§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they check on a regular basis that the killing of grey seals at salmon nets under licence is carried out in the prescribed manner under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, and, if so, what action is taken if illegal methods such as clubbing are used by fishermen, and how many prosecutions there have been in the last five years.
§ Lord EltonCopies of licences issued under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, in which the permitted means of killing or taking seals are specified, are sent to the appropriate chief officers of police, who have the power, under the Act to arrest any person suspected of using a prohibited method. It is for individual forces to decide what checks are needed to ensure that the provisions of the licences are observed.
916WARecords available to us, which may be incomplete and which cover England and Wales only, show that no prosecutions were brought under the Act in the period 1978–1982.