Canada Permits 320,000 Seals To Be Slaughtered

[KiwiCoromandel]

Canada Permits 320,000 Seals To Be Slaughtered

Thursday, 24 March 2005, 4:06 pm

Article: Marietta Gross - Scoop Media Auckland

Scoop Report: Massive protests by animal-rights activists have not stopped the Canadian government from allowing the mass slaughter of Harp Seals. Canada has permitted the killing of 320,000 Harp Seals (phoca groenlandia). The plan has sparked massive protests in Canada by of animal-rights activists.

Canada's two-month-hunt starts on March 29 and takes place on ice floes in the Atlantic where the animals give birth to their babies. The Canadian government described the killing as necessary to keep the number of the animals low.

At the moment there are about five million Harp Seals, three times more than in the 1970ies. The culling will continue until the number of animals has been decimated to 3.85 million. The Canadian government argues that by killing the Seals fishing grounds will be protected and will susptain jobs for the fishing industry.

Conservationists argue that in the past, about 30 million Harp Seals lived in the Arctic region.

Moreover many animals will be skinned while still alive.

This week, opponents of the hunt held rallies in 50 cities around the world and called for a boycott of Canadian fish. Canada’s fish exports profit about three billion Canadian dollars (1.89 billion Euro) yearly. Seal hunting earns “only” 16.5 million Canadian dollars.

Pat Ragan from an U.S. animal rights organization told Reuters: “I think, this time they are really feeling the pressure.” The campaign would also target restaurant franchises like “Red Lobster”, she added.

Canada's fishing minister, Geoff Regan, accused the animal rights groups of publishing “delusive rhetoric and attention arousing pictures”, which portrayed a “selective, one-sided and often wrong story”. “It’s really a shame, that such a negative light is cast on the Canadian men and women within this industry,” Regan said.

[rainbowdemon]

Beyond belief.

:reallymad:

[KiwiCoromandel]

..it`s pretty horrific alright...... :( :nope:

[Ken]

As long as they're not skinned alive, it sounds fine to me.

[Shawn]

Have to agree with Ken.

I'm not sure why he thinks that, but I would rather see a hurting Canadian fishing industry protected than seals. [Not in any way defending the skinning of live animals, but who is giving that info anyway?] I'm a pet lover, but believe that sustainable hunts are hardly a new thing.

[Ken]

but believe that sustainable hunts are hardly a new thing

And this is my line of thinking (more or less).

but who is giving that info anyway?

I was thinking the same thing, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Edited March 28, 2005 by Ken

[DudeAsInCool]

I'm not sure why he thinks that, but I would rather see a hurting Canadian fishing industry protected than seals.

Why should industry take precedence over nature? Balance is what is called for, and there wouldnt be any if you left it up to industry... Last but not least, the hunting procedures are disgusting - surely there must be a better way to treat these animals

[KiwiCoromandel]

Marietta Gross - Scoop Media Auckland......linked to the green/animals rights movement by the looks..that in no way changes my view that this is a barbaric activity...i am only too well aware that others don`t see things that way.....that`s their right.......the message here looks the same to me.....and there doesn`t seem to be any point in shooting that messenger.......slaughtering baby seals seems to me to be a barbaric activity....no matter who the messenger is.....

[Redneck4sure]

Save the baby seals!!! Club the liberals!!!

[The Hunter]

Quite simply this is a total load of crap. The seals are not skinned alive, and have not been for a very long time. This was not condoned, and was not done by most sealers. The seal herd is in very good shape, and is also increasing at an alarming rate. There are too many out of work actors jumping on causes, just for publicity. These well known, babied wannabes, dont know what real life is about. We have families here that seriously need this work, and they dont need a bunch of funded people telling these good people that they have to starve. It quite simply amazes me how gullible the public is, this bunch has already been caught hiring people to stage bloody seal killings for their socalled cause. Im so sick and tired of people jumping on causes. Not everyone lives in a city, and can work in a factory. Some of us actually have to go out and grow our own vegies, and hunt our own food. I seriously dont mean to insult anyone, but it really pisses me off when I see people hurting, and people that have names that carry some weight, because they either had nice tits, or had a Swiss army knife are doing their best to spread propaganda.

[rainbowdemon]

This was not condoned, and was not done by most sealers.

Most?

If even one seal has to bear the agony of being skinned alive, it's too many.

[Malicious Intent]

My hate for greedy corporations is battling my hate for hippie groups who build support by playing on peoples emotions.

I'll let you know the result.

[The Hunter]

It was possibly done by sealers many years ago. Again I say possibly, as I wasnt there to witness it then. There has been no possibility of this being done for a long time. Also I was covering my ass, as you know there can be abuses in many things. I got a big problem with making a person starve to death when a murderer can have an injection. Again, Greenpeace was proven many years ago to have hired people to stage camera proper killings, and to have used dye on the ice. Just to make things photogenic. I always call a spade, a spade. I have also delt with Greenpeace when Canada bought some Greek supply vessels, that had some asbestos in the smoke stacks. We knew it was there when they were bought, and the contract was previously arranged to remove it. They were also caught trying to cut the said vessels adrift. This cause died a slow death, with me going to court and having one person put in jail for 3 months. This bunch of asses tried to cut the lines of these ships, and put them adrift in a at that time busy harbour.

[KiwiCoromandel]

the item in question was posted exactly as it was laid out on the original news site...i myself have no links to any greenpeace type organisations.....i do, however have connections to the new zealand green party......my views on seal hunting and whale hunting are based on my own personal judgement and life experience...new zealand had a huge seal industry and many people relied on it for income......i`ve heard both sides of the argument more than once....i`ve worked hard for a living too....and still do......in my view that still doesn`t make it right..... :)

[Malicious Intent]

What greedy corporations man?

The fishing industry in Canada is a sick old man. It bitterly needs some help.

In that case, kill the stupid seals. Just because they are fluffy doesn't mean we should shed a tear for them.

[The Hunter]

Mal our town is dieing, and there is no fishing industry left. On the Atlantic coast we have no big industry, other than unemployment. It isnt your fault that the bullshitters rule things these days. Yup folks are getting rich off this seal hunt. Not.

The fish processing plants have mostly been closed, and people have lost their livelyhood, and are losing their homes. Families are broken, and again Im really friggin pissed that a few out of work actors are trying to profit on their loss.

[The Hunter]

Fluffy my hairy ass, they also destroy the lobster traps, and make life a living hell for the fishermen. Im seeing more of these hairy barricudas every day. They will tear a lobster trap to pieces to get the bait before it even hits the water after being baited. Its so bad that the fishermen carry 12gauge shotguns to shoot them. Although its not permitted as they are protected. Im wondering if anybody else here has ever seen a seal up close? About as cuddley as my X.

[DudeAsInCool]

In terms of the seals, my response was mostly emotional and stems from seeing the photographs of guys clubbing baby seals to death many years ago--perhaps that was an abberation and the seals are hunted now in a more humane way? My main point was that there needs to be a balance between nature and industry to sustain both. Isn't the plight of the fishing industry due to over fishing? Ive read about the huge Japanese nets and how they sweep the oceans, and how corporations and their fleets are pushing out the small guys.

In all honesty, Hunter and Shawn are much closer to what's going on...so I'm reading their posts closely to get another (and perhaps more accurate) point of view.

[Shawn]

I'd say you hit it in the first part Dude. We all have seen those images of clubbing and that just doesn't happen these days.

To be clear I'm nowhere near the seals or the fish, but I think my province can feel some sympathy due to the years we have with cattle/grain. Sometimes an entire industry can fall down, and when they are the traditional game in town, who knows how to play anything else? You can't just tell an entire area of Canada to change profession. Not that some wouldn't if they could, but there is just too little else to move to.

I also get defensive when the issue is the demonization of one of the traditional industries as insensitive to nature. This is beef country. If it were to leave it would only leave grain farming and sadly that hasn't been viable since the 1970's. The sole means of making it profittable is huge operations buying out the little guys and then you just displace those people. There is nowhere to go, so people keep at it.

---

I will concede though that fishing on the opposite side of the country is done a little different to Hunter's part of the country. Around B.C. a few conglomerates own the rights to fish and use huge trawlers to suck up the fish. They employ about 10% of the number that could be employed if the industry was demonopolized out there.

Again, that other 90% sits around and wonders what the hell to do now.

[The Hunter]

Im very much closer my friend, as im on the same coast its happening on, and as well living in what used to be a busy fishing community. The seals are gaining every year, and it is a very much sustainable hunt. Company greed, and dragging the bottom of the ocean, is what has ruined things. The fishing draggers drag nets across the bottom of the ocean using huge metal doors to keep these nets open. The ocean bottom is by and large where the eggs are layed, by the fish. When the ocean botton is dragged in such a manner, the fish eggs are ruined, and so is their habitat. You want something to protest , just look at a pack of fish that says Highliner on it. Its not packed in Nova Scotia any more, but more likely in China. I know for a fact it caught by Chinese vessels, as I read the labels. Take a good look at the size of the scallops you are eating, ever notice how small they are? Kinda tiny aint they? Thats because they caught most of the big ones, and now they are taking the babies. Years ago we caught our fish with a hook and a line, the way my dad did. It was a hard life, but it didnt ruin things. I also have been there, but my dad will turn 84 in 2 months time, and has seen it all. I well remember hearing him say that company greed is going to ruin the fishery. The seal hunt is well regulated, and Im not worried about it. It is the way the rest of the world is fishing, and ruining things that plainly scares the shit out of me. We now know better, but arnt doing a bloody thing to stop it. PS, those little cod folks are eating, are called scrod cod, and they are but babies. Think about it.

[DudeAsInCool]

Company greed, and dragging the bottom of the ocean, is what has ruined things. The fishing draggers drag nets across the bottom of the ocean using huge metal doors to keep these nets open. The ocean bottom is by and large where the eggs are layed, by the fish. When the ocean botton is dragged in such a manner, the fish eggs are ruined, and so is their habitat.

This is what concerns me, too, and we do need to do something about it and sooner than later. The bottom line - the corporate mentality where the allmighty buck rules - is what is ruining a lot of industries across the board including the fishing industry and its killing the little guys who know what they are doing and really care.

[slum_goddess]

(warning; emotional reaction:) OH NOOoooooo...and yes, i've been close enough to seals, both babies and adults, close enough to hug them when i was little, thanks to my dad (and i did hug them).

edit: kill the hypocrites instead (amerikan politicians first, especially those who put corporations above powerless human beings).

[Malicious Intent]

Fluffy my hairy ass, they also destroy the lobster traps, and make life a living hell for the fishermen. Im seeing more of these hairy barricudas every day. They will tear a lobster trap to pieces to get the bait before it even hits the water after being baited. Its so bad that the fishermen carry 12gauge shotguns to shoot them. Although its not permitted as they are protected. Im wondering if anybody else here has ever seen a seal up close? About as cuddley as my X.

I wasn't being sarcastic.

It is the same with foxes here. Just because some animal groups take cute pictures of them doesn't mean they aren't rodents.

[The Hunter]

It wasnt anything personal Mal,i just get a bit aanoyed at times. Anyway after hearing more local anti hunters complaing that the seals are going to be wiped out, i did a bit of digging, and got this bit of info.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...query=seal+hunt

[Redneck4sure]

Interesting reading. The next time I see a seal wandering around my neighborhood I don't know whether to shoot it or not.