THE NORTH’S Environment Agency is investigating whether poachers are responsible for a high number of unnatural seal deaths along the Co Down coast.
The agency reported that over a five-month period last year 16 seal carcasses, many of them headless, were recovered from the shores of Co Down, mainly from Strangford Lough, Minerstown and Dundrum Bay. Twelve of them appeared to have died “unnatural deaths”.
Postmortems found evidence of drowning, fractured jaws, and extensive knife cuts. Several had the head cut off and there was also evidence of severe trauma consistent with gunshot wounds or blows from sharp objects, according to the agency.
There are some initial indications that poachers may have been responsible for killing the seals.
Declan Looney, senior wildlife inspector with the agency, said: “Though circumstantial evidence indicates interaction with some form of net in at least two cases, there is no proof that these seal deaths have resulted from legitimate, licensed fishing activity.
“Neither is there evidence linking these deaths to the marine current turbine being trailed in the Strangford Narrows, as this would not inflict the sharp cuts seen.”
DUP Assembly member for Strangford Jonathan Bell said there must be a co-ordinated investigation involving the agency and the police.
