Conservation group lobbying Government over better protection for seals

The Yorkshire Seal Group is lobbying for the Government to make it illegal to disturb seals while resting on UK coasts as the animals face increased endangerment.

Currently, in England, the law only protects seals from direct injury from humans, but conservation groups are petitioning to outlaw disturbances. The group said three quarters of the Yorkshire coast’s seal population do not live past one year as the mammals face increased risks from humans approaching them for selfies or dog attacks.

The group has pointed out that, whilst disturbing dolphins and whales is illegal in UK waters, disturbing seals is not, despite them frequenting beaches and coastal areas.

A petition to outlaw seal disturbance in the UK has already reached more than 14,000 signatures.

The group said it has seen numerous incidents in recent weeks of seals injuring themselves trying to escape people encroaching on them for pictures, while the distress it causes them can also reportedly affect their health.

The group’s co-founder Matt Barnes said more people were “seeking them out” for pictures after being inspired by pictures on social media.

He said: “Many tourists think they are going to get some National Geographic-type shot on a camera phone, when the reality is that most of the time those pictures are taken on high-quality zoom lenses by professionals, not on a mobile.

“Then they end up compensating by encroaching on seals’ space.

“People don’t tend to be familiar with seals’ behaviour when feeling threatened.

“Around half of all seals on UK coasts do not make it to their first year – in Yorkshire that figure is three quarters.

“That disparity is made up by the added pressure of human impact.

“Seals come to our shores to rest after hunting, with fish becoming more scarce they do not need people waking them or having to escape back to the water just because somebody wants a picture.

“We can’t save every seal, but we can reduce our impact on these wonderful animals.”

Last month, Humberside Police issued a warning after two climbers reportedly abseiled from the ‘Drinking Dinosaur’ point at Flamborough Head to take photographs of the seals.

Their presence, officers said, caused a “high level of disturbance to their natural behaviour”, with the seals retreating to the sea.

Mr Barnes added that seals are already threatened by risk of entanglement from netting and pollution.