Mary Tester, a marine life rescue medic who previously saved Freddie the seal along the bank of the Thames in London, has helped to attract government support for the seal protection bill. The bill, which was read in parliament on the 9th of February has garnered the attention of the government, allowing for the bill to finally move one step closer to making seal harassment illegal across the UK.
After rescuing Freddie the seal, who was attacked by a dog in south-west London, Mary decided to conduct some research into protections for seals, to see if there were any in place. However, much to her surprise, she found that there were no laws that were protecting seals from this kind of harm. She also discovered that these types of incidents were on the rise, much to her dismay.
This revelation sprung her into action, as she launched a government campaign that aimed to protect innocent seals from this type of harm. The bill has now been put forward to the next stage, which means that it could potentially become a law.
This admirable achievement is just a small part of a bigger picture that is being pushed by The Seal Alliance, a group of smaller organisations from around the country who are actively advocating for the protection and safety of marine animals.