News & Politics - Inhumane Massive Seal Hunt

TheMovieGrrl · 09-01-2005, 03:55 AM

Hi everyone. I wanted to start this thread because I never knew of the inhumane Canadian Massive Seal Hunt.

What's the gist you say? What's the big deal?

Here is an excerpt from the Protect Seals website.

Quote:

The Canadian seal hunt is the largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals on the planet. This was true even before the Canadian government announced that it would allow fishermen to kill 975,000 harp seals off Newfoundland and Labrador between 2003 and 2006. Despite scientific evidence that such a high quota is unsustainable, the government claims the hunt will not harm seal populations. To make matters worse, it's doubtful that the Canadian government will even enforce the quota should sealers exceed it. After all, officials have turned a blind eye when sealers have exceeded quotas in the past.
The hunt targets very young seals. The Canadian government's own figures show that 96.6% of the reported 286,238 seals killed during the 2002–2003 hunt were between 12 days to 12 weeks old. These seals were most likely beaten to death with a club or a large ice-pick-like hakapik. Later in the season, hunters use rifles.

An alarming number of the seals are skinned while alive and responsive to pain. Recently, an independent, international team of veterinarians observed the hunt and examined the corpses of skinned seals. They found evidence that up to 40% of them had skull injuries that were not sufficient to have caused death.

Many Canadians—as well as citizens of other nations—are appalled by the brutality and unsustainability of this pointless hunt. And they don't believe the claims by the Canadian government that the hunt is necessary to protect the region's crashing fish populations, which have been devastated by many years of industrial fishing. These people want the Canadian government to stop not only promoting the hunt, but also helping out the seal fur, meat, and oil industries.

The 2003–2004 hunt was met with massive protest. It wasn't only the number of seals killed—the current, incomplete, count is 321,199—but also the rampant brutality exhibited even while sealers knew observers were both watching and videotaping. The video footage and still photographs were seen around the world, hardening opposition to the hunt. Politicians in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations have joined citizens in pressuring Canada to do the decent thing and end this barbaric and wasteful hunt.

For more information, you should check out the following links

Chain of other Resources:
http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/p...s_network.html
Humane Society of the United States:
http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/protect_seals/

(a narration about the cause and the reason for the campaign)
http://www.hsus2.org/slideshow-seal-hunt/sealhunt.html

I guess my main goal and objective about this thread concerns the question of change. If there is more of an awareness of the inhumane treatment of these animals will it have an affect on the Canadian government's policies?

I read for a fact that Seal Hunt was re-instated in 1996 after approximately 10 year official ban.

For me, what makes me motivated to spread the word is just the pointlessness of it all. Murdering seal pups, and clobbering them to deat? Leaving seals less than 12 days old to drown in their own blood? I mean when a society allows such violence on innocent baby animals go unaccounted for, there seems to be a loss in faith towards the goodwill within people....

*Natalie* · 09-01-2005, 04:51 AM

This TICKS me off! I have NO sympathy for people who do this kind of crap to animals.

*sighs*

Drekkan · 09-01-2005, 05:18 AM

While there are problems with the method they're using, and possibly the governments numbers, seal hunts - like most other hunts - is necessary for controlling the seal population. Too frequently people attack hunters/fur makers for being cruel when, if anything, they've become a necessary part of the eco-cycle.

One great example of this is happening in the territories. For years the Inuit survived by trapping and selling furs. Then a bunch of bleeding hearts attacked everyone who wore fur and hurt the market. This caused massive unemployment in Inuit communities. They needed money - so they sold land rights to oil/mineral/gas drilling/mining companies; all of whom did damage to the ecosystem. Then there's the other effects:

-Fur traps had routinely trapped timber wolves. Without the traps, the wolf population skyrocketed and ended up unbalancing the system.
-Inuit trappers had been able to warn the government of illegal mining/logging - which would have dampened their trapping grounds. Now, they have no incentive to do so.
-They could warn the government when their military training flights were startling and damaging herds of animals, mainly caribou.

Yes, we do need to do more - but remember the lessons of the Inuit and the fur. If you go too far, stop the hunts completely, then you do run into massive problems. What is needed is an independent scientific/ecological board to review the situation and come up with a number free of political pressure. This then has to be enforced with to the governments upmost ability.

*Natalie* · 09-01-2005, 05:45 AM

This report infuriates my animal-loving side, but I do know that there's only so much that I can do personally. *sighs*

TheMovieGrrl · 09-01-2005, 06:35 PM

You know, normally, I completely agree that there IS a difference between the curltural/traditional aspects of "hunting", and the idea of keeping excessive number of seal population down.

And trust me, I've been the extremist animal activist, but after reading a lot of articles on the subject, as well as visiting the various organization site have decided to take a stance on the subject.

As in any situation there are alternative measures and methods. How profitable is seal hunting? Most of the hunters who do pursue the seal hunt have a primary source in fisheries.

Yes, there are extremists in any debate, and often in the position of animal activists there is the stereotype as well of "crazy hippies" throwing red paint at fashion shows, etc. But that is as unfair as judging every hunter or gamer as ignorant and cruel.
But I ALSO think that too often people make the easy excuse of "oh it's for the enviornmental reasons". Seriously, is clubbing seals the only measure of controlling the population?

Yes, for some it is a necessity. But the question becomes...
"what are the alternative ways of dealing with the situation?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drekkan

While there are problems with the method they're using, and possibly the governments numbers, seal hunts - like most other hunts - is necessary for controlling the seal population. Too frequently people attack hunters/fur makers for being cruel when, if anything, they've become a necessary part of the eco-cycle.

One great example of this is happening in the territories. For years the Inuit survived by trapping and selling furs. Then a bunch of bleeding hearts attacked everyone who wore fur and hurt the market. This caused massive unemployment in Inuit communities. They needed money - so they sold land rights to oil/mineral/gas drilling/mining companies; all of whom did damage to the ecosystem. Then there's the other effects:

-Fur traps had routinely trapped timber wolves. Without the traps, the wolf population skyrocketed and ended up unbalancing the system.
-Inuit trappers had been able to warn the government of illegal mining/logging - which would have dampened their trapping grounds. Now, they have no incentive to do so.
-They could warn the government when their military training flights were startling and damaging herds of animals, mainly caribou.

Yes, we do need to do more - but remember the lessons of the Inuit and the fur. If you go too far, stop the hunts completely, then you do run into massive problems. What is needed is an independent scientific/ecological board to review the situation and come up with a number free of political pressure. This then has to be enforced with to the governments upmost ability.

TrepeGroupie4 · 09-05-2005, 09:25 AM

Maybe the seal population needs to be controlled, but surely there's a more humane way of doing so than brutally beating them to death.

In Fair Verona · 09-05-2005, 10:01 AM

I did a project on this for speech class. The things I learned and the visuals I saw were really quite sickening. I wouldn't really say I'm an animal person, however seeing humans participate in this sort of action is appalling.

There has to be a more humane way to do this. I understand that it is necessary for the economy but whenever I think about that it always reminds me of something, of how it is impossible for humans to live with other creatures in the world. We have to end their lives for the success of our own. It's sort of sad when you think about it that way, but I understand, you do what you have to do. I just wish there was an easier way. We go out of our way to find more humane ways of punishment and the death penalty, etc, surely we can figure out a way to do it here... Again, I say that this is understandable but we really do put ourselves on a pedestal above all other creatures.

86amanda86 · 09-15-2005, 09:12 PM

I wish they wouldn't do this. I really have a soft spot for animals. It's bad enough to skin a seal, but to do it while it is alive is dispicable. Why do they have to kill them anyway. It's like the people who hunt whales, it not as though it is their only available food source....People need to be more careful, and more appreciative of the beauty of the world around us, especially the world of animals.

SMG_fan · 09-19-2005, 11:50 PM

The world got along fine without hunting animals before humans arrived, humans are the cause of most of the worlds problems these days. Maybe when we start running out of food to feed us humans and we start getting over populated they should start kulling humans. I mean we say that the seals are eating all our fish and bla bla bla, but who says its not the seals fish that we're eating, they were here first.

Belinda

-Kelly- · 09-25-2005, 05:02 AM

Shame on the people who kill animals

happy221 · 10-08-2005, 10:31 PM

I moved to Newfoundland last year, and after living here, I have heard the topic come up countless times, and my observation is that many people here were simply raised thinking that it is okay. I guess it's hard to shake that mentality (not to mention the money involved). Another aspect is the media. They put polls in the newspapers with questions that are obviously biased (such as 'Do you believe we should control the seal population to ensure a more productive ecosystem', etc.) that don't really address the inhumane clubbing part.
I've been involved in several protests--I hope this changes soon.


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