 3 11 0
Southwest Scotland 79 55 57 35 15 17 1 1
Western Isles 153 73 574 82 42 19 12 1
West Scotland 149 232 628 582 75 76 20 20
Grand Total 759 399 3136 733 283 115 76 22

There were 28 licences issued for protection of health and welfare, covering a total of 212 individual fish farms in 2016, and 18 issued for prevention of serious damage.

The maximum number of seals granted in 2016 was 283 grey and 115 harbour seals. This maximum represents less than 0.1% of the grey seal population of 101,000 and 0.1% of the minimum harbour seal population of 23,400. 

Table 7: Number of seals granted and killed by species in each management area, and annual PBR for each species (2017).
Seal Management Area Grey seals applied for Harbour seals applied for Grey seals PBR Harbour seals PBR Grey seals granted Harbour seals granted Grey seals  killed Harbour seals killed
East Coast 33 9 352 1 14 0 2 0
Moray Firth 40 6 294 4 18 0 17 0
Orkney & North Coast 128 13 1245 11 56 0 1 0
Shetland 54 4 239 20 44 3 8 0
Southwest Scotland 54 78 57 50 12 13 1 0
Western Isles 165 63 620 82 37 16 14 3
West Scotland 182 204 777 637 64 81 10 16
Grand Total 656 377 3584 805 245 113 53 19

There were 28 licences issued for protection of health and welfare, covering a total of 215 individual fish farms in 2017, and 20 issued for prevention of serious damage

The maximum number of seals granted in 2017 was 245 grey and 113 harbour seals. This maximum represents less than 0.1% of the grey seal population of 120,000 and 0.1% of the minimum harbour seal population of 25,400. 

Table 8: Number of seals granted and killed by species in each management area, and annual PBR for each species (2018).
Seal Management Area Grey seals applied for Harbour seals applied for Grey seals PBR Harbour seals PBR Grey seals granted Harbour seals granted Grey seals killed: Harbour seals killed
East Coast 21 10 882 2 12 0 1 0
Moray Firth 40 6 289 5 18 0 18 0
Orkney & North Coast 131 13 2249 8 47 0 10 0
Shetland 48 6 360 20 37 3 13 0
Southwest Scotland 32 40 86 50 12 13 0 2
Western Isles 153 76 941 82 43 17 9 2
West Scotland 187 209 1172 637 59 72 11 20
Total 612 360 5979 804 228 102 62 24

In 2018 there were 27 licences issued for protection of health and welfare, covering a total of 210 individual fish farms, and 18 issued for prevention of serious damage.

The maximum number of seals granted was 228 grey and 102 harbour seals. This maximum represents 0.2% of the minimum grey seal population of 99,739 and 0.4% of the minimum harbour seal population of 25,149.

Table 9: Number of seals granted and killed by species in each management area, and annual PBR for each species (2019).
Seal Management Area Grey seals applied for Harbour seals applied for Grey seals PBR Harbour seals PBR Grey seals granted Harbour seals granted Grey seals killed Harbour seals killed
East Coast 21 12 845 2 12 0 1 0
Moray Firth 40 6 275 5 18 0 18 0
Orkney & North Coast 112 10 2249 8 47 3 12 0
Shetland 44 5 360 20 37 3 8 0
Southwest Scotland 30 28 86 50 12 13 2 1
Western Isles 149 59 1336 105 43 17 23 8
West Scotland 166 195 1219 667 59 72 11 13
Total 562 315 6370 857 228 108 75 22

In 2019 there were 27 licences issued for protection of health and welfare, covering a total of 215 individual fish farms and 18 issued for prevention of serious damage.

The maximum number of seals granted was 228 grey and 108 harbour seals. This maximum represents 0.2% of the minimum grey seal population of 106,250 and 0.4% of the minimum harbour seal population of 26,565.

Table 10: Number of seals granted and killed by species in each management area, and annual PBR for each species (2020).
Seal Management Area Grey seals applied for Harbour seals applied for Grey seals PBR Harbour seals PBR Grey seals granted Harbour seals granted Grey seals killed Harbour seals killed
East Coast 24 10 871 2 14 0 * *
Moray Firth 40 6 178 5 18 0 * *
Orkney & North Coast 123 10 2249 8 45 0 * *
Shetland 40 4 360 20 34 3 * *
Southwest Scotland 30 28 119 71 11 12 * *
Western Isles 177 66 1336 105 47 17 * *
West Scotland 200 211 966 936 59 70 * *
Total 633 335 6079 1147 228 102 * *

* Information not yet available.

In 2020 there were 27 licences issued for protection of health and welfare, covering a total of 213 individual fish farms and 21 issued for prevention of serious damage.

The maximum number of seals granted was 228 grey and 102 harbour seals. This maximum represents 0.2% of the minimum grey seal population of 106,250 and 0.4% of the minimum harbour seal population of 26,565.

Contact

Email: marine_conservation@gov.scot

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