The statement by Canadian Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn that the scientific opinion of the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) somehow “upholds the legitimacy and humaneness of hunting practices and techniques” used in Canada’s commercial seal hunt is a blatant misrepresentation of the EFSA report.

In fact, Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations, which govern hunting practices in Canada’s commercial seal hunt, are shown by the EFSA to be severely deficient when it comes to humane killing. For example:

EFSA Recommendation: Seals should be bled-out as soon as possible and, preferably immediately, after they have been successfully stunned and checked to ensure they are irreversibly unconscious or dead.

Truth: Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations do not require bleeding-out to be conducted after stunning.  Consequently, seal hunt observers have documented numerous cases of injured, conscious seals stockpiled and suffering on the ice.

EFSA Recommendation: Seals should not be moved, i.e. gaffed [hooked], hauled, or moved… until it has been confirmed that they are dead or irreversibly unconscious.

Truth: Under the current Canadian legislation, it is legal to hook seals before they have been checked for unconscousness or death. The hooking of live and conscious seals in Canada’s commercial seal hunt has been recorded on numerous occasions.

Perhaps the most shocking truth is that both of these recommendations were at one time required under Canadian legislation, but subsequently removed. The reality is that when it comes to humane killing practices, Canadian legislation has actually been moving backwards.

Further, if Minister Hearn had actually read the EFSA opinion, he would know that the “potentially unproven biases” referred to by the Panel are actually those that err in favour of sealers. These include the fact that sealers are likely to alter their behaviour when they are aware that their practices are being observed and recorded, and the reality that observers are only able to document the hunt during weather conditions that are optimal for sealers. As a result, the EFSA report notes that observations by groups such as IFAW and others are likely to represent “best practices.”

It is time for Loyola Hearn to admit what the EFSA report makes clear: Canada’s commercial seal hunt does not meet modern scientific standards of humane killing.  This hunt is an embarassment to Canadians - the majority of whom oppose its continuation – and should be ended.

Sheryl Fink

Senior Research and Projects Specialist

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Comments

[Shana Carlsen]

The Seal Slaughter is inhumane, unsustainable and intrusive.

I do not know anyone who is not completely livid over this issue.

The Canadian and African practice of slaughtering baby seals is clearly causing undue distress in millions of people worldwide.

And to what end really… They need to strip seal babies of their skin for money?

Oh and from the video footage I saw, their parents are watching, unable to help their babies from the waters. Can you imagine what that feels like?

I can…and so can you! Think of how you would feel if someone did that to your little baby right in front of you.

These are ungodly acts of murder.

Why is this still happening? Who is going to stop it and when?

I do not want there to be a Baby Seal Slaughter Season in 2008.

I want it stopped right now! Right NOW!

[Jeff]

Shana, are you Canadian? I doubt that you are. I am, my great country whacks seals to death. Deal with it. I have never met anyone, not a single person, in my life who passionately beleives that the seal hunt must be stopped. You must have the mental capacity of mayonaise to beleive that Canadians are ripping the skin off of baby seals for no reason. The seal population has to be controlled because they kill so many fish. I didnt say eat so many fish, i said kill so many fish. Have you ever seen a fish that a seal 'ate'? Seals just take one bite out of a fish's belly and then they leave the fish struggling in the water with its entrails hanging out. The seal doesnt bother to make sure the fish is dead before harming it, the seal doesnt even consume the whole fish. They simply bite chunks out and leave the fish alive and suffering. There is nothin cute or noble about that, why should seals be saved? What do they do to make our world better? Easy, they have skin and fur that make for warm boots and gloves for people who live in cold climates, thats about it. Sure they are cute, but nobody wants a baby seal, you douchebags just seem to like the way they look, i doubt anyone on here has one for a pet or has ever had any sort of relationship with a seal, so why are you so upset that they get killed every year? No one cares about the billions of fish and chickens that we kill, skin and consume each year, why do you care about an animal as useless as a seal? There are lots of pictures of cute seals in the world. Those pictures satisfy your pea brained desire to see cute fluffy baby seals and those pictures are going nowhere,you will always be able to see cute baby seals, so why bother objecting to something you dont understand? The kill will happen again this year, and next year, and it will continue until you are dead and gone from this world so why do you bother getting upset and trying to pretend animals as destructive as seals matter? Your time would be better spent ooing and awwing at pictures of cute seals rather than trying to condemn a traditional and practical hunt in a world that your cleary do not understand. I hope people are thinking of you when they bring the clubs down on the soft little seal heads because the seals you seem to think are so great will never give you a thought.

[Calista Rose]

Jeff are you a Canadian. I am. I peruse our Federal Government Website and study the various Ministry Indexes. Even the rhetoric and propaganda spun by our great leaders refute your alledged tirade of facts. "I have never met anyone, not a single person, in my life who passionately beleives that the seal hunt must be stopped." Are we agoraphobic and a loner Jeff? Traditional and practical - Do you also defend and believe in the tradition of honor killing women? "destructive as seals -yes the millions of gallons of blood left on our ice-floes is destructive alright - however it is man who is the destructive one here. "Useless" what makes you useful Jeff? I can tell you. You are useful in the sense that you exemplify the hate and venomous characters that support this practice and further illustrates this hunt had better stop if it brings haters like yourself out from under rocks. BTW I love chickens they make great pets.

[Me!]

Shana,

You are right. Don't pay any attention to that idiot. He probably has never had a girlfriend and is mad at the world. He definitely knows nothing about seals if he thinks they take one bite out of a fish and leave the rest!(And I say this as someone who has actually been around them!) That is just something he read somewhere or heard from some seal clubber.

There are a lot of people who feel just like you do and we are all praying that this travesty ends as soon as possible. All we can do is continue to raise our voices for the seals and for what is right.

In the meantime, people like him will continue to try and say the most hurtful things possible, mostly because they don't know any better, but also because they are unhappy and it's easier to insult others than to look in the mirror.

[Mike from Canada.]

I am one of the majority of Canadians who consider the seal slaughter to be a national disgrace. The arguments in favour of this atrocity are lame and stupid. Also, to make the scientifically asinine statement, "The seals ate up all the cod", is equivalent to wearing a T-shirt saying, "I have an IQ of 6". Proponents of the bloodbath look like buffoons on the international stage, and they make Canadians look like a nation of hicks.

[Mike from Canada.]

I am one of the majority of Canadians who consider the seal slaughter to be a national disgrace. The arguments in favour of this atrocity are lame and stupid. Also, to make the scientifically asinine statement, "The seals ate up all the cod", is equivalent to wearing a T-shirt saying, "I have an IQ of 6". Proponents of the bloodbath look like buffoons on the international stage, and they make Canadians look like a nation of hicks.

[Alex]

Jeff, I am a proud Canadian, but I am profoundly ashamed of you. You are a disgrace to your country.

[Becci]

I am from Canada as well, love this country, and definitely believe the seal hunt should be stopped.

Jeff--consider talking to other people before you decide this is an issue only supposedly ignorant non-Canadians care about. Oh, and do some research in regards to the cod issue. Seals eat cod, but the majority of their diet is composed of larger fish that prey on cod. Get rid of the seals and there will be more large fish that eat cod.

And by the way, many people are concerned about fish and chickens; I and millions of others campaign to protect them from cruel slaughter methods. I assume this is another issue you never bothered to discuss with other people before coming to a conclusion...?

[Nanieke]

Becci - You said that Seals eat cod, but that the majority of their diet is composed of larger fish that prey on cod, etc.

I could really use this for my website.. do you know where you got the information from? 'Cos I need official sources..

Thanks!!

[Becci]

Hi Nanieke! I got the info from the HSUS page.

http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/protect_seals/about_the_canadian_seal_hunt/

"In truth, seals, like all marine mammals, are a vital part of the ecosystem of the Northwest Atlantic. Harp seals, which are the primary target of the hunt, are opportunistic feeders, meaning they eat many different species. So while approximately 3 percent of a harp seal's diet may be commercially fished cod, harp seals also eat many significant predators of cod, such as squid. That is why some scientists are concerned that culling harp seals could further inhibit recovery of commercially valuable fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic."

[Adione]

I am a Canadian who opposes the seal hunt with all my heart. It really isn't a hunt but a slaughter. These young seals can't escape their fate. A real hunt consists of people hunting animals that actually have a chance to get away! ie deer, moose,etc
I have researched this annual disaster for many years and have come to realize what a national disgrace it truly is. It can't be monitored properly and the sealers pay no regard to The Marine Regulaations of Canada that lay out what they must do to kill a seal humanely.
It will never be humane and it must be stopped.

[Tamara]

If you end the seal hunt in Canada, this is what you can expect to happen:

1. Seal population will explode, projected to double every few years. They have few natural enemies to begin with and most of those are dwindling in numbers, primarily Polar Bears (global warming primary reason), Orca (Environmental degradation, depletion of prey species, conflicts with fishing activities, and habitat degradation), Sharks(Major declines in shark stocks have been recorded in recent years - some species have been depleted by over 90% over the past 20-30 years with a population decline of 70% not being unusual) and Walruses (listed as an at risk species in Canada).

2. Fish stocks (Cod & others) will be depleted in about 15-20 years after that.

3. The Canadian fishing industry will collapse. Unemployment will spike upward.

4. The seals (and many other species no one seems to care about because their not cute) will begin to starve and die. Not the best kind of death.

5. Some seals will migrate and begin to complete with other species in other parts of the world for food resources. Many more animal deaths due to starvation will occur (some of those animals may even be cute too).

6. Humans will begin to eat more of other meat sources (such as chicken, pork, and beef). And incidentally the raising of beef is a primary source of Green house gases. But no one really cares about the lives of chickens, pigs, and cows now do they.

So in reality many, many, many more seals (and other animals) will die a much, much, more horrible death if the seal hunt is ended.

So should the seal hunt really be ended? Of course not. However, it definitely should be made more humane. Clubbing seals to death is a painful, horrible death - not as bad as starving to death, but still horrible. There are for more humane ways of killing things then clubbing them till they stop moving. THIS SHOULD BE THE GOAL HERE, not ending the hunt entirely. Ending the hunt is an over reaction (as people tend to do) of the inhumane methods of seal hunting.

Or the other solution is to re-balance the scales, replace the pre 1900 population of the species that prey on seals, the aforementioned Polar Bears, Orca, sharks, & Walrus. But since none of these species are that cute, there is not likely to be an over the top campaign to save them, even though its these species who need to be saved much more then those cute little seals.

So until then, the seal hunt must continue to keep the balance. Ending the seal hunt is simply self defeating. Making it MORE HUMANE MUST BE THE GOAL HERE.

[Tim]

I am Canadian myself ... and let me just say ... Canada has a lot of learning to do .. To let this happen year after year as the rest of the world watches sickens me .. I do realize we have to go after the countries that buy the pelts .. as far as the fisherman .. keep in mind that they are uneducated coastal people that don't know any differance there fathers and there fathers all did the same.

[Becci]

Fortunately for the seals, Tamara, you're incorrect on every single point you've made. Seals are dying in larger numbers than ever before thanks to shrinking glacial areas (this would be due to global warming, of course.) The ice is literally melting from under seal pups before they can learn to swim, and they are drowning. Government scientists announced that close to 100% of seal pups died last year even before the hunt started.

And by the way, many people involved in protesting the seal hunt are vegan. That means we do care about pigs, chickens, cows, etc. Many of us spend our free time working to protect them. Nice try, though.

Oh, and the seal hunt makes barely 12 million a year. The Canadian fishing industry is currently losing 450 million annually due to worldwide boycotts of Canadian seafood. Our fishing industry will actually do better once the seal hunt ends.

One last thing--seals DO eat cod, but they primarily eat squids and other fish that prey on cod. Remove seals from the equation and predator animals will flourish and cause the cod population to shrink further. Our current lack of cod is the fault of poor fisheries management, not seals.

[Tamara]

Actually Becci, I'm not wrong on any of my points. maybe you should re-read them and do your own investigation. You'll discover I am very correct in what I posted.

Yes, Global warming is having an effect of them - like all of us, yet the seal population continues to grow despite this (and the hunt) by about 200,000 per year. If the hunt ends, this growth will double, then double again, and double again, etc. Seals are at the top of the food chain with very little natural predators left, and not near enough to keep their population in check. This wouldn't be the issue it is if all their natural predators weren't disappearing, but no one seems to worry about that, do they?

As for protecting the chickens, cows, pigs, that's fine, but this is the first I've heard of any movements on their behalf, so obviously those campaign(s)? aren't as over the top as this one (which was my point). Those campaigns would probably go better if those animals were cute though - well actually baby pigs are kinda cute though.

As for the money issue, you're saying groups like this is costing the fishing industry 450 million a year? So when the hunt ends and the seal population explodes and the fishing dries up, how much will the fishing industry be losing then? Everything maybe? Good work on costing Canadians Jobs though, especially those that have nothing to do with the hunt. Quite a strategy. That's like stealing a little girls candy because her big brother is picking on you. And if the boycott has done that much damage already, then ending the seal hunt won't repair it. The damage is done. I'm sure groups like this won't let that worry them though.

As for the seals diet, its about 50% fish (not just cod) and 50% invertebrates (not just squid). Squid IS NOT their primary food source,
just one piece of the pie - big pie, but I can see why anti-seal hunt groups make large of the squid issue. And fishing management is always an easy target to point a finger at. Yes, they aren't perfect, but they aren't as horrible as groups like this make them out to be either. Saying their doing an OK job wouldn't help the cause though, so what's a little stretching of the truth to enforce a point, right? Kind of like the way this group uses the seal fur pup on its main page, even though hunting seal pups has been illegal for a couple decades now. The other stages of the seal just arn't as cute though and wouldn't give this movement the best push though would it? So obviously any stretching of the truth for this group is OK as long as it pushes the movement further. Kinda shows how trustworthy their facts are doesn't it?

Now don't get me wrong, I don't like the idea of killing seals just for their skin, but if the plan here is to only end the hunt and then DO NOTHING, then its the wrong plan. It needs to be reworked, because simply leaving the seal population unchecked is clearly not the best solution for us or for the seals. That solution will just lead to bigger atrocities down the road - as I pointed out earlier.

[Becci]

Tamara--have you never heard of PETA? Haven't you been paying attention to the HSUS's latest investigation regarding downer cows? Many, many people are working to help farm animals. And yes, I agree that baby pigs are cute...but I think a lot of other farm animals are pretty darn cute too. :)

I admire your attempt to be reasonable about this issue but even the government admits that the seal hunt has nothing to do with cod populations.

"But the DFO says sealing opponents are setting up a straw man (or seal, in this case) and then knocking it down. The federal government says anti-sealing groups are wrong to suggest that it's allowing the hunt to help cod stocks recover.

'The commercial seal quota is established based on sound conservation principles, not an attempt to assist in the recovery of groundfish stocks,' the DFO says. 'Seals eat cod, but seals also eat other fish that prey on cod.'"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sealhunt/

One more thing--hunting seal pups is not illegal. Only hunting whitecoats is. Pups start to lose their white coats at 12 days of age, at which point they are fair game. 95% of the seals killed during the hunt are between 12 days and 12 weeks of age--they are called "beaters". I consider an animal that is only two or three weeks old a baby regardless of what colour its coat is, don't you? You're right that IFAW got in trouble a while back because they were using pictures of whitecoats during the seal hunt, but they've fixed that and the photo you see at the top of the page is actually not a whitecoat. You can see black and grey fur around its face. You can read more about this on the CBC page I linked to if you like.

[Sasha]

Tamara, I agree. Mostly.

I don't know exactly how much cod or anything else seals eat. I know that seals didn't decimate cod in the first place--overfishing did--but that too many seals could keep them from ever coming back.

And although there are indeed plenty of people out to defend other animals, seals do have a special power that way, and many who oppose the hunt have no problem with the killing of animals that were "bred to be eaten."

Where you're really right, though, is that simply trying to force an end the hunt is not a solution. We must first understand why it happens now and what will happen if it's gone. What will replace it in a place where employment is already scarce?

Now, for all of you. Tim called sealers "uneducated coastal people." Many call them worse. I call them tough, proud humans abandoned by the greedy governments who tore their province apart, and not keen on listening to people who gave a hoot. I dare you to go to Newfoundland and talk with sealers (as I have)and think otherwise.

I do not like the seal hunt. I want it to end. But I draw the line at boycotting seafood, and I will never call sealers monsters or anything of the sort.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I only beg that you try to really understand an issue before forming yours.

[Shana Carlsen]

What is the effect of killing upon the human spirit?

The effect of killing on the human spirit generates conflict within all of us as it clearly violates our mass agreements of which we are finally becoming aware of.

[Jordan]

Personally. I think seal is great, we eat it all the time and the fur keeps us warm 10 months of the year and for the short season of hunting, my account does pretty well to!! So why would I want this to stop? My family has been at this for the last 500 years and roughly the last 20 years people have been protesting it. We dont get our food delivered all year round on trucks in cute little trays, we hunt and gather for the most part and and when theres a dollar to be made from the coat we sure will take it!, we arent stupid. I know people who have went to Brroks alberta and worked at the slaughter houses and seen how those cows are killed, they get a bolt drove in their brain and the gut removed while the cow still kicks, the only difference there are 4 walls around it and it the public are none the wiser. What it boils down to is ignorance, people who watch the sun rise over buildings and have no idea what its like to live on an island in the middle of the north atlantic. Its a way of life and we are damn proud of it! we are as free as the wind and we will continue to use our resources as we see fit. The canadian government have already taken so much from us like the fishery they destroyed and the oil and nickel that just gets shipped out of our province.... but I wont get into that, thats another story all together

[Nina]

Jordan, in germany we say ." other countries - other custums (andere Länder - andere Sitten).
Every country or every nation has it's own or another mentality.
But that's no justification to kill animal babys (here: baby seals) in so cruel and brutal ways.
Of course,..you Canadians say...the seal hunt is an old or has an old tradition and other countrys don't understand that.
But where are your hearts ?
You must accept, what we in other countries notice.
It is not cool, to be brutal and cruel.
I cannot understand this behaviour and I'm not alone with this opinion.
I'm working since 20 years as a female prison guard in different man jails. There were lots of murderes and violence criminals (felons), as well I had in this job to do with members from the HELLS ANGELS and BANDIDOS.
The most of all these criminals had murdered, but no one, no one of these (over 1.000) had ever killed a baby.
The code of honour of all these men is never to kill a baby or an helpless creature.
And there is NO difference wheter it's a human baby or an animal baby.
Killing and torturing a helpless innocent creature is'nt masculine and it isn't cool.
And we women can estimate that !!!
It is disgusting and deterrent or do you mean, a woman like Pamela Anderson would admire that ?
If you are a sealer, then I hope you are not so as we have seen the brutaly and cruelty against the little seals with our own eyes.

[Matt M.]

No Nina you've seen selected clips of what IFAW wants to show you. You haven't seen everything at all.

I could videotape one side of a war and show you the worst, most brutal parts of it on that side. Then I could say that it's all their fault. Nevermind that viewing the entire war might lead you to conclude that it was equally both sides' fault, and that bad things happened on both sides. Sure some seals might suffer but nobody has shown us a full movie of a lot of deaths - only the ones in the most pain are shown to boost donations! What about the Sea Shepherds trying to sink ships? No that's ok because they're 'saving the world' right?

[Nina]

Then bring proofs, matt...,that the seal hunt is harmless and human.
The pictures and videos we all can see are not fakes and ifaw and hsus are nit the only organizations who can document that (see also Franz Weber foundation Schweiz)and RTL, Pro 7 germany.

[Matt M.]

I can't. But at the same time, videos of a couple seals suffering proves nothing either. What if those few seals were the only ones that didn't die a quick humane death?

The point is nobody can truly judge how many seals are really suffering unless they've been out there themselves, or read PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES!
NOT groups with vested interest in having videos of suffering. Are you honestly going to tell me that IFAW wouldn't do that for more money? Or HSUS or PETA? Honestly?

[Nina]

It makes no difference to me wheter these organizations want donations or not.
The fact is, that they are showing the truth.
And also you cannot contest, that the seal"hunt" is a barbaric killing.
And only ONE seal that dies in this way is ONE to much !!!
The pretext, that the seals are eating all the fish away is so few and far between.
And you know about the change of climate.
In a few years nobody neads fur anymore, because it's to hot.
But I#m sure there will be always seal- babykillers who are going on killing only for fun.
What's about the grey seals in nova scotia ???

[Matt M.]

Okay, so you're telling me in a few years the whole world will be so hot nobody will need to wear coats.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Climate change is indeed real, but most major effects would be taking place in 50+ years from now. Even then, nowhere has anybody said the world will get too hot for clothes... that's idiotic.
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf

So, stupid reasoning aside, you're also saying that one seal having to suffer is too much for humanity?
By god, look at all the suffering in the world! How many insects have you killed in your life? How much meat have you eaten! It's IMPOSSIBLE to guarantee that every single thing in this world will live and die a painless existence. If you're that idealistic then move to China, I heard they have this great system called communism that's supposed to be a utopia where everybody is happy. Oh right, idealism has been proven wrong time and time again.

I said nothing about seals eating all the fish. They also eat predators of codfish and so tend to have balanced impact on the ecosystem provided they don't get out of control in terms of population. However, are you suggesting we should let them grow to the point they eat all their food and starve to death? Are you protestors going to go out and feed the ten million seals that will be there at that point? I think not. What do you think involves more suffering? A ten second death or a weeklong starvation? Open your eyes to the way of nature and realize that it's all about pain and suffering. Hunters don't, never have, and never will kill for pleasure. They do it to live themselves.

You are very ignorant and I hope you will eventually stop believing all the propaganda that drives donation money.

[Nina]

Matt, you must read correct.
I wrote...in a few years no on needs fur anymore..., not "clothes"....
Fur belongs to the animals !!!!
I don't have joy to lead an endless discussion, while a lot of baby seals were just brutally killed ...
Our informations from seriousmedias and what we see with our own eyes cannot be disputed.
And we are neither blind nor stupid.
I#m not alone with this knowledge...there are also lots of your neighbours in from the USA..
visit:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/109821355
and
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184