It’s been a hectic start to 2010 at the Advocates for Animals office with passage of the Marine (Scotland) Bill last week. The Scottish Parliament discussed a number of amendments to the Bill that would make sure seals get the protection they deserve.

If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, visiting our website, following us on Twitter or on Facebook then you’re sure to know all about the LOOK OUT for SEALS campaign.

For nearly two years we have been lobbying Ministers, MSPs and Parliamentary Committees urging them to provide better protection for Scotland’s seals. We’ve held events up and down the country rallying support for the campaign and we’ve had the support of a number of high-profile celebs, such as Queen rock legend Brian May and TV naturalist Chris Packham, who have helped the campaign immensely.

Support for the campaign has been simply amazing. In just a matter of days, in the lead up to the vote, more than 21,000 emails were been sent by you – our supporters – asking MSPs to support the aforementioned amendments. And those 21,000 emails made a huge impact because under the new Marine (Scotland) Bill, seals in Scottish waters have been granted better legal protection than ever before. This is a fantastic achievement and you can read more about what the Bill means for seals here.

The LOOK OUT for SEALS campaign is the perfect example of what can be achieved when people work side by side. Whether you watched Bonnie’s Tale, signed the pledge, emailed your MSPs or simply told a friend about the plight of Scottish seals, you can be sure you played a part in achieving greater protection for seals. In today’s society, the amount of change you can effect is no longer directly correlated to the amount of money you have. Nor is it related to your position in society. Already today and increasingly tomorrow, people coming together in groups, communities and networks, are achieving exponential and societal change.

The essence of OneKind.