Industry says shooting marine animals is justified.

Animal rights campaigners claim the Scottish salmon farming industry is “dripping in blood” as details of which farms shoot seals was published.

Activists had been pushing for release of the data for years – but it was resisted over fears firms and individuals could become the target of protests and reprisals

However, the Scottish Information Commissioner ordered the Scottish Government to reveal which firms it issues licences to destroy common and grey seals to.

Figures show there were 176 seals killed in the past two years - 95 in 2013 and 81 last year - but the numbers shot have declined steadily since 2011.

The majority of seals were shot at farms owned by Scottish Sea Farms (58), Hjaltland Sea Farms (38) and The Scottish Salmon Company (23) during the two-year period.

Anyone who buys salmon should refuse to pay for fish reared or trapped at the cost of seals’ lives

All of the farms carrying out lethal control of seals are on the west coast, the Western Isles, the Orkneys and the Shetlands.

The salmon farming industry says some controls are necessary to protect stocks from attacks by the marine predators.

However, campaigners say the practice is cruel and that consumers have a right to know which companies practice shooting.

Don Staniford, of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, is the main mover behind the release of the figures, having placed Freedom of Information requests.

He said: "Scottish salmon is dripping with the blood of dozens of seals.

"Salmon farmers may be armed with guns but the public has an even more powerful weapon - Freedom of Information.

"The process of naming and shaming has forced the industry to reduce the killing of seals. People-power can eventually force a complete ceasefire and bring the figures down to zero."

Libby Anderson of animal welfare charity OneKind said: "Anyone who buys salmon should refuse to pay for fish reared or trapped at the cost of seals’ lives.”

Scott Landsburgh of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation said: “The Scottish Government licenses fishermen, netting stations and fish farmers to shoot seals to protect fish in the event that other methods to deter them are unsuccessful.

“A very small number of seals can be persistent killers, resulting in the slow and painful deaths of thousands of fish.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The level of seal shooting has reduced by 56% overall between 2011 and 2014 and in fish farms specifically has reduced by 66% in the same period.

"All fish farms which have applied for a seal licence already employ at least one, and many a range of, non-lethal alternatives, with shooting to be used only as a last resort.

"There are a range of views on the effectiveness of the various non-lethal measures and none have, to-date, entirely eliminated the risk of seal predation.

"There are also restrictions on the use of some non-lethal measures, including anti-predator nets and acoustic deterrents, as a result of their potential impact on other marine species.”