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Save Our Seals Fund (PE1519)
Agenda item 3 is consideration of PE1519, by John F Robins, on behalf of the Save Our Seals Fund. The petition calls 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.”
By the looks of it, our discussion will be a catch-all one that will cover more than just seals.
I refer members to the accompanying paper, invite comments and seek agreement on the way forward. Who wants to kick off?
I am happy to comment, convener.
As members will recall, we gave the issue considerable consideration during our consideration of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill, and my recollection is that we all came to the conclusion that, although we accepted that certain concerns had been expressed about the issue, we were content that the steps being taken by aquaculture practitioners were as robust and practical as they could be and that the shooting of seals happened only in extremis. Personally, I was satisfied with that, and I am not sure that our continuing the petition will do anything to resolve the situation. In short, given our consideration of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill, I see no future in continuing the petition.
Do other members wish to comment?
Very briefly, convener. I concur entirely with Alex Fergusson. The evidence that the petitioner gave the Public Petitions Committee, which I have read, in no way allayed my concerns about the petition. For a start, a number of what seemed to be unsubstantiated claims about the number of seals being shot were made. As a result, I tend to agree with Mr Fergusson.
Given that a number of strands to the petition have, I reckon, been properly addressed, I am minded to close it. Marine Scotland has adequately or satisfactorily addressed the seal control issue, and the salmon industry is evolving, with the increased use of high-tension predator exclusion nets and the introduction and roll-out of onshore tank systems, which the committee saw when it visited Lochaber. That is another aspect of the petition, which, as I said, contains a number of strands.
The only issue raised in the petition that has not been satisfactorily addressed is that of the salmon netting stations, but the committee still has to look at that issue in light of the report of the wild fisheries review. Given that a fair bit of work has already been done on the issues, I am, as I said, minded to close the petition.
There are two questions to address here. First of all, the law is doing everything possible to avoid the killing of seals, but is the law itself being flouted or not observed in any significant way? I do not think that the petitioner has presented any evidence that that is the case; if he has any, he should present it not only to the Parliament but to the police, because it is an offence to do what he has suggested is being done.
The second question is whether the law needs to be changed to protect seals. That is a legitimate campaign, but it is not the campaign that the petitioner seems to be pursuing. He seems to be pursuing a campaign based on the law being flouted, and if he has brought no evidence of that forward, we should just close the petition. That said, we should, as we continue with our work, bear in mind whether the law is being flouted and whether a better law can be found.
I am persuaded by others’ arguments that the petition should be closed. I should also point out that we will be looking at the wild fisheries review and that regulations issued under the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2013 can be amended as appropriate by ministers. I therefore see no argument for keeping the petition open.
Perhaps I can sum up members’ views. As we know, the national marine plan contains a section on aquaculture, which covers predators such as seals; the salmon netting issue is going to come up in secondary legislation next week; and the wild fisheries review has taken considerable evidence on the matter. All of that shows that we are taking considerable interest in the question of seals in both the natural environment and man-made structures and that we are ensuring that it is taken into account. Therefore, I recommend that we close the petition and maintain our interest in the matter, as has been suggested. Are we agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
At the committee’s next meeting, which is on 17 December, we will have an evidence-taking session on the national marine plan with Scottish Government officials. We will also consider our draft budget report to the Finance Committee and our future work programme.
With that, I ask that the public gallery be cleared.
11:54 Meeting continued in private until 12:59.