Seals face significant welfare threats from entanglement in fishing gear and from culling programs that remain controversial despite their welfare implications.
Seal welfare exists at a contentious intersection of conservation success, fishery conflict, and animal welfare ethics. The recovery of UK grey seal populations is a conservation success story, but creates genuine conflict with salmon and cod fisheries where seals take significant quantities of fish. The welfare implications of lethal control are acute - shooting seals in or near water often results in wounded animals drowning rather than dying immediately. Non-lethal deterrence using acoustic devices prevents predation but the welfare implications of exposing seals to repeated acoustic harassment are not well-characterized. Entanglement deaths represent welfare emergencies that are largely invisible - affected animals sink and are rarely recovered for examination.