{"id":145,"date":"2015-08-06T11:23:40","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T11:23:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/?page_id=145"},"modified":"2026-07-22T14:49:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T13:49:44","slug":"reports-to-scottish-government","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/reports-to-scottish-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine Mammal Scientific Support to Scottish Government"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"569\" src=\"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/07\/image-3-1024x569.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4002\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.7996786288162827;width:315px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"4009\" src=\"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/07\/image-6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4009\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Deploying passive acoustic monitoring buoys in a tidal race<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"1541\" src=\"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/08\/SMRU_Seals_Monica-ARSO_019-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Harbour seals (Monica Arso)\" class=\"wp-image-1541\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harbour seals (Monica Arso)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2015 the Sea Mammal Research Unit started a major new strategic marine mammal research project funded by the Scottish Government. This project is now in it&#8217;s fourth phase, and continues to provide advice to Scottish Ministers and stakeholders across a range of key marine policy areas. Phases 1-3 (2015-2025) included work under the following themes: i) cetacean abundance and distribution, ii) interactions between marine mammals and marine renewable energy, iii) investigation of the harbour seal decline and iv) seal\/fisheries. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current phase (Phase 4: 2025-2028) comprises work under two major themes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pressures faced by marine mammals:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>underwater noise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>health and disease<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seal management issues:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>seal\/salmon interactions <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>seal haul out designations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>seal diet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme also includes the provision of general advice to the Scottish Government on emerging policy and conservation issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent annual reports from this research programme can be found below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2025 annual report (year 1 of Phase 4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2024 annual report (year 5 of Phase 3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2023 annual report (year 4 of Phase 3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other outputs from this programme can be found below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Seals and fisheries interactions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/icesjms\/article\/83\/6\/fsag098\/8700422\">Gillespie, D., Harris, R.N., Sparling, C. (2026), Triggered deterrence of seals from a salmon river using imaging sonar,\u00a0<em>ICES Journal of Marine Science<\/em>, Volume 83, Issue 6, June 2026, fsag098,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icesjms\/fsag098\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icesjms\/fsag098<\/a><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/mms.70035\">Harris, R. N. , A. J. Coram , S. Tapp , and C. E. Sparling . 2025. \u201c <em>How to Deter Seals? A Manually Triggered Acoustic Deterrent Study<\/em>.\u201d <em>Marine Mammal Science<\/em> 41, no. 4: e70035. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/mms.70035. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson et al 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A. Coram, V. Ragnarsson, L. Thomas and C. E. Sparling (2021) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/publications\/use-efficacy-acoustic-deterrent-devices-adds-aquaculture\/\">Aquaculture &#8211; use and efficacy of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs): report to the Scottish Government<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rob\/Isla seal salmon papers <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Marine Renewable Energy:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montabaranom et al (2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montabaranom et al (2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HICUP papers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joe&#8217;s papers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">other reports&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Harbour Seal Decline:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arso-Civil et al <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HAB papers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2015 the Sea Mammal Research Unit started a major new strategic marine mammal research project funded by the Scottish Government. This project is now in it&#8217;s fourth phase, and continues to provide advice to Scottish Ministers and stakeholders across a range of key marine policy areas. Phases 1-3 (2015-2025) included work under the following&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-145","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4022,"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145\/revisions\/4022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biology.st-andrews.ac.uk\/smru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}