Grey seals give birth in autumn at traditional pupping beaches where human disturbance and entanglement remain significant welfare concerns for mothers and pups.
Grey seal welfare at pupping beaches is directly threatened by human disturbance. Mother seals disturbed at or near birth are more likely to abandon their pups, leaving dependent neonates unable to survive without supplementary feeding. Repeated flushing of mothers by curious visitors prevents adequate nursing and bonding. Pups abandoned due to disturbance face starvation unless found and treated by wildlife rehabilitators. Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris causes constriction injuries, wound infections, and drowning. Wildlife rehabilitation centres treat hundreds of grey seal pups annually, the majority requiring care due to starvation from mother-pup separation caused by human disturbance. The welfare case for strict visitor exclusion zones at pupping beaches is overwhelming.