Seal licensing records: 2011-present

Table 1 below provides a full breakdown. (This information is correct as of 31 January 2016.)

The 28 licences issued for protection of health and welfare and one issued for prevention of serious damage, cover a total of 214 individual fish farms.

The maximum number of seals involved is 283 Grey and 115 Common. Table 2 below provides details. This maximum represents less than 0.1% of the Grey Seal population of 101,000 and 0.1% of the minimum Common Seal population of 23,400. The numbers are significantly lower than previous estimates proposed by non-government organisations at between 2,000 and 5,000. (This information is correct as at 31 March 2016.)

The maximum number of Grey Seals allowed on licences granted in 2016 represents over 57% reduction on numbers involved in the previous year's licences, and an over 72% reduction since the system was introduced in 2011.

General statistics 2016:

• The average level of shooting is around 24% for sixth year of operation.
• 49% of all licences have shot no seals at all during 2016.
• Licencees are following the principle that seals should only be shot as a last resort.
• Around 77% of shooting has occurred at fish farms and 23% at fisheries during the sixth year. The reduce level of shooting at fisheries is due to a temporary ban on netting stations at a number of locations around Scotland.
• 75 seals have been shot across 214 individual fish farms and 22 seals across 18 river fisheries during the sixth year.
• There was an overall reduction in the level of shooting in 2016: 10% lower compared to 2015 and over 80% lower compared to 2011 figures.

A full list of licences issued in 2016, by region and company, with the number of seals shot so far, by site, is available to download.

For more information, a series of frequently asked questions and answers on the implementation of the new seal legislation was produced 2011.