Wednesday October 14, 2009, 12:18 am
A row has broken out in the north of England because fishermen are shooting seals that eat their fish.
The seals have learnt to take fish from the nets of the fishing boats. The fishermen say seals are costing them thousands of pounds every year.
The fishermen are allowed to shoot the fish if they have a licence, and if the seals are stealing their catch.
Some people don't think the seals should be killed, and want the rules changed so they are protected instead.
In other areas including Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man it's against the law to kill seals.
But in England, Scotland and Wales it's legal for fishermen to kill seals as long as they have a licence.

Tourists travel to see seals
In Northumberland thousands of people travel to the area to see the seals and some even swim with them. Those tourists spend a lot of money in the region.

The laws protecting seals in Scotland ARE being looked at but there are no plans to change the law in England - so seals in Northumberland will still have to take their chances.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 12:41 am
yeah well,nature taking revenge.Man are exploiting the oceans.Can't blame the seals.They see easy catch and man are overfishing anyway.So maybe the seals can't find fish easy on their own anymore.
grrrr that they are shooting the seals,shows the ignorance.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 3:11 am
Sadly Noted. That really pisses me off. thanks

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 4:29 am
ignorant donkey butt.....They just wanna wipe them all out dont they...this is not due to seals but man and his infinate wisdom...

Big Gorilly Hugs

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 5:25 am
sadly noted seals are natural fishers and only take what they need unlike man

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 5:41 am
Thats terrible that they can do that...the seals have more right to the fish than we do!!!

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 8:57 am
total ignorance is wright the seals were there first,its there fish.Thanx Claudia.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 12:42 pm
Let's hope for the best, all of this is horrendous. Thank you Claudia for all the posts, all of them sad but count on us, we are with you. Good luck with all, and a whole lot of love.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 12:52 pm
Seal, like man, will find accept an easy meal when it is presented as with fish conveniently caught in a net. No question, man has been overfishing and they continue to do so especially in international waters. Seals are not, however, endangered. Possibly a saner answer would be to have a well regulated seal harvest that requires the utiliziation all parts of this animal.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 12:58 pm
It is not their fish, it is for the seals. The seals dont come in your garden to eat your veggies.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 1:19 pm
It would be nice to take a gun and wipe out any competition, so says this mentality.

The seals are only doing their business of making a living and acquiring sustenance.

But I can guarantee, it isn't the seals who are overfishing and this is probably the causative effect of the seals to resort to the easier pickings of taking netted fish.

The sea was once considered so vast, we don't own it, nor have the right on what species can fish from it or not. To heck with the fishermen; they have no argument.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 7:35 pm
So true Julie. Men are invading another enviroment! It's a shame.

Wednesday October 14, 2009, 11:29 pm
Sadly this practice occurs here in Australia, illegally. A couple of years ago while Uni students were researching the seals on a coastal island over 100 shots were fired over a one hour period from a shark fishing boat into the seal colony killing over forty. Very lucky the kids weren't shot.
http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=211986
The boat's captain was fined $5000 and given a six-month intensive corrections order.
I believe they should be banned from fishing for life.

Thursday October 15, 2009, 1:42 am
thx Claudia, that sux, these supposed fishermen need to be shot where the sun dont shine...

...yes youre right Merv, i live in oz too and remember the story, the captain and crew shouldve been locked up for mass murder the sicko bastards...

Thursday October 15, 2009, 9:52 am
I agree with you 100% Merv - but trying to influence or sway the cretins in power here in the UK to change the laws so that heavier penalties can be handed down is like running through the flames wearing protective clothing made of chocolate - USELESS!! I'd love to see a vigilante group spring up to sort out every one of these basta~ds where they sit, just as THEY "sort out" and permit the "sorting out" of the poor seals who have more rights to the sea than THEY do!!! I'd better stop....my anger groweth and my blood boileth!!

Thursday October 15, 2009, 10:07 am
Its not good to kill the seals because they might be Selkies. The Selkies are water faeries that can shed their skins and turn to human form. There are families in Scottland who are said to be descended from the Selkies. You might be killing a relative.

Thursday October 15, 2009, 12:42 pm
What else will seals eat, for crying out loud ! Will vegetarians in India start to kill cows because they eat their veg or fruit?

Thursday October 15, 2009, 5:19 pm
Merthyr, I know that most of the fishing boats going out carry high powered rifles. Whether they are carried legally (with a firearms licence) I don't know. But you have to wonder for what purpose is it necessary to have them on board and why don't the authorities do random checks before the boats leave the docks.