Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01519 · Session 4

Save Scotland's Seals

Closed Submitted 5 Mar 2014 Environment & Energy
Signatures
0
12,687 online signatures with a country
Comments
685
Considered
4 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to stop issuing licences permitting salmon farming, salmon netting and salmon angling interests to shoot and kill seals in Scottish waters and instead require that salmon farmers either move their farms into on-shore tank systems or legally require marine salmon farmers to install and maintain the high-strength, high tension predator exclusion nets they require to meet their legal obligation under the Animal Health & Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to protect their stock from the attention of predators. We further ask that the Scottish Parliament ask the Scottish Government to legislate to close down all salmon netting stations in Scottish waters thus allowing tens of thousands of Atlantic Salmon and seatrout to return to their native rivers to breed.

What the petitioner did first

We have written to the relevant Government Ministers and Marine Scotland on numerous occasions over the last four years asking them to stop licensing the killing of seals in Scotland and to make it illegal to kill seals. Sadly our requests have all been turned down and we now wish to show that there is public support for the end of legal seal killing in Scotland. We intend to contribute to the current fisheries review but we understand this is concentrating on issues raised by angling interests, many of which are pro seal shooting, and not very relevant to our campaign to end seal shooting.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 17 Jun 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 28 Oct 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 3 Dec 2014
    Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee
    Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
    1 mention
  4. 10 Dec 2014
    Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee
    Petition
    1 mention

Signatures by country

12,687 online signatures
  1. England3,507 27.6%
  2. United States2,305 18.2%
  3. United Kingdom1,622 12.8%
  4. Scotland1,268 10%
  5. Australia726 5.7%
  6. Canada403 3.2%
  7. Wales227 1.8%
  8. Germany212 1.7%
  9. Netherlands184 1.5%
  10. Spain156 1.2%
  11. 111 other countries2,077 16.4%

Comments

685 comments, oldest first
685 comments · showing 1–50
  1. Sue Sayer 22 Mar 2014
    I love Scotland. I hate that your government thisk it is justifiable for a multi million pound industry to shoot seals around marine farms, when viable alternatives exist such the extremely robust anti predator nets installed in Shetland.
  2. Anne-Marie Smale 22 Mar 2014
    Stop
  3. David Hewitt 22 Mar 2014
    If you could hear them, you'd understand how annoying they are. So it's understandable it's effecting the life under the waves. Though as usual, most dont see it, so dont care.
  4. Fiona of the seals 22 Mar 2014
    Please take this wonderful opportunity to protect seals and other wildlife from this appalling injustice.
  5. kath threlfall 22 Mar 2014
    Seas are beautiful animals, the only creature to destroy the planet is man, he kills at a whim, kills for pleasure. Seals don't ask for much just their food whereas the human race has a lot of foods to choose from please leave the seals alone, their beauty enriches the world.
  6. Carolyn Sol 22 Mar 2014
    I am boycotting all "Atlantic" salmon until you quit these killings, because I do not want to support seal killing companies.
  7. Sue Baumgardt 22 Mar 2014
    If we continue to take over all environments, pollute and kill, we won't have a planet left worth living on
  8. Mandy Coulson 22 Mar 2014
    This must stop.
  9. DIANE M. KASTEL 22 Mar 2014
    SAVE THE SEALS FROM BEING SHOT FOR EATING SALMON!
  10. Mr Greer Hart, senior 23 Mar 2014
    For many years I have awaited a response from the Scottish Government on this issue of fish farms and their slaughter of predators in and around their cages. What appalled me was that my country had not addressed this humane issue, by enforcing the regulations governing fish cages, with regard to deterrent fencing etc to keep seals and other creatures away from the fish. If the Government follows the purpose of this petition, then it will have taken a step in bringing Scotland into a more humane and ethical way of dealing with wildlife interacting with human economic activities.
  11. Coleen Mcleod 23 Mar 2014
    Scottish wildlife destroyed to line the pockets of barbarians. Disgusting and unnecessary.
  12. Margret Powell-Joss 23 Mar 2014
    I love to eat salmon but will boycott the product until Scotland leads the way with seal-friendly salmon farming using techniques such as on-shore farming in enclosed tank systems, proper predator exclusion nets around marine farms and a complete ban on anything that harms echolocating sea life.
  13. Carol Wood 24 Mar 2014
    I holiday in Scotland because of the wonderful wildlife. Please don't trash it like England has
  14. carol 25 Mar 2014
    For some reason the people making the decisions in Scotland regarding our natural heritage fought and died for think it's ok to destroy it in a generation for profit by global corporations. Regardless of the pollution in our sea and lochs killing everything we hold in high esteem and cherish. The beauty of our natural heritage is not yours to destroy. It belongs to us. Our ancestors preserved and protected it in order to pass this on so that we could live in a country that was self sufficient, free, full of natural wonder. It's not for sale at any price to line the pockets of global companies. If you cannot be trusted to preserve what belongs to the Scottish people as a right then you will be removed and be accountable for the devastation and destruction of our water our wildlife and our natural world. You will be named ad shamed and justice will prevail for all Scottish people and those who assist to protect our country. Seals are part of this natural wonder. They require a food source and are eating contaminated farmed salmon from fish farms full of disease and chemicals as well as other diseased fish that swim past these farms. For a handful of jobs mostly low paid to local people with very poor job opportunities in remote areas of Scotland. The large profits going to the global companies who own them. This industry is unsustainable and therefore a short term profit. So our natural world is being destroyed for short term profit for foreign investment. It is deplorable and the sooner the people responsible are named publically in the media and taken to court removed from office is not a day too soon.
  15. Pearl Lewis 25 Mar 2014
    If its not bad enough slaughtering badgers, foxes & wild boar, please reconsider issuing these licences to kill even more defenceless wild animals.
  16. Mandy flisher 25 Mar 2014
    why on earth don't you just leave these beautiful beings alone...why does man have to rip everything apart
  17. Michael 26 Mar 2014
    Allow life to live natural.
  18. Paula 26 Mar 2014
    Why do we have to destroy every good thing God has given us and just appreciate the beauty ?
  19. Teresa Burton 27 Mar 2014
    We just can't seem to leave these animals alone.
  20. kath threlfall 31 Mar 2014
    Surely the human raace can find many more good things to eat instead of plundering the oceans and killing so many animals and fish.
  21. Jules Redman 2 Apr 2014
    I am absolutely gobsmacked and disgusted that you give permits for the destruction of beautiful, innocent wild seals for the benefit of financial, human gain
    - who told you that you had the right to do this...almost lost for words, there is too much destruction, death and devastation in this beautiful world
    - IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL SEALS!!! PLEASE STOP
  22. scott mackay 2 Apr 2014
    please show respect to all, seals and salmon
  23. June linarts 2 Apr 2014
    Why is can't we live in harmony with other animals we have depleted their food source through over fishing now we are killing them it's just so wrong.
  24. marie richmond 2 Apr 2014
    I am so shocked that you allow the killing of beautiful seals god gave them life its not yours or anyone's to take away animals suffer all over the world and its always humans that is cruelest
  25. Melanie Barrett 3 Apr 2014
    Stop slaughtering seals!!!!
  26. A P Williams 3 Apr 2014
    The Scottish Govt, having destroyed the wild salmon populations, aims to now industrially destroy all other competing populations.
  27. Michelle Affleck 4 Apr 2014
    Stop killing seals it is cruel. They are gorgeous creatures.
  28. Lisa price 4 Apr 2014
    It's in -humane practice to kill gods beautiful creatures
  29. Dawn Harrison 5 Apr 2014
    When we associate seal slaughter we think of Canada. When we think of dolphin and whale slaughter, we think of Japan. Please don't allow Scotland to be associated with any kind of slaughter. Leave the seals alone.
  30. J. Cartwright 6 Apr 2014
    I stopped buying Scottish salmon years ago because of the detrimental affects they have on the wildlife and the surrounding environment. Please impose a ban on shooting seals and force companies look for a more environmentally friendly way to farm salmon.
  31. Joyce Cox 6 Apr 2014
    Stop killing any wild creature unless really need to.
  32. Mark Carter 6 Apr 2014
    There are numerous valid reasons not to shoot seals including the use of non-lethal methods. This government should stand up against the will of these industries that mainly rely on false propaganda to try to overcome their own short-commings.
  33. Rosie Dower 6 Apr 2014
    There are more humane ways to deter seals. Spend the money on seal exclusion nets not paid killers!!
  34. Yol. Sakyi 6 Apr 2014
    Seals do not belong to us humans.
    Like we do, they belong to the planet Earth. We've no right to kill them. So please stop slaughtering!!
  35. P Crighton 6 Apr 2014
    Which part of killing sentient mammals is right in this day and age ?
    Please stop the killing of defenseless creatures.
  36. Carol Heggie 7 Apr 2014
    Good cause
  37. Joanne Bentley 7 Apr 2014
    Making seals into scapegoats because of decades of negligent stewardship of fish-stocks is as monstrous as American "good-ol'-boys" shooting wolves on sight for the loss of an occasional cow.
    This all must stop. Wake up, get sane. Now.
  38. Jane Morgan Townshend 8 Apr 2014
    The salmon are trapped and farmed, wrong. The seals are being killed for trying to feed from an 'easy catch', wrong. Stop farming the salmon, stop killing the seals for doing what is natural and let nature take its course. Imagine being shot at every time you shopped for food.
  39. Charles Hallier 8 Apr 2014
    Protection of these is a must. Government intervention has always been proven to be wrong.
  40. Loretta Reid 10 Apr 2014
    What an embarrassment indeed for Scotland! Sort this now! How disgusting that we are doing this to seals!! Heartbreaking and Immoral. The fishing is bad enough but killing even 1 seal is abhorrent. Do the right thing , NOW !
  41. Estie Kretschmer 10 Apr 2014
    The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men. (Alice Walker)
  42. Austin Fletcher 10 Apr 2014
    Seals are vital part of coastal ecosystems and are embedded in Scottish culture and literature. Please preserve and protect them.
  43. Kim Zwicker 10 Apr 2014
    Stop killing animals!!!
  44. Martha Milne 11 Apr 2014
    We should be preserving and protecting our wildlife, not killing them for specious reasons. This is so anti-nature and so counter-productive. You are hurting yourselves and working against any gains that are to be made in this situation. Please stop killing the seals! You aren't going to end up with more salmon and are actually messing up the natural balance which will make everything much worse in the end!
  45. Victor manei 11 Apr 2014
    Good job seals are too getting threatened and pushed to death not only in scotland but all over the world islands
  46. Barbara Maloit 11 Apr 2014
    Please stop this senseless slaughter. It harkens to the slaughter of the dolphins in Japan for equally senseless reasons. Animals in the wild balance themselves, we have no need to interfere.
  47. FJ Couzens 11 Apr 2014
    Myself and my family visit Scotland on average 4 times per year specifically to see and photograph the wildlife. Why would anyone harm a natural National asset ?
  48. Barbara B Miller 11 Apr 2014
    Stop the killing of innocent species.
  49. Vivien Fraser 12 Apr 2014
    Humans have no right to kill these wild animals
  50. Diana 12 Apr 2014
    Please let's be a protective force in this world not a destructive one!!!