Latest figures show that Scottish Sea Farms has seen a reduction in the number of seals culled to protect farmed salmon stocks.
The fall in numbers is the result of ongoing investment in rigid new pen netting. The previously unpublished figures show that the company, which has 45 salmon farms around Scotland’s west coast and islands, culled 11 seals under licence at nine farms to protect its salmon stocks during the reporting period February 1 2018 to January 31 2019.
This is down 31 per cent and 35 per cent on 2017 (16 seal culls) and 2016 (17 seal culls) respectively.