Two fishermen from the island of Rügen will stand trial in Stralsund, facing charges over the death of at least five protected grey seals. The men, aged 43 and 66, have objected to penal orders that would have fined them the equivalent of three months' salary for violating Germany's Animal Welfare Act. The prosecution accuses them of failing to take any preventive measures, despite allegedly observing during regular checks how seals entered their floating traps and suffocated there. A date for the main trial has not yet been set.
Trial Over Seal Deaths
Two fishermen from Rügen will stand trial at the Stralsund District Court in connection with the death of at least five grey seals, which occurred in the autumn of 2024 near the Thiessower Haken headland. They are accused of violating the Animal Welfare Act.
Objection to Penal Orders
The accused objected to previously issued penal orders, which imposed on each of them a fine equivalent to three months' salary. This results in the necessity of conducting a regular court trial.
Prosecution's Allegations
According to the prosecutors, the fishermen were fishing using floating traps and, despite regular checks during which they allegedly observed how protected seals entered the traps and suffocated, they took no protective actions, thereby consciously accepting the death of the animals.
Status of the Grey Seal
The grey seal (also known as the Atlantic grey seal) is a strictly protected species in Germany. Its population in the Baltic Sea is recovering after historical hunting, but it still faces pressure from fisheries and environmental changes.
The Stralsund District Court will hear a case concerning the death of at least five protected grey seals, which occurred in the autumn of 2024 in the coastal waters of the island of Rügen. The accused are two local fishermen aged 43 and 66. The Stralsund Public Prosecutor's Office alleges that while fishing using floating traps near the Thiessower Haken headland, they failed to take legally required preventive measures to protect the seals. The men allegedly observed during routine checks how the animals entered their fishing gear in search of fish and suffocated there. The death of the protected mammals is said to have been consciously accepted by them. The grey seal, the largest seal species in the Baltic Sea, was massively hunted in the region until the 1970s, leading to a drastic decline in its population. Since the introduction of strict species protection in many countries, including Germany, its numbers have been slowly recovering, though it remains a concern for environmentalists. Conflicts with fisheries, concerning both competition for fish resources and accidental bycatch, remain a challenge for the species' conservation. Previously, the prosecution issued penal orders, imposing on each fisherman a fine equivalent to three of their monthly salaries for violating paragraph 17 of the German Animal Welfare Act. This charge relates to causing significant pain, suffering, or harm to animals without reasonable justification. The accused did not accept these orders and filed an objection, which automatically means the case must be resolved through a regular trial. As a court spokesperson informed, a date for the main trial has not yet been set. The case has attracted media attention, including from National Geographic, which previously reported on the autopsies of the dead seals. „Damit hätten sie den Tod der Tiere 'zumindest billigend in Kauf genommen'” (Thereby, they had 'at least tacitly accepted' the death of the animals.) — Stralsund Public Prosecutor's OfficeAll four analyzed German press sources – Berliner Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, DIE WELT, and ZEIT ONLINE – provide consistent information regarding the basic facts: the number of accused, the amount of the proposed fines, the nature of the charges, and the lack of a set trial date. The reports differ only slightly in style and level of detail; Berliner Zeitung is the only one to precisely locate the incident site (Thiessower Haken) and mention National Geographic's reports. The case is an example of the growing legal sensitivity towards incidents harming populations of protected marine species, especially when they occur in connection with economic activity.