5 January, 2009

A SCOTTISH animal rights group has accused the Westminster government of ignorance about how seals are protected by the law.

John Robins, of Animal Concern, has written to the UK environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies accusing him of misleading the House of Commons by saying the 1970 Conservation of Seals Act (CSA) afforded seals “appropriate and proportionate” protection.

Mr Robins, who is responsible of the only successful prosecution under the CSA, said that more than 150,000 seals have been legally killed under the act.

He claimed the law was set up to protect fishery and aquaculture interests from prosecution for shooting seals.

“Even Scottish government ministers, who are so close to the fishing industry that they smell of kippers, have admitted the Conservation of Seals Act does not protect seals and has to be revised,” Mr Robins said yesterday (Sunday).

“Yet, at a time when common seal numbers are in free fall, Huw Irranca-Davies has shown that the Westminster government is completely out of touch with what is happening north of the border. Does he not realise that, even during the breeding seasons, seals can be shot without any special permission or licenses?

“The CSA is a UK-wide piece of legislation and I suggest that when Mr Irranca-Davies gets back from his holidays he talks to his counterpart in Edinburgh. Seals need legal protection and that protection must be endorsed by both Westminster and Holyrood.”

Two men face prosecution at Lerwick Sheriff Court this month for the illegal clubbing of 21 grey seal pups on the island of East Linga, east of Whalsay, last month.

John Eunson, aged 44, and Jimmy Stewart, 47, both of Symbister, made no plea when they appeared on 16 December charged under the CSA for killing grey seals during the closed season between 1 September and 31 December. They also face charges under the Wild mammals (Protection) Act.