Common Seal Welfare: Fishing Gear Entanglement and Mortality

Common seals face entanglement in active and lost fishing gear as a significant welfare and mortality cause in UK and European waters.

Key Facts

Common seals have declined significantly in parts of their UK range over the past 20 years
Entanglement in static fishing gear including creels, nets, and trawl warps causes drowning and injury
Ghost fishing by lost gear continues to entangle and kill seals for years after gear abandonment
Rehabilitation of entangled seals is possible but requires significant resources and expertise
Seals also face welfare impacts from habitat disturbance, pollution, and prey availability changes

Welfare Considerations

Entanglement in fishing gear causes intense suffering: seals that become tangled in nets or ropes may struggle for extended periods before drowning. Sublethal entanglement causes deep lacerations from constricting rope or netting that can cut through to bone, causing infections and potentially fatal injuries even after escape. Seals caught alive in creels and traps face drowning if not quickly released or injury from constriction and struggling. Lost ghost gear that continues to fish long after abandonment represents an unmonitored source of welfare harms. Gear modifications including acoustic deterrents and seal excluder devices can reduce entanglement rates.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for better management of lost fishing gear in UK and European waters
Buy fish from fisheries certified under schemes with low bycatch and entanglement standards
Report any entangled or injured seals to British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Advocate for mandatory gear marking and retrieval requirements to reduce ghost fishing