Peterborough angling club claims victory in row with RSPCA over seals in city

An angling club in Peterborough has claimed victory in a row with the RSPCA about seals in the city.

Peterborough & District Angling Association (P&DAA) have called for the animal charity to stop releasing seals that have been cared for at the East Winch centre at Sutton Bridge.

Upon release, some of the seals have swam up the Nene, and made their homes in Peterborough – which the P&DAA say is having a devastating impact on the eco-system, as thousands of fish are devoured by the mammals.

Seals have been spotted in the River Nene in the city centre, and this week at Ferry Meadows park.

Now the RSPCA have put a temporary stop to releasing the seals at the site – a move that has been welcomed by the association. However, they are now calling for further action.

‘We want to see the seals that have come to Peterborough moved to a more suitable home’

Rob Harris, chairman of the P&DAA said: “We do see it as a victory - from 'just' an angling club to get this, after such a long period of time.

"We have had to be determined, and put across a strong case, and do it in the right way.

"We are not trying to argue against seals, but we want them to be in the right place.

"We are now looking at the long term - at the moment it (the pause in releasing the seals from the site) is just a temporary suspension - we want to see it become permanent.

"We also want to see the seals that have come into Peterborough moved to a more suitable home.

"We have had reports that some fish breeding grounds in the area have zero adult fish because of the impact of the seals. They are having an impact on the whole eco-system - birds, fish, small mammals."

‘We’re proud of the work we do in rehabilitating seals at our specialist wildlife centres’

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “The RSPCA is here for every kind of animal, through rescue, advocacy and prevention and we’re proud of the work we do in rehabilitating seals at our specialist wildlife centres. Releasing a seal into the wild is an important and rewarding part of rehabilitation which can often take many months. Our rehabilitation work and releases have been developed with scientific evidence. We always take great care when we release seals in order to give them the best chance at surviving in the wild, however given the concerns, we have paused releases in this location while we gather further data and evidence and consult with partners.”

Further meetings between the P&DAA and the RSPCA on the matter are now planned to take place.

The RSPCA have also given advice on what to do if you see a seal in Peterborough.

They said: “We would ask the public to not get close to seals in order to take pictures or even selfies with them.

"Seals are strong, powerful wild animals and have a very nasty bite which can cause horrible wounds.

"Feeding them should be avoided, and please be vigilant when walking dogs.”