Callan Duck, a senior research scientist from St Andrews University's sea mammal research unit, welcomes the legislation that preserves the creatures in local waters.
Although the move may anger some in fishing and other marine circles, ecologists have welcomed the measures.

Duck said, "The laws that have been introduced are quite tight when previously licenses were not required. The Tay and the Eden are slightly unusual as they are subject to a conservation order from January 2007.

"This new scheme states that people required to shoot seals can apply for a licence if justified. They put in an application for a certain number. This is scrutinised on the effect of local populations, trends and other applications. Then a number will be allocated."

A  2004 scheme in Moray using restrictions similar to those put in place on Monday saw the number of seals culled fall by around 90%.

With numbers of common "harbour" seals in the Tay thought to have dropped by more than 80% since 2003, the legislation could help to swell their numbers around the coastline of Fife and Tayside.

Licences essential

However, while acknowledging that this may not please everyone, Mr Duck added that the introduction of licences was essential to preserving seal numbers and will play a role in determining how healthy the population figures are.

He added, "This will give us an estimate of the number of seals being shot as we've never previously had those figures and there was no obligation to record shot seals in the past.

"This is a much smarter way of making people who shoot seals think about what they shoot. It's also better for the seal population.

"People who would shoot willy-nilly will have to realise that times have changed. Marine Scotland has to be congratulated for getting this as right as it can."

As well as introducing licensing for the culling of the mammals, a number of seal conservation areas will also be introduced around Scottish coastal waters.