Epping Forest MP and Shadow DEFRA Minister Dr Neil Hudson has welcomed the publication of Wildlife and Countryside Link's landmark new report, Hidden in the Haul: The True Scale of Bycatch, attending its parliamentary launch where he met with representatives from the organisation and Sue Sayer MBE, Founder and Director of the Seal Research Trust.
Bycatch is the accidental capture of non‑target species in commercial fishing, and it continues to drive population decline and suffering among marine wildlife. The findings reveal thousands of seabirds, more than 1,000 whales and dolphins, and hundreds of seals are killed each year in UK waters. Protected and endangered species, including humpback whales, razorbills and seals, are among those most acutely at risk.
As a veterinary surgeon and long-standing champion of animal welfare, Dr Hudson has played a leading role in Parliament on this issue. He instigated the previous Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee's inquiry into marine mammals, which recommended extending the Wildlife and Countryside Act to protect more species and expanding the use of technology to prevent bycatch incidents. He has also called on the UK to use its international influence to challenge harmful practices such as commercial whaling.
Separately, Dr Hudson attended an event with the UK Seal Alliance to learn more about their Flying Rings Campaign, which highlights the serious danger posed to seals by plastic flying rings. Flying rings are items sold widely across the country and used like frisbees. Lightweight and highly durable, these rings can persist in the marine environment for hundreds of years. Seals, naturally inquisitive animals, are drawn to investigate them, but what begins as play can quickly become fatal when a ring becomes lodged around their neck, causing injury, infection and death. UK Seal Alliance are currently working with retailers and suppliers to try to encourage the Government to stop the import and sale of flying rings in the UK.
Epping Forest MP and Shadow DEFRA Minister, Dr Neil Hudson MP, said:
"As a vet, I have seen first-hand the suffering that humans can inflict on animals, often without ever intending to. That is exactly what we are seeing with bycatch and with flying rings: preventable harm on a devastating scale.
"We need stronger legal protections, greater use of technology to reduce bycatch, and a crackdown on the plastic items that are injuring and killing our seals."
