Dear RSPCA, please wash the blood of Scottish seals off your hands!

The Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has sacrificed animal protection for the sake of commercial profit. RSPCA Assured (formerly Freedom Food) now certify over 70% of Scottish farmed salmon production and sanction the killing of seals at salmon farms across Scotland (read more via "RSPCA Assured Seal Killers!"). The situation is so shameful that the RSPCA should now be renamed the Royal Seal Culling Association!

That was the stark message delivered to RSPCA head office yesterday and to Her Majesty the Queen (as royal patron of the RSPCA) on Wednesday.

"Over 2,700 people have already signed my petition calling for an end to the killing of seals on RSPCA-certified salmon farms," said Katie Nethercoat who launched an online petition - RSPCA: End your support for the killing of Scottish Seals - in October after an expose on ITV News. "Shame on the RSPCA for sanctioning the slaughter of seals in Scotland.

An opinion poll by Metro in October 2015 reported that 87 per cent of people are opposed to the killing of seals on salmon farms. Seals are one of the most charismatic creatures that we have in the UK and it is great shame to see our British wildlife suffer at the hands of consumerism," continued Nethercoat. "Rather than change the way in which salmon are farmed or work around issues such as wild animals, they are jumping straight to shooting them. This can't be allowed and it is clear to see that members of the public don't plan on letting it continue."

The petition - RSPCA: End your support for the killing of Scottish Seals - was successfully hand-delivered to RSPCA head office yesterday amidst tight security.

Sussex Police and the RSPCA's own security guards (who outnumbered protestors by 3 to 1!) were on hand to protect the RSPCA building (if only the RSPCA adopted the same level of protection to protect seals from being shot in Scotland!). Sadly, the RSPCA's acting Chief Executive David Canavan and RSPCA Assured staff refused a request for a meeting and have stubb0rnly refused to change the RSPCA's lethal policy on seal shooting at salmon farms in Scotland.

The petition was accepted by the RSPCA's building manager who refused to answer questions about why the RSPCA sanctions the killing of seals on salmon farms.

"By endorsing the shooting of lactating seals by salmon farms off islands like Gometra, and leaving the pups to starve, RSPCA betrays its core mission and its core supporters," said Roc Sandford, owner of the Island of Gometra (scene of the shooting of five seals in January 2015). "The RSPCA try to represent this as a last resort, but how can it be a last resort when relocation away from seal colonies, anti-predator nets and seal blinds have been delivered in so few of the thousands of salmon cages littering Scotland’s seas? RSPCA's mission is too important to be compromised by double standards."

Watch video reports shot yesterday during our visit to RSPCA head office in Horsham, West Sussex.

Watch online here

"When you buy Scottish salmon, including salmon carrying the RSPCA logo, you pay for bullets to shoot seals," said John Robins of Animal Concern in a press release. "My message to the RSPCA is ‘Just say no - stop your farmers killing seals’. The RSPCA could give seals the perfect Christmas present – they could give them the gift of life by banning seal shooting at RSPCA assured salmon farms. RSPCA chiefs have to decide who they represent; seal-shooting multinationals or the animals they persecute."

"Supermarkets have the power to stop seals being shot simply by telling their suppliers to install predator exclusion nets," continued Robins. "The RSPCA could do the same with RSPCA Assured salmon farms. Until they do so our main weapon is for people to stop buying Scottish salmon. This is especially important at this time of year when salmon sales rise over Christmas and New Year. If you don’t want to pay for bullets to shoot seals don’t buy Scottish salmon. It’s as simple as that."

Here's some of the comments posted with the petition delivered yesterday to the RSPCA:

"I don't understand how a Society can claim to be preventing cruelty to animals while supporting the killing of them so that humans can take their food." (Roberta Balfour, Malvern)

"The true price of salmon according to the RSPCA is a dead seal. Protect our seals from this needless slaughter." (Ross Flett, Orkney)

"The RSPCA should be protecting seals ... simples .. not business profits ££££££££" (Jackie Legg, Cheshire)

"WTF ... Can't believe an organisation I've supported for more years than i care to remember is part of the problem rather than the solution. What's the point of supporting your wildlife rehabilitation centres nursing seals back to health if you're going to endorse Scottish salmon farmers shooting them?" (Phil Irving, Dereham)

"It is shameful that the RSPCA supports the killing of Scottish seals to placate fish farmers. Clearly the RSPCA has no conscience when it comes to wildlife and not even a nodding acquaintance with the important role seals play in the marine ecosystem. You must withdraw your support immediately." (Bridget Curran, Halifax)

"RSPCA, how is killing our native wildlife for the sake of unnatural fish stocks serving your purpose of preventing cruelty to animals?" (Paula Andrews, Sutton-in-Ashfield)

"The RSPCA should be about protecting seals not killing them. But then there would be no money in that." (Ian Cooke, Crewe)

"Disgusting - they are meant to protect animals, not kill them!" (Ruhee Baltz, Surrey)

"Seals have the right to live - stop killing them and protect them instead!" (Maggie Dunn, Sherborne)

"This is utterly hypocritical. How on earth can the RSP of CRUELTY TO ANIMALS condone intensive farming of salmon and the shooting of seals? It's insane." (Duncan Steedman, Broadford)

A letter was also delivered to Her Majesty the Queen on Wednesday (9 December) at her Buckingham Palace residence in London.

"As Royal patron of the RSPCA (who certify over 70% of Scottish farmed salmon via the RSPCA Assured scheme which sanctions the killing of seals), you have the blood of dozens if not hundreds of seals on your hands," stated the letter.

"Your Majesty may not be personally pulling the trigger or loading the bullets but your royal patronage of the RSPCA is endorsing the bloody slaughter of seals at salmon farms across Scotland."

The letter (read in full online here) was accepted on behalf of her private secretary who pledged to deliver it to Her Majesty.

Read more via Letter to Her Majesty the Queen

The RSPCA have blood on their hands for certifying seal-killing salmon farms as 'welfare friendly'," said Don Staniford, Director of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture in a press release. "The next time you're in a supermarket and see the 'RSPCA Assured' logo on a packet of salmon please give it the seal of disapproval. Until the RSPCA pledges to stop the slaughter the only sure-fire way of protecting seals is to boycott all Scottish salmon. Consumers have the power this Xmas to force a change in policy at the RSPCA - if nobody buys RSPCA Assured Scottish salmon then the killing of seals would be stopped dead in its tracks. The RSPCA Council should listen to public opinion and introduce a seal cease-fire."

"The public may be shocked to learn that over 70% of Scottish farmed salmon is already certified by RSPCA Assured who earn hundreds of thousands of pounds from certification," continued Staniford. "Help save seals by hitting the RSPCA where it hurts - in the pockets. The message is simple - stop shooting seals for salmon meals!"

GAAIA wrote to the RSPCA on 23 November 2015 re-iterating the question: "Will the RSPCA finally pledge to stop certifying seal-killing salmon farms?" Until the RSPCA reverses their policy of sanctioning the killing of seals, their reputation lies in tatters.