A stretch of Kirkcaldy’s shoreline could be designated a safe haven for seals under new legislation.
Rocks near Seafield Tower are regularly used by basking seals and Marine Scotland proposes to make the area a designated ‘haul-out site’ where the creatures can rest, avoid predators or breed.
The Scottish Government is running a consultation on haul-out sites until June 21. Designating areas for the animals has been necessary under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Under the new legislation, recklessly or intentionally harassing a seal at a haul-out site is an offence.
Stuart Bonar, from Fife Council’s ranger service, said designating the Kirkcaldy site was unlikely to have much impact on visitors using the coastal path because the seals did not breed at the site and were used to people.
“I take school groups of 30 noisy kids down there and the seals don’t bother about them at all,” he said. “Both common and greys haul out on those rocks but neither of them breed there.”
However he welcomed the new legislation, adding, “Although seals are used to people in that area, in other areas where they are not used to humans we need to make people aware of how to act when they encounter seals.”
Grey seals have been thriving in the Forth in recent years but common seal populations have been declining. Seal biologist Dave Thompson, from the Seal Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at St Andrews, said common seals, also known as harbour seals, had declined in areas that were already protected under Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designation, such as the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary.
Because they have SAC status, haul-out sites in the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary will automatically be protected by the Marine Act.
He said, “The aim of the act is to prevent deliberate disturbance at any particular site, or prevent repeated disturbance. For example, people could be repeatedly walking their dogs and causing a problem.”
The Kirkcaldy haul-out site is one of 146 across Scotland being considered after being identified by the SMRU using its extensive database.
Cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment Richard Lochhead said, “Scotland’s seals form a unique part of our marine habitats and the Scottish Government has a responsibility to give them appropriate protection. That’s why we intend to designate haul-out sites the essential areas where seal populations need to be safeguarded from harassment.
“This consultation continues the work of Scotland’s first Marine Act, which we have put in place to protect and sustain Scotland’s varied, unique and irreplaceable marine environment.”