Grey and common seals haul out on beaches and rocky shores to rest, moult, and pup, but human disturbance during these critical periods causes welfare harm and reproductive failure.
Seal disturbance causes real welfare harm - not just temporary inconvenience but potentially fatal pup-mother separation, energetic stress from repeated haul-out disruptions, and injury from panicked escape responses on rocky terrain. The most welfare-relevant public behaviour change is straightforward: keeping dogs under control and maintaining respectful distance from hauled-out seals, particularly during pupping season. Seal watching tourism can be managed to provide welfare-compatible wildlife experiences; the key is distance maintained voluntarily or through site management. Reporting welfare concerns to BDMLR connects individuals to professional welfare response.