4th November 2004

PRESS RELEASE

9 November 2004

Green Party condemns slaughter of seals and calls on wildlife service to monitor and protect seal population

The Green Party has condemned the killing of over 45 grey seals and their pups which took place on the Blasket Islands last week. It is an offence to hunt and kill seals under the Wildlife Act, 1976.

Green Party Environment spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said today that, "The Green Party strongly condemns the slaughter of grey seals and their pups which took place on the Blasket Islands."

"The Blaskets are one of the main breeding grounds for grey seals, up to 20,000 of which migrate from Scotland annually. These seals are now in serious danger of becoming extinct due to the number of sustained attacks over the years, according to the Irish Seal Sanctuary. Estimates indicate that fewer than 400 grey seals now live on the islands compared to about 2,000 only 50 years ago."

"We are calling for a proper island-wide census to be taken to provide accurate figures for the current seal population in the area. 'Sustainable management' strategies can then be put in place to protect the seals."

"It is important to act quickly to protect and maintain the seal population on the Blaskets. Conservation officers fear that the attacks on Beginish could have wiped out most of this year's pups which if true will have disastrous consequences on the overall seal population level."

ENDS