EU bans Seal Products from Canada
- Thread starter Johnnny
- Start date
"Johnnny, I do support the ban on seal product imports."
WHY?
"Now, if only they will ban bull fighting (like you say). Bull fighting is as barbaric as seal hunting. Again, like you say, perhaps Canada could take some action against Spain."
On this I fully agree with you.
WHY?
"Now, if only they will ban bull fighting (like you say). Bull fighting is as barbaric as seal hunting. Again, like you say, perhaps Canada could take some action against Spain."
On this I fully agree with you.
The problem is that AT ONE TIME, the seal hunt involved white coats, which were pretty and cute. And therefore, watching the hunt was ugly. This led to the seal hunt being the 'poster boy' fundraising champion for various groups that are against animal cruelty, as well as groups totally opposed to eating meat or anything similar.
For many of these groups, as long as the animal in question is ugly, it's okay to kill them for food or other byproducts, but when it's a 'cute' animal, it's not okay. For other groups, any animal use is wrong, which at least is a logical stand.
Still, to this day, the seal hunt is the iconic symbol for lots of fundraising and media coverage, often involving people who don't actually understand what they are talking about.
Do you eat lobster shells or cow-hide or chicken feathers. The meat is left behind, they are after the skins and that is it.
Yeah there is hogs are eaten, baby seals are a decoration for the rich.
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The purpose of the killing of the animal (in question) is irrelevant in this argument.
There is no ban in Europe on hunting deer, wild boars or fowl wherein the meat and the hides may or may not be used for strictly subsistence related issues.
If the EU won't ban recreational hunting/fishing, then they really have no business in the seal-hunt debate.
Ce la vie. The European market is not our largest market. China continues to be our largest importer, along with Norway and a few other nations.
I'm not so much concerned over the EU decision as I am about the stigma that's already there and will be raised to a more strident level when the holier-than-thou, soapbox screaming, blind yahoos come forward, using this vote as cannon fodder to further their messed up agenda. Whatever will the IFAW do once this cash cow has disappeared? Perhaps they'll go the way of the seal hunt and disappear from our radar.
I'm not so much concerned over the EU decision as I am about the stigma that's already there and will be raised to a more strident level when the holier-than-thou, soapbox screaming, blind yahoos come forward, using this vote as cannon fodder to further their messed up agenda. Whatever will the IFAW do once this cash cow has disappeared? Perhaps they'll go the way of the seal hunt and disappear from our radar.
Then why not take the seals that actually have a large amount of meat rather than the babies. What is the split (fur/meat)on the 16M the hunt generates.
How much meat ends up as dog-food?
(in part)
On the other hand, seal meat sales are not going as well for Canada. Seal meat is generally considered to be inedible and unfit for human consumption. While there is a small market in Newfoundland for the seal flippers (for seal flipper pie), most of the rest of the very small amount of meat found in the slaughtered seal, if utilized at all, would be purchased by pet food and fur farm industries. In 2004, only Taiwan and South Korea purchased seal meat.
Clearly Canada is not satisfied with the underperformance of seal meat sales as according to their own website, they continue to spend tax-payers money to try to peddle seal meat and are still seeking more places to sell the seal meat:
How much meat ends up as dog-food?
(in part)
On the other hand, seal meat sales are not going as well for Canada. Seal meat is generally considered to be inedible and unfit for human consumption. While there is a small market in Newfoundland for the seal flippers (for seal flipper pie), most of the rest of the very small amount of meat found in the slaughtered seal, if utilized at all, would be purchased by pet food and fur farm industries. In 2004, only Taiwan and South Korea purchased seal meat.
Finding a market for seal meat outside of Newfoundland continues to present a major challenge for the sealing industry. The amount of seal meat landed in 2002 was extremely low, in part because the hunt was mainly directed at younger animals (beaters), which have very little recoverable meat. [Note: "beaters" are seal pups who are approximately 4 weeks old]
Canada, however, is optimistic about the prospects of sales of seal oil and is looking to increase their sales in this area. The way they are doing that is by falsely promoting seal oil capsules as a healthy source of Omega-3 (an essential fatty acid). As they report on their website:
The market for seal oil remains positive. Presently, a good percentage of seal oil is finding its way into areas other than the traditional marine and industrial oils. The industry is positive about this new development but is aware that more R&D is required to expand the range of products derived from seal oil.
Seal Hunt Facts - Sea Shepherd
Under EFTA, I don't think the EU can do anything other than shoot their mouths off over this issue.
Canada reacts as EU moves to ban seal products - NEW EUROPE - The European News Source
Shoulda, woulda,coulda.......I didn't read the entire article, though.
Canada reacts as EU moves to ban seal products - NEW EUROPE - The European News Source
Shoulda, woulda,coulda.......I didn't read the entire article, though.
Why not look to your own eating habits, and start the change within.
Stop worrying about what others do, and focus on yourself. You should not eat any meat, dairy, eggs, fish, or anything that comes from a commercial food operation.
When you are pure in your own heart, then you can cast aspersions on the rest of the world.
Sure we can, JLM, there is nothing wrong with that. Raise any animal you want on a farm and use it for food, fur coat, shoes or whatever.
In fact, many animals are farmed these days. In Australia they farm ostriches, emu and crocodiles. In addition, there is limited hunt of kangaroos. When we visited Australia, I tried Bushman’s platter, which contained kangaroo, emu and crocodile meats.
So if they want to farm seals, I am sure nobody will raise an objection. I would even go so far as to say that there is nothing wrong in killing baby seals for white pelts in a farm setting.
Problem comes in killing them in the wild. Indiscriminate killing of animals in the wild may have all kinds of unforeseen effects. It has happened time and again, man interfering with a naturally functioning ecosystem rarely improves the ecosystem, almost invariably it makes matters worse.
So at least on my part, the problem is not with killing seals or even killing baby seals. The problem is killing them in the wild. Raise them on a farm and by all means do whatever you want, provided it is done in a humane way, without pain and agony to the animals.
Not true on all accounts, Captain. I don’t know about other groups, but personally I have no problem if seals (or indeed, any other animal) are farmed, killed (humanely) and used for any purpose whatever.
Also, it is not true about animal being cute. Look at crocodile, by no stretch of imagination can crocodile be considered cute. Yet they stopped killing crocodiles in Australia, they were in the process of being wiped out. Now they raise crocodiles on the farms, and use crocodile meat, crocodile skin (for making shores, purses etc.) and other parts.
In the past what you said was true, only cute animals received attention of the environmentalists. But that stopped being the case a long time ago. Now whether the animal is cute (seal, koala, bears etc.) or ugly (crocodile, spotted owl etc.) it doesn’t’ matter.
With discussions like this it always ends up being reason vs. emotions. Emotions belong in the bathroom.
So, let me ask. f the seals were farmed, killed as babies and then marketed for their meat and pelts (lke cattle), do you really believe that the EU would offer-up their stamp of approval?
As far as the 'cuteness' of the animal is concerned: No one bats an eye at exterminating vermin or household pests... These are living organisms too, are they not? Groups like PETA will justify their extermination by pointing to the spread of disease... A pertinent point, but they still qualify as part of the ecology, yet teh lobbies and gvts don't bat an eye at their loss.
I cannot speak for EU, captain. I can only say that if done in a farm setting, it will have my approval (assuming the killing is done in humane way, with minimal amount of pain and suffering on part of adult seals and babies).
And there is no contradiction in exterminating household pests and protecting animals in the wild. Vermin or household pests do spread disease, allergies etc. Besides, buildings are not a natural habitat of these creatures. There is nothing wrong in getting rid of them from the unnatural habitat.
But even here, if they are not bothering anybody, tendency is to leave them alone. I remember reading a news story a while ago. Bats had established a colony in the attic of an abandoned church. Scientists studied the colony for a few months, then the building was sold to a developer.
Scientists requested to the developer not to disturb the bats. Apparently the attic was not going to figure into developer’s plans. Developer agreed to leave them alone. But the construction noise was going to disturb the colony and drive them away. So the developer first put up sound proof tiles on the ceiling and then started his construction work. The bats were not bothered.
When I had bat problem a few years ago I got an exterminator to get rid of them. There is no contradiction here. The idea is to preserve an animal species in its natural habitat.
We reserve the right to condemn what goes on inside the borders of other countries. All their OP article is saying is that the EU will not be purchasing such products, they have that right. Using stats from last year they will be that many less sales. So exactly what emotions are you referencing? If Canada is so worried about them eating fish kill em all.