Whilst Scottish Salmon Watch welcomes the news from the Scottish Parliament this week that salmon farmers in Scotland will stop killing seals by 2022 it must not be forgotten that companies such as Mowi (formerly Marine Harvest), Scottish Sea Farms, The Scottish Salmon Company, Cooke and Loch Duart continue their killing spree (according to the latest data published by the Scottish Government).
According to data collected from salmon farming companies and published by the Scottish Government salmon farms killed 42 seals in 2019 (data currently only available up to the end of Q3 2019) with Marine Harvest (re-named Mowi in 2019 due to "negative consumer perception" and certified as 'welfare friendly' via RSPCA Assured) leading the way with 18 dead seals followed by The Scottish Salmon Company with 11, Scottish Sea Farms with 6, Loch Duart with 5 (2 were killed at Calbha - a Loch Duart salmon farm - via the Northern Salmon Management Group) and Cooke with 2 dead seals.
Download Excel spreadsheet for seals killed by salmon farms during 2019 online here
According to official data published by the Scottish Government there were 54 seals killed by salmon farming companies in 2018 - with Marine Harvest (re-named Mowi in 2019) leading the way with 24 followed by Scottish Sea Farms with 9, Cooke with 9, The Scottish Salmon Company with 6 and Wester Ross (via the Northern Salmon Management Group) with 4:
Download Excel spreadsheet for seals killed by salmon farms during 2018 online here
Here's Scottish Government data for 2011 to 2017 (official data is not available before 2011 - download as an Excel spreadsheet online here):
Read more via online via Seal Killing Data 2011-2017: Scottish Government Seal Licensing Returns
Read more via Sunday Herald: "Revealed: Scottish Government bid to exempt salmon farming from US seal-killing ban"
The Ferret reported (2 June 2020):
Shetland News reported (3 June 2020):
Fish Farming Expert reported (2 June 2020):
Read article in full online here
ITV News reported in 2015:
For more background please read:
Seal shooting by fish farms to be banned to save exports to US
Seals Shot and Killed in Scotland by Cruel Salmon-Farming Industry
The RSPCA rescues one seal – and condones the killing of many others
Sunday Herald: "Revealed: Scottish Government bid to exempt salmon farming from US seal-killing ban"
Scottish Government bid to exempt fish farming from US ban on seal killing
Fish farms under fire for seal death toll
UK seal population under threat for salmon farming industry
RSPCA in firing line over Marine Harvest's seal-killing spree in Scotland
RSPCA Savaged Over Seal Killing in Scotland
Not just salmon: 5 other animals impacted by salmon farming in Scotland
Time to stop the seal slaughter
Scotland's 'trigger-happy' salmon farmers risk losing £200m US export market
Here's some videos: