On 14 February, British Divers Marine Life Rescue received a call via the Hotline reporting a young grey seal pup hauled out on the beach at Gullane in Edinburgh, heavily entangled in green trawl netting.
Entanglement in marine debris presents a serious and often life-threatening risk to seals around the UK coastline. In many cases, animals may panic when approached and attempt to flee back to the sea, meaning an opportunity to safely intervene can be lost. Potentially condemning them to a slow decline as the material tightens over time.
Marine Mammal Medics were tasked to attend the incident urgently and, upon arrival, successfully caught the pup to allow for a full assessment. The netting was tightly wrapped around the seal’s neck and torso, with both foreflippers trapped against the body. In this state, the animal would have been unable to remove the material independently, with the constriction likely to worsen as the pup grew.
Fortunately, although the netting was tight, it had not yet cut into the seal’s skin. This meant that the material could be removed on site; however, disentanglement must be carried out with care by trained responders. Rapidly releasing constrictive materials without appropriate assessment can result in complications such as shock caused by the sudden return of blood flow to previously compressed tissue. Seals also can deliver a nasty bite, which requires specific antibiotics to prevent infection of the bacteria they can carry.
Following careful removal of the netting, the seal was successfully freed back on to the beach. The feisty pup promptly returned to the water and moved away to a quieter section of coastline, now free from the entanglement that would otherwise have posed an increasing threat to its health and survival.
Incidents such as this highlight the ongoing risks posed by lost or discarded fishing gear in the marine environment. These rescues are often time-critical and rely on the availability of our trained volunteer Marine Mammal Medics, appropriate equipment to help, veterinary treatment, and the resources required to respond quickly when reports are received.
Support from the public directly helps BDMLR to continue responding to emergencies exactly like this, ensuring that entangled animals have the best possible chance of returning safely to the wild. Support rescues such as this one directly via our JustGiving: justgiving.com/charity/Bdmlr
Photos by Lou Washington
