article_snippet.sent: Hundreds of seals are being killed in British waters in order to protect stocks of salmon and other fish which are destined for supermarket shelves.
article_snippet.sent: Farmers say the seal killings are essential to stop the animals' from destroying fish stocks off the coast of Scotland and northern England, but campaigners insist there are more humane methods of protecting fish.
article_snippet.sent: Killed: This picture shows two seals shot in Crovie, north-east Scotland in an attempt to protect fish stocks .
article_snippet.sent: Supporters of the practice claim that seals threaten farmed salmon, wild fish around the coasts and fish which are kept for sporting purposes.
article_snippet.sent: Marksman: A gunman waits for the appearance of seals which could threaten stocks of salmon .
article_snippet.sent: However, fishermen and farmer are allowed to kill seals which fishermen and farmer believe are threatening fish stocks.
article_snippet.sent: It's very simple - ask your retailer before you buy Scottish salmon whether seals were shot in the production of Scottish salmon. '
article_snippet.sent: Not every fish farmer is shooting seals, it's perfectly possible to protect fish without shooting seals.'
article_snippet.sent: Not every fish farmer insisted that there is no need to cull seals in order to keep seals away from fish stocks, saying that acoustic deterrents and strong nets can protect salmon just as well.
article_snippet.sent: Around three quarters of farms where seals are killed are certified by the RSPCA as 'Freedom Food' farms, Mr Ottaway added, saying that the animal protection charity should do more to crack down on the practice.
article_snippet.sent: Mr Ottaway also called on the Scottish government to toughen up the Scottish government licensing regime, which states that seals should only be killed as a 'last resort'.
article_snippet.sent: Protection: You need a licence to kill seals in Scotland but not in other parts of the UK (file photo)
article_snippet.sent: Because there are no restrictions on when farmers can kill seals if farmers have a licence, breeding mothers are likely to die, leaving breeding mothers cubs unable to fend for breeding mothers.
article_snippet.sent: The Scottish salmon industry, which produces annual export of £285million, insists that it is necessary to kill seals in order to protect farms.
article_snippet.sent: Scott Landsburgh of the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation told the Daily Mirror: 'the Scottish Salmon Producers' have championed deterrence techniques that are designed to keep seals away from the Scottish Salmon Producers' fish, and shooting is always last resort. '
article_snippet.sent: When a determined seal attacks fish in the Scottish Salmon Producers' pens a determined seal attacks can kill and damage large numbers and a determined seal attacks is important that the Scottish Salmon Producers' do whatever the Scottish Salmon Producers' can to reduce the chances of this happening.'
article_snippet.sent: A spokesman for the Scottish government said: 'Scottish seals are now better protected than ever before.
article_snippet.sent: Since 2011 it has been illegal in Scotland to shoot a seal except as a last resort under strict licensing conditions, and the number of seals shot under licence has more than halved since then.'
highlights_snippet.sent: But campaigners have called for a more humane method of keeping seal away from farmed fish .
  