The Scottish Government

Scottish Seals Forum

The Scottish Seals Forum (SSF) brings together a wide range of key stakeholders to exchange information and develop a co-ordinated approach to the management of Scottish seal populations.

It held its first meeting on October 23 2002 and subsequently drafted and agreed its own terms of reference which can be found at the following page.

An annual meeting - usually held at the beginning of the year - allows all members to meet and feed into the wider work of the Forum and its working group.

Background

On June 27 2002 the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at St. Andrews University hosted a stakeholder seminar on seals research attended by a wide range of organisations with an interest in seals. Following the seminar, the Scottish Government canvassed views on the merits of setting up a seals group to take forward some of the important issues raised at the seminar. There was broad consensus that such a group would be useful although there was a diversity of views about its purpose.

Membership

Membership of the Scottish Seals Forum includes: Government and its agencies, research bodies, conservation and animal welfare interests, salmon and freshwater fisheries, sea fisheries, fish farming industry and tourist forums.

Minutes of Meetings

The Scottish Seals Forum has met on a regular basis since October 2002:

First Meeting of The Seals Forum held on October 23 2002

Second Seals Forum held on January 30 2003

Third Seals Forum held on May 7 2003

Fourth Seals Forum held on March 11 2004

Fifth Seals Forum held on March 3 2005

Sixth Seals Forum held on March 15 2006

Seventh Seals Forum held on March 2 2007

Eighth Seals Forum held on April 25 2008