Seals sacrificed for cod

By Lisa Cardy

THE LIVES of thousands of British seals could be at risk if a fishermen's demands for widespread seal culling are met. David Shiel, chairman of the Anglo-Scottish Fishermen's Association, is calling for a reintroduction of the controversial practice not seen since the 1970s. He believes the drastic measures are necessary to preserve dwindling cod stocks, protect fishermen's threatened livelihoods and save dying coastal communities.

The British seal population has exploded following the outlawing of culling in 1978. Over 100,000 seals or half the world's seal population now live in British waters and 90% of these are found off the Scottish coast. Sheil is calling for 50,000 of the animals to be slaughtered.

And, the fishermen's beleaguered plight looks set to worsen as the EU is considering banning all cod fishing for twelve months, in an attempt to prevent a total collapse of the industry.

The call for the cull has predictably met with condemnation and widespread opposition from conservation groups and academics.Bodies such as the RSPCA, Friends of the Earth, the Sea Mammal Research Unit and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) argue that culling is a cruel practice. They also disagree with Shiel's main argument. The animal welfare groups claim that the seals are not responsible for cod shortages. They argue that pinning the blame on seals is unfair as the decline in cod is due to over fishing and global warming, which affects their breeding and feeding patterns.

Additionally, evidence suggests seal populations are naturally levelling out and that culling would damage the growing UK seal-watch tourism industry.

The governments reaction to Shiel's demands have, so far, been cautious. The culls of the 1970s caused a public outcry. A spokesman from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said that a cull would need rigorous scientific backing, but like the fishermen, the government is keen to take measures to conserve fish stocks.

One thing looks certain, however. Unless appropriate action is taken fast - with North Sea catches now one-sixth of what they were 20 years ago - cod may have passed the point of no return.