Canadian seal cull sparks protests

[Col Man]

please dont kill meeee......im too young to die....



Thousands of seal hunters armed with clubs, rifles and spears are taking part in one of Canada's biggest ever culls.

The hunt is expected to bring poor coastal communities millions of dollars but has been condemned by animal rights activists as barbaric.

More than 320,000 harp seals are expected to be slaughtered by the end of the cull on May 15.

The controversial hunt - target of protests since the 1960s - traditionally begins about two weeks after the seal pups are born and their fur changes from white to grey.

Animal rights activists say the pups are clubbed to death and often skinned alive, but sealers and government officials who monitor the hunt insist the pups die instantly under strict guidelines.

Regulations require that hunters ensure their prey is dead before moving on.

Many countries, including the US, ban imports of seal products.

But the Canadian government said the hunt brought badly needed income to its coastal communities, which earned about £7.2 million last year, primarily from pelt sales to Norway, Denmark and China.

Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the country's seal population was "healthy and abundant," and noted there were an estimated 5 million harp seals, nearly the highest level ever recorded and almost triple what it was in the 1970s.

But a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned that the cull will damage the marine mammal population.

IFAW spokesman AJ Cady said: "It's not about the price. What's a seal pup worth? It's worth more than a few dollars for a pelt and the price for level of suffering is just not acceptable.

"Just today, we found a seal pup that was struck and lost. It was clubbed and escaped and died under the ice."

 

[Col Man]

Link : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn1628111.html

 

[Gonzo]

I propose a seal hunters hunt. We'd go up, bash the hunters on the head, and skin them alive.

 

[missile]

Doubt if you would last 5 minutes in that environment..either nature or the fishermen would remove you from the scene ukeright:

 

[Elaine1234]

I propose a seal hunters hunt. We'd go up, bash the hunters on the head, and skin them alive.

I'm In let's go!!!!!

 

[Elaine1234]

Doubt if you would last 5 minutes in that environment..either nature or the fishermen would remove you from the scene ukeright:

Actually all things being equal I would remove the fishermen throw them in the water but not before a pik went to their head as for nature well If Im meant to go with the seals then so be It atleast Im fighting for a good cause altho you may disagree.

 

[#juan]

Thousands of seal hunters armed with clubs, rifles and spears are taking part in one of Canada's biggest ever culls. Rifles and hakapiks are the only approved tools

The hunt is expected to bring poor coastal communities millions of dollars but has been condemned by animal rights activists as barbaric. It's funny how the protesters make more money than the seal hunters.

More than 320,000 harp seals are expected to be slaughtered by the end of the cull on May 15.
I think you'll find that the figure is 270,000...might as well get it right.

The controversial hunt - target of protests since the 1960s - traditionally begins about two weeks after the seal pups are born and their fur changes from white to grey.

Animal rights activists say the pups are clubbed to death and often skinned alive, but sealers and government officials who monitor the hunt insist the pups die instantly under strict guidelines.

Regulations require that hunters ensure their prey is dead before moving on.

Many countries, including the US, ban imports of seal products. The U.S. have their own seal hunt in Alaska....protesters don't mention that.

But the Canadian government said the hunt brought badly needed income to its coastal communities, which earned about £7.2 million last year, primarily from pelt sales to Norway, Denmark and China. In 2007 the seal hunt will likely bring in well over twenty million dollars, not that it is anybody's business but Canadian's.

Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the country's seal population was "healthy and abundant," and noted there were an estimated 5 million harp seals, nearly the highest level ever recorded and almost triple what it was in the 1970s.

But a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned that the cull will damage the marine mammal population. How come these people didn't say a word when the traditional cod fishery was destroyed?

IFAW spokesman AJ Cady said: "It's not about the price. What's a seal pup worth? It's worth more than a few dollars for a pelt and the price for level of suffering is just not acceptable.

"Just today, we found a seal pup that was struck and lost. It was clubbed and escaped and died under the ice."

That would be a very, very, rare occurrence.

 

[Sparrow]

Of course they filmed this and there is no, absolute no other predators that could have attacked this cub. It had to be the big evil hunters no other possibilities. Aren't we wicked Canadians.

WELL I PROTEST ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ARE BEING BEATEN TO DEATH, HACKED TO DEATH, STARVED TO DEATH, THE MASS RAPE OF WOMEN IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES, CHILD SOLDIERS, CHILDREN SOLD IN SLAVE LABOUR, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FORCED IN PROSTITUTION.
What do you have to say about that?

And this is not the biggest cull, the figures were reduced. You even got that fact wrong how about the rest of the story.

 

[karrie]

Countries all over the world cull all sorts of animals for all sorts of reasons. If you've ever set a trap to keep mice from eating out of your pantry, then you understand the idea behind culling.

Right now, deer all over the world are subject to culling practises for environmental, herd health, and human safety reasons. Seals aren't the only animal being hunted, and probably suffer a smaller drop in percentage from hunting in the period of one year than most other hunted animals in Canada.

Hunting is hunting. It's necessary and has valid reasons behind it. This country takes animal conservation quite seriously, and there's a reason the population is so closely monitored, and new numbers for the cull are generated every year.

It's so annoying to hear the slacktivists show up on-line every year to complain about it and threaten human injury over it (oh yes, that makes you much much better than the hunters quickly killing a seal). Educate yourself first, complain second.

 

[L Gilbert]

If we'd quit spewing crap into the oceans, the animals at the top of the food chains (like orcas and bears) could perform their natural duties and keep the seal populations down. These chemicals and pollutants do a lot of harm from changing behavior to killing animals and it's the creatures at the tops of the food chains that suffer the most by these things. BTW, we are one of those creatures at the top of the food chains.

 

[karrie]

If we'd quit spewing crap into the oceans, the animals at the top of the food chains (like orcas and bears) could perform their natural duties and keep the seal populations down. These chemicals and pollutants do a lot of harm from changing behavior to killing animals and it's the creatures at the tops of the food chains that suffer the most by these things. BTW, we are one of those creatures at the top of the food chains.

One of the main theories behind the rise in autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia is exactly that Gilbert... toxicity.

 

[Tonington]

Don't know if anyone realized but the OP was 2 hunts back. The numbers he quoted are right. DFO does large comprehensive surveys for three year periods. That sets the total number of animals which can be taken in that 3 year period. At the start of the season DFO sets the seasons quota based on how much is left in the quoto and ice conditions. So this is the last year of the current management period, I'm pretty sure next year they will have to release a new plan.

Every year the same issue comes up with the same tired old arguments. I doubt very much that a conservationist understands the complexities of predator/prey relationships and population management better than the scientists and ecologists working in DFO.

 

[L Gilbert]

Yeah, that, too. Good post, Ton.

 

[Tonington]

Thanks Les, glad to see you back. Hope all is well.

 

[L Gilbert]

Getting better, thanks.

 

[earth_as_one]

Every year the same issue comes up with the same tired old arguments. I doubt very much that a conservationist understands the complexities of predator/prey relationships and population management better than the scientists and ecologists working in DFO.

I believe in conservation of our natural heritage and I also believe in the seal hunt as long as it continues to be benign or even helpful. A while back I wrote this on the same subject:

http://forums.canadiancontent.net/canadian-politics/36921-stop-seal-hunt-6.html#post812995

A lady I know is a vegetarian... sort of. She doesn't eat "cute" animals like lambs, pigs and cows but will eat chickens and fish. That's her choice and I respect that. I'm an omnivore. If its healthy for me and delicious, I'll eat it.

I used to hunt and trap. Ruffed grouse and barren land caribou are the best wild meats. I don't hunt or trap anymore, but I still fish. Instead of hunting and trapping, I take photographs.

I have participated in ringed seal hunts in Churchill Manitoba. Whether I participated in these hunts would not have affected whether or not the hunts would have taken place or how many seals were taken. I considered myself an observer. The purpose of the hunt was to feed sled dogs, so no meat was wasted. Skinned hides went to a woman in town who turned them into clothing. Yes some guts were left on the ice, but that was quickly cleaned up by foxes and seagulls. These seals were not killed for sport and we only took what we needed from an abundant source and within the limits of the law.

The easiest time to hunt seals in Churchill is in the spring, when seals haul up on the ice to bask in the sun. Seals are dispatched at a distance with a single shot to the head using a high powered rifle and scope. Wounding seals go down the hole and are unretrievable. The person I was with was an excellent marksman and wounded very few seals.

My observation was that hunting seals in this manner was as humane as any other form of harvesting wild animals.... or what goes on in slaughterhouses.

Regulating the harvesting of wild animals should be based on science, not how cute they are. Seals in Canada are not threatened with extinction, but many other species are.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/01/020109074801.htm

Its too bad that so many people busy themselves trying to solve a problem which doesn't exist, while so many other species which are less cute than seals disappear into oblivion without comment or drawing attention of interest groups.

Does this species deserve more attention than harp seals?
http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&lang=&id=101

The main causes of species extinction are habitat loss, introduced species, over exploitation, disease, pollution and limited distrubution. None of Canada's seal species are threatened with extinction. Some seal species may have benefited from man's elimination of predator species. Properly regulated, human hunting activity can actually help restore balance.

If you are really interested in the science behind conservation and doing something about the real threats to our biodiversity, then I suggest you take a moment and find out what species are at risk near where you live and volunteer to help these creatures:

http://raysweb.net/specialplaces/pages/canada-es.html

through local habitat restoration projects.

http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/volunteer

http://www.bgci.org/canada/plants_conservation/

http://ducks.ca/helpduc/volunteer/work.html

The biggest threat for most species at risk isn't hunting but development.

Consider what happens when a city sprawls... Are millions of hectares of neatly manicured, pesticided and fertilized lawns cut with oil spewing machines more harmful to the environment than sustainably hunting abundant seals?

 

[tamarin]

Humans should do more to manage their own numbers before they jump on the soapbox and preach wildlife management. It's clear from ongoing studies of sea-life that conservation and management practices aren't working. The world lacks both the will and ability to rein the lawless in. We need to demand the creation of an organization that can protect biodiversity with more weaponry than words.

 

[GenGap]

I believe in conservation of our natural heritage and I also believe in the seal hunt as long as it continues to be benign or even helpful.

Actually, non of the meat is wasted, nore the bone. We all eat cows, should we ban cows at the slaughter house. Thats cruel too. Driving a car is cruel aslo, it kills millions of micro bacteria and insects in the air. While we are at it ,lets ban commercial shipping and foreign trade, since alot of the products are byproducts are made of animals, including oil.

A lower seal population will help bring back Cod and and other fish back to the maritime waters.

I believe in the seal hunt, and there always be mishaps.

I think it is more important to increase the number of coast guard to control other countries from over fishing in our waters.

 

[earth_as_one]

Over harvesting fish stocks is a much bigger problem than Canada's annual east coast seal hunt. But I'm not so sure bringing back the cod will be as simple as harvesting more seals.

Seriously though, which is more harmful to the environment, the annual seal hunt or the Greater Toronto Area's urban sprawl?

 

[L Gilbert]

Sorry. I thought it was a rhetorical question. IMO, the latter is worse.