Campaigners based in a north-east village have made a fresh call for seal shooting licences to be rescinded.
Sea Shepherd UK made the plea just days after the Scottish Government announced it would reveal which companies were shooting the animals where they are believed to be eating valuable salmon stocks.
The decision was made amid growing unrest at Gardenstown, where activists from Sea Shepherd have been based since last year.
A shot seal was found floating in the water within view of Crovie’s beach earlier this month and was taken ashore by volunteers who claimed holidaymakers were left “shocked” by the sight of it.
The Scottish Wild Salmon Company (Usan) has been granted a licence to shoot seals which interfere with its nets.
Sea Shepherd’s chief operations officer, Robert Read, said: “Seals are still being shot and, although we are glad some transparency is finally happening, the current system is fatally flawed.
“For that reason, all current seal shooting permits should be withdrawn by Marine Scotland and no future applications for permits be allowed.
“Under the terms of the seal permits, the shooting of seals should always have been a last resort when all non-lethal methods have been tried and have failed.
“This simply has not been the case with netting companies investing in very few acoustic deterrents.
“For example, at Gamrie Bay, over miles of coastline, Usan currently have installed just one acoustic deterrent on just one net near Crovie.
“Another acoustic deterrent unit sits on the concrete within their compound at Gardenstown and has barely been used for more than a few weeks of this netting season.
Police were called after the most recent reported incident of a seal being shot at Crovie.
Officers found no evidence of any illegal activities and the force later confirmed Usan was not under investigation.
Last night, George Pullar, a director of Usan, said he would not comment on Sea Shepherd’s claims.
Previously, he had said his firm would make arrangements to remove any dead seal washed ashore if he was contacted.
“If we know it is there, we will get it removed,” he said.