Tourism bosses are calling for a halt on marksmen shooting seals from the cliffs above a north-east village, claiming the practice is frightening visitors away.
Locals spoke out after animal rights activists released shocking images of one of the creatures being killed by a gunshot fired from Crovie on the Banffshire coast.
Mike Chandler – chairman of the Fraserburgh Area Tourism Group – said visitors would go elsewhere if they were confronted by people toting firearms in public.
And Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership chairman Roger Goodyear said the slaughter was damaging the area’s reputation for wildlife watchers.
“Given the natural attractions of the area, we’d rather it wasn’t done. We promote ourselves as the dolphin coast after all,” he said.
Campaigners from the Sea Shepherd seal defence team claim to have caught employees from the Scottish Wild Salmon Company (USAN) killing the seal at Crovie on the Banffshire coast.
The firm is licensed to shoot animals harassing its nets, however a volunteer seal defence team have set up camp in the village in an effort to block its operations.
Last night, Mr Chandler said the ongoing controversy was posing a threat to the local tourist economy.
“It’s a concern that people with firearms in public areas will make tourists go elsewhere,” he said.
“I think there’s a concern as well from the tourism point of view that people are shooting seals.”
He said recent images of killer whales spotted near Fraserburgh and Buckie were an example of the wildlife tourism potential of the area.
“Wildlife is a massive draw. If visitors know there are people up here shooting seals, that’s going to put them off coming – there’s no doubt about it,” he said.
Mr Chandler added: “As for the protests, any confrontation is going to be damaging anyway whatever it’s about. There are all sorts of reasons it should stop.”
Mr Goodyear said: “Obviously we are not happy about it. The problem is, if it is being done legally there is nothing we can do except protest the fact we’re not happy about it.
“If they have the force of law behind them then they must equally be pressured to make sure they do it with maximum care and concern.”
Sea Shepherd’s UK operations boss Robert Read said the group was issuing footage of the killing to raise public awareness of the hidden cost of Scottish salmon – “hundreds of Scotland’s seals shot dead under permits issued by Marine Scotland”.
“Seal Permits are issued to wild salmon netting companies and fish farms around Scotland,” he said.
“Seal permit information and statistics is withheld from the public and conservation groups by the government. There is no monitoring of the seal permit holders and the entire system is open to abuse by companies.”
A senior USAN director declined to comment last night.
However, the conservationists’ claims were refuted by officials.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Marine Scotland has published information on seal licences at a regional level since the commencement of the scheme in 2011.
“Regular monitoring ensures the scheme does not adversely affect seal conservation.
“Scottish seals are now better protected than ever before. Since 2011 it has been illegal in Scotland to shoot a seal except as a last resort under strict licensing conditions, and the number of seals shot under licence has more than halved since then.”
The spokesman said the number of seals shot under licence had fallen from 459 in 2011 to 205 in 2014 and that licensees were required to submit returns to Marine Scotland on a quarterly basis.