Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure seals are protected.

Both native grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common seal (Phoca vitulina) species are protected in the UK under relevant wildlife legislation. Please refer to the following link for details:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protected-marine-species/seals

In addition, recent Government amendments to the Fisheries Act 2020 offer stronger protection for seals. The amendments prevent the intentional or reckless killing of seals in English, Welsh and Northern Irish waters as a result of commercial fishing.

Together with Seal Alliance we launched a new government-backed campaign ‘Give Seals Space’ on 2 April to reduce the impact that human disturbance can have on these vulnerable marine mammals.