Sayers said: “Seals need sleep just as humans do. When their rest is disturbed, they can panic, race across the beach or hurl themselves into the sea, putting them at serious risk of injury.”
The campaign highlights what the trust calls the “hidden costs” of disturbing seals and their natural resting areas.
According to the charity, repeated disruptions may weaken seals’ immune systems, alter hormone levels and reduce their ability to recover between feeding sessions.
Sayers also raised concerns about this year’s seal pup season, describing it as one of the worst on record.
“More than half of the seal pups we have recorded so far this year have died or are dying,” he said.
Sayers added that, before this year, the trust had never recorded seal pups being born in every month of the calendar year. He said the unusual pattern could indicate that climate change is affecting seal breeding seasons.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk