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IN THE PAST two weeks a number of incidents have highlighted the plight of seals who reside in the coastal waters of Ireland.
Two separate Garda investigations have been launched after a horrific find at the gates of the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary in Co Kerry on Thursday, 7 June and a shooting in Cork just days later.
At the Kerry sanctuary, workers were shocked when they discovered two seals’ heads had been nailed to plywood and then screwed onto the sign at the gate of the centre. Written on the signs in red paint were the messages “RIP CULL” and “RIP I AM HUNGRY”.
Just days after the gruesome incident, two kayakers at Knockadoon Head in east Cork discovered two seals who had just been shot. “Sickened to the core” by the incident, the husband and wife who reside in the locality, reported the shooting to the Gardaí.
Gardaí in Youghal have said their investigations into the incident are ongoing.
On Tuesday, two separate seal deaths were called in to the Dingle Seal Sanctuary. One by Galway County Council was probably a natural occurrence but another headless seal was found at Whiting Bay in Waterford.
Sarah Harmon from the Dingle Seal Sanctuary said the decapitated seal signalled suspicious activity.
Last February, three seals were found over a two-day period washed up at Tramore beach with apparent gun shot wounds to the head.
“There has been a swing in activity in recent months,” says Johnny Woodlock of the Dingle Seal Sanctuary. “Many of the seals found dead have apparent gun shot wounds but it is difficult to say this definitively without an autopsy.”
They have obviously been shot inhumanely and we condemn this fully.
The National Park and Wildlife Service (NPWS), however, told TheJournal.ie that is has not noticed an increase in alleged illegal killing of seals off the coast of Kerry and Cork.
“The problem is that there is nobody keeping records of dead seals washing up on beaches,” explained Woodlock. “That data simply doesn’t exist but we have now started to keep records.”
The NPWS is currently undertaking a survey of seal numbers in the coastal areas, including the surrounds of the Blasket Islands, but exact figures have yet to be finalised.
The data collection comes after some calls from the fishing industry for a cull on seals because of what some say are increased numbers which deplete stocks.
Despite calls from a number of individual fishermen and politicians, the Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation told TheJournal.ie that it has never requested a cull.
The group continues to work with various vested interests and protection organisations and chairman Francis O’Donnell, who is also an ecologist, noted that seals are an important part of the eco-system.
He says that scientific analysis needs to be carried out by experts to assess if seal populations are depleting fish stocks.
Depending on recommendations from those scientists, an open dialogue about the management of seals should begin, added O’Donnell. “It might be prudent to begin management but it may not be so we can’t just target seals without a scientific report.”
Although he is aware of complaints from fishermen that they are “losing fish to seals”, O’Donnell, who is also a spokesperson for the Federation of Irish Fishermen, said there is no evidence that any recent killings are linked to the industry.
Commenting on the incidents in Kerry last week, he said they were acts of “illegal and criminal activities”.
Nobody would condone such actions. It does no good for anyone.
Currently, fishermen can apply for a license from the NPWS to carry out authorised shootings of seals.
Woodlock believes such licenses ensure that deaths are managed in a humane way. The Irish Seal Sanctuary continues to work with fishermen’s organisations in an attempt to resolve conflicts between fishermen and seals. It has never opposed the properly licensed killing of individual seals, carried out in the authorised manner.
However, Woodlock remains adamant that seals don’t actually take “fish from the nets of fishermen”. Although his sanctuary has never opposed an official cull, it sees “no need for one”.
“Internationally, culls have never improved the stock of fish,” added Woodlock.
The practice of seal culls around the world consistently raise tensions among politicians, animal welfare activists and fishermen. Just last month, PETA in Canada had an advertisement against the annual seal cull banned by the broadcasting watchdog for its graphic imagery.
Last March, the Scottish government gave the go-ahead to a cull up to 1,300 seals despite the protestations of the Seal Protection Action Group.
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Helen mc enree & a very sensible positive idea in the same sentence? Is it April 1sr already?
@Mary Linton: You would think if a pilot kept on crashing planes, they’d be sacked, but the same ineptitude is fine in politics, apparently!
@Mary Linton: I know right? I thought DOGE were cutting all this.
@Louis Jacob: Apologies, lost me there….. isn’t DOGE an American financial accountability department?
@Mary Linton: you’re a bore
Seems reasonable.
@Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: you obviously don’t havw school going children . These children need massive supports some are non verbal some very verbal so putting in a student. Teacher is like letting a trainee electrician loose to rewire a hole house . No experience .
@Karen Marten: if alternative is no teacher, then put the kids first. Cop on.
@Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: you have no cop on how would you .
@Karen Marten: are u a parent. I doubt it you know nothing.
@Karen Marten: I don’t think theyre asking the trainee teachers to run the school either. The point is to train teachers withing the special school setting. Can’t see any issue with this.
@Mindful Muinteoir: When I taught deaf and special needs children trainee teachers would spend time in the classroom with us. This showed them how we sometimes have to adapt our teaching to include all children equally. It also gave them an insight into what being a SEN teacher requires should they wish to go down that path.
@Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: So you don’t believe that children with special needs deserve to have teachers who are specifically trained to teach these children and to meet their needs? Shameful!!
@Mindful Muinteoir: Wow, how about they get primary school teachers to start lecturing in third level institutions? And don’t tell me that’s not the same thing, it is.
@Ann Reddin: Steady up. It’s placement as part of their studies and they would be supervised by qualified teachers at all times. Experience is the best way to learn anything. This is a positive step
Anything Master minded by this silly woman, is bound to be a disaster!
@Brian Hunt: Play the ball Brian.
It’s a great idea.
They’re already doing it so makes sense.
Any measure that will address the early intervention for those with Special Needs in schools must be welcomed
Great idea, but unions won’t allow it as they’ll put teachers first as usual.
@Allo Allo: unfair.
@Allo Allo: you obviously did’nt bother to read the article. The INTO came up with this idea first, you gobdaw.
‘Something something… teachers bad’ and so on
@Allo Allo: how is it a great idea these trainee teachers can barely teach mainstream kids my child is in 6th class a crucial year a a newly grad teacher was put to them be more suited with junior or senior infants. So how is it a good idea to do the same with special need kids. No no plenty of years of experience is needed for that type of teaching
And where are these people being forced into these positions going to live?
Pay them properly so they decide to stay in Ireland and after turning the masters in education into a cash cow students spend €10000 to qualify
I agree with this. I only said something similar a few weeks ago. Main stream teachers just think 1 way and that’s all kids are the same when that’s not the case. I’ve seen it so many times and it’s annoying.
@darren guthrie: absolute nonsense statement
have your say