SOS for Sammy Seal, the salmon stealer

SAMMY the seal was something of a curiosity when he first arrived in the river Annan, but his presence soon caused consternation as he started tucking into the local salmon.

Fisheries officials tried everything from banging dustbin lids to shooting into the water to chase the grey seal away.

But their decision to shoot the pup if more humane efforts to remove him fail have created a rift between residents of Annan, in Dumfries and Galloway, who have grown attached to the seal, and the local fisheries board, which says he is endangering vital fish stocks.

"This is a serious issue," said Nick Chisholm, Annan Fisheries Board's environment manager. "The levels of spring salmon are critically low and it's these that Sammy has been eating.

"There was a time when we would have 400 to 500 spring salmon caught in the Annan, but last year just one or two were landed.

"We're not saying that Sammy has eaten all of this fish, but his presence is not helpful, and it's an unnatural pressure in the river. This a conservation issue, it's about maintaining the biodiversity of the river."

Such is his exasperation that Mr Chisholm has secured a licence to shoot Sammy.

"We have tried everything we can to chase the seal out of the river: banging dustbin lids together, throwing rocks into the water, shooting at the water around him, just to try to frighten him away," he said.

"None of them has worked, he goes away, then comes straight back the next day. One of the problems is that Sammy is so young. He's become humanised and doesn't have any fear of people.

However, his daring behaviour has made Sammy a local celebrity, and crowds of people have been visiting the Annan since Christmas hoping to catch sight of him.

Jane Summers, a local resident, said the town was firmly on the seal's side.

"The locals love Sammy, but the fishermen don't. He's such a character, he shows no fear with humans. It's something I don't think we've seen here before.

"I've heard that the fisheries want to have him shot, but I can tell you that the town won't let that happen."

Throughout yesterday, visitors and locals gathered by the banks of the Annan to try to spot the seal and show their support for him. It is the second time in as many weeks that a sea mammal has provoked the concern of the public - a whale which got lost in the River Thames on its way to the Atlantic died on 21 January, despite the best efforts of rescuers.

One pair of elderly women said that once it had got about that the bailiffs were planning to have Sammy shot, people had been coming down to the river to ensure his safety. They also said that locals were feeding him.

Mr Chisholm admitted that the seal's star status had made his job doubly difficult.

"Seals look very attractive and cuddly, and this is a big factor in trying to find a humane way of catching him, which I hope we do," he said.

"But from a conservation point of view, we've got to consider the spring salmon's needs, which are far greater."

As a last resort to try to remove Sammy from the river humanely, the board yesterday brought in Jamie Dyer from the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary in Oban to net the mischievous pup.

"Grey seals are incredibly strong and clever, so they're extremely hard to catch, and they are quick to learn how to avoid you," he said.

"There have been some hysterical claims that he's eating 70 fish a day, but he's just small, so it's likely just to be five or six. Given long enough, he would definitely leave the river of his own accord to return to his original natal ground.

"But given that there's a plentiful supply of his favourite food here, that's not going to happen yet."

But even with a death sentence on his head, Sammy continued to be sighted up and down the river yesterday, only to vanish, Scarlet Pimpernel-like, before his pursuers could reach him.