Scottish salmon companies have killed 300+ seals since the start of 2011

Freedom of Information request reveals salmon companies

June 2012. Following a freedom of information request by The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, the Scottish Government has revealed that 229 seals were killed in 2011 by salmon farming companies, and a further 81 in the first 4 months of 2012. The seals were killed by companies such as Marine Harvest, Loch Duart, Scottish Seafarms (Leroy & Salmar), Meridian (Morpol), Hjaltland Seafarms (Grieg Seafood) and The Scottish Salmon Company.

The Scottish Government replied as follows (Excerpt)
Scottish Government Information on Seal Killings by Salmon Farmers in Scotland:

Your request for information on the number of seals killed and by which companies can be released and is provided below. Figures for 2011 are provided in full. I have also provided the information for 2012 that the Scottish Government holds; this of course may be subject to change as further information is submitted.

The companies with licences issued specifically to them in 2011 and number of seals shot:-

Company	Seals shot in 2011	Seals shot in 2012 to April
Dawnfresh Farming Ltd	6	1
Lakeland Marine Farm Ltd	17
Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd	34	9
The Scottish Salmon Co Ltd	45	21
Scottish Seafarms Ltd	37	17
West Minch Salmon Ltd	9
Loch Duart Ltd	5	5
Bound Skerries Seafoods Ltd	4
Hjaltland Seafarms Ltd	50	15
Northern Isles Salmon Ltd (Meridian group)	22	13
Total	229	81

It appears that, by shooting seals, these companies may be breaking US laws about imported farmed salmon, and this may well affect these companies' ability to import salmon into the US.

Click here to see the full report from Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/salmon-seal-kill.html