#MarineWildlife - The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) has lambasted "uninformed calls" for a seal cull along the west coast after a TV report on the loss of fishermen's catch in the Blasket Islands.
The sanctuary's founder and director spoke out after the report on the story by RTÉ News, which follows renewed calls by Kerry South TD Michael Healy-Rae to control protected seal populations in the interest of fishermen's livelihoods.
In a statement, Brendan Price said the ISS was "appalled at the report" on last night's Six One News in which RTÉ was "taken to a hotspot to fish by dated, passive gear [gill nets, which are] unsustainable and extremely damaging, just like drift nets of old."
Price also dismissed claims that seals are taking as much as 60 per cent of the available catch, saying the actual figure is "more like one per cent" of the national catch.
"[Some fishermen] may lose 60 per cent of their catch", Price agreed. But he claimed the real reason for this loss was "fishing by unsustainable method, up under the noses of the seals."
In calling for "balance in this debate" and expressing his group's availability for participation, Price also urged for fairness to the plight of west coast fishing communities, to which he says the ISS has "repeatedly offered help and solutions and is active in their support".
"[Let's] argue for fairer share of national catch, investment, grants, etc for them," he said. "But let's be honest also in stating figures and what they represent and not go shooting the messenger, the relatively harmless seal."
However, while criticising RTÉ's handling of the story, Price went out of his way to acknowledge "the professionalism of the reporter Seán Mac an tSíthigh, with whom I did speak" after the report aired.