Impact case study database

Outputs from SMRU’s seal population dynamics research were used to fulfil the requirements of national legislation and international conservation agreements and underpinned the development of sustainable management strategies. The importance of SMRU’s rigorous underlying research for these impacts is illustrated by our supporting letters from the Deputy Director, International Marine, of Defra [S1], the Head of Marine Ecosystems of NatureScot (statutory advisor to the Scottish Government; formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) [S2] and the Director of Marine Scotland (Scottish Government) [S3]. Defra stated SMRU’s research has “ *made a considerable and highly regarded contribution to Defra’s ability to inform on the management of these iconic species within the UK and to its European partners.*” [S1]. NatureScot stated “ SMRU’s cutting edge research has been central to the marine conservation status assessments and future plans for Scotland’s seas”. [S2]

Fulfilling UK and international policy requirements

On a national level, SMRU [e.g., R1-R3, R5] and joint SMRU/CREEM [R4] research on seal population dynamics underpins advice on seal populations and management provided to UK and devolved governments via the NERC Special Committee on Seals (SCOS; an independent committee of external experts in the field), fulfilling NERC’s obligations under the UK Conservation of Seals Act (1970) [S1] and the Marine (Scotland) Act (2010) [S2, S3]. This advice was generated annually between 2013 and 2020. NatureScot states that SMRU’s research “ *sustains and enhances efforts to meet the conservation objectives for one of Scotland’s most valued natural assets. Without the research we would not be able to demonstrate objectives have been met or that future plans are being formulated within the appropriate context.*” [S2]

At a European level, SMRU [e.g., R1-R3, R5] and joint SMRU/CREEM [R4, R6] research enabled the UK to fulfil its legislative obligations for the EU Habitats Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), and the OSPAR Convention [S1, S2, S3]. NatureScot stated that the UK submission (2019) for the EU Habitat Directive “ relied on the population abundance and trend information provided by SMRU, without which the UK would have been in breach of European law” [S2]. The statuses of European seal populations were assessed as biodiversity indicators under both the MSFD and OSPAR Convention in 2017. SMRU research enabled the fulfilment of the associated UK obligations as evidenced by NatureScot [S2]: “ *The data and interpretation have also been central to reporting on the UK’s progress towards Good Environmental Status under the UK Marine Strategy (previously referred to as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive) as both seal species are top predator biodiversity indicators.*” In addition, SMRU research enabled assessments to be conducted on a European level. Indeed Defra recognised the importance of the grey seal population dynamic model developed with CREEM [R1, R5, R6]: “ SMRU’s involvement and support for the OSPAR Intermediate Assessment in 2017 was also well received as they were able to synthesise the data for seals across all the European partners (the UK being the lead for this indicator) through their unique population dynamics model” [S1] .

Conservation and management of seal populations

SMRU research outputs provide UK and devolved governments with information on grey and harbour seal populations that is essential for effective conservation and management decisions. This is evidenced by NatureScot [S2] who stated: “ *It is difficult to over emphasise the importance of SMRU’s work to SNH and Scottish Government in ensuring that adequate protection and conservation objectives are met based on the best available scientific advice.*”

A key example of specific management measures implemented as a direct result of SMRU research is seal licences. Seal predation on salmon has a significant monetary impact on river anglers and fish farms and is a welfare issue for farmed fish. For example, a ten-year study on two thirds of Scottish salmon farms found that reported seal predations equated to annual losses of GBP2,500,000 (https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluating\-assessing\-relative\-effectiveness\-acoustic\-deterrent\-devices\-non\-lethal\-measures/pages/3/\). The EU Habitats Directive dictates that management practices must not jeopardise the ‘favourable conservation status’ of seals. The UK’s Conservation of Seals Act (1970) allowed unregulated shooting outside the breeding season, with potentially significant, unintentional impacts on regional populations, e.g., a major decline due to unregulated shooting in the Moray Firth. To facilitate population management that both protects fisheries and maintains conservation objectives, the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 banned the shooting of seals in Scotland without a licence. Based on the latest population research by SMRU [R1, R3], annual safe upper limits on the number of seals that could be removed from a population without risk of causing a long-term population decline were calculated. Annually, between August 2013 and December 2020, this allowed Marine Scotland’s Seal Licensing Division to set rigorously defined limits on the number of licenced removals of seals, and for the impact of seal predation on fish welfare and economic return to be minimised in an environmentally sustainable manner [S4]. Indeed in 2019, Marine Scotland [S3] stated: “ The information it [SMRU] provides in support of the Scottish seal management licensing system… has been critical. It is required for making decisions on seal licences.” NatureScot [S2] stated that information on seal populations provided by SMRU “ has been critical in ensuring the safeguarding of the populations by helping determine that the number of licences issued to shoot seals under the Marine (Scotland) Act, in a given year, are within the limits that will maintain the conservation status of the different species.” SMRU’s research meant that regulators could rapidly respond to ensure appropriate levels of protection to vulnerable populations. For example, in 2018 although licences were applied for, none were granted for regions (north and east coasts of Scotland) that SMRU’s research had shown to be in dramatic decline, but over 100 licences were granted for areas of population stability or growth [S5].

Seal welfare

The Protection of Seals ( Designated Sea Haul-out Sites) (Scotland) Order 2014 resulted in the protection of 194 key seal breeding and resting sites at which intentional harassment can result in fines of up to GBP5,000 and 6 months in prison. These sites were identified on the basis of SMRU’s seal research [S6]. NatureScot [S3] said: “ *This research has been critical to the improvement of the conservation of seals around Scotland, particularly in assisting with the designation of seal haulout sites around Scotland.*” The designations have resulted in a decrease in disturbance associated with activities, such as certain tree felling and extraction on the shoreline, and seaweed harvesting, which have been conducted once appropriate mitigation measures were in place (e.g. https://tinyurl.com/yxwwgwmu). Disturbance is an animal welfare issue; it causes distress and can have energetic consequences especially during the annual moult and in the breeding season when it can directly cause pup mortality. Since the Order has been in place, one accessible mainland site has seen its first ever pups born there.