Charities offer reward to catch illegal seal killers

ANIMAL charities are offering a reward of £2,500 for information leading to the first successful prosecution for killing seals in contravention of new legislation that comes into force tomorrow.

Anyone intending to shoot seals must get a licence from the Scottish Government under Part 6 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

But John Robins of Animal Concern fears that some people entitled to kill seals now will continue to do so without obtaining the new licence.

More than 300 people in Scotland are legally entitled to shoot seals, but only 68 applications have been received for the new licences.

Seals are routinely shot by salmon farmers, salmon netsmen and officials of some salmon angling river boards. Although no official figures exist, it is thought that at least 3,500 seals are legally killed in Scottish waters every year.

Robins, who was responsible for the only successful prosecution for killing seals under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, said: "Fish farmers should use nets and scaring devices to stop seals getting anywhere near their stock and must not be given licences to shoot seals.

"Under Freedom of Information, I've discovered that not one fish farm which has applied for a licence to shoot seals has been inspected to see if they have installed the high-strength, tensioned predator exclusion nets required to protect stock from predators."