Grey seal populations have recovered significantly in the North Atlantic, but individual welfare is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, conflict-driven culling, and disturbance of breeding colonies during pup season.
Grey seal welfare challenges illustrate the complexity of wildlife welfare in contested fisheries environments. Seals shot by fisheries operators die from gunshot wounds that may not be immediately fatal — a welfare harm that often goes unrecorded. Entangled seals may carry ghost gear for weeks to months before being rescued or dying. Breeding colony disturbance is acutely welfare-relevant: a mother separated from her pup during the brief nursing window will not reunite — the pup starves. Organised volunteer disturbance monitoring at major colonies has significantly reduced human intrusion impacts. Seal rescue networks — RNLI seabird and marine mammal responses, British Divers Marine Life Rescue — provide individual welfare support for injured and entangled animals.