Canadian seal hunters bemoan low prices, from UPI

"Some Canadian seal hunters in Newfoundland say they aren't sure low pelt prices and high gas costs make going to sea worthwhile later this month.

"While hunting resumed Monday off New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the upcoming hunt along Newfoundland's northeastern shore isn't as appealing to seasonal fishermen, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported."

More training needed for sealers: vet, from CBC News

"New rules adopted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to ensure seals are killed humanely should be accompanied by better training for sealers, says a member of the veterinary panel that looked into the issue.

"A group of nine veterinarians from Canada, the U.S. and Europe met in August 2005 to look at ways to minimize or eliminate suffering of animals during the seal hunt. One of the recommendations was a three-step process for killing, including bleeding the animal after it has been clubbed or shot."

Reader is against the seal hunt, from the Coaster

"I am asking you at take a hard look at yourselves and your leaders. Why are you allowing a barbaric act such as the clubbing to death of baby animals in the presence of their mothers to take place in your community? Babies that have not yet had a chance to take their first swim.

"It is not going to provide you with any long lasting solutions for your life long problems: for example; high unemployment, lack of training and opportunities. Rather "clubbing" your local politicians will bring about these positive changes. If politicians started to do their job, think creatively and work, it would help you to find dignifying work and repair Canada's image."

Comments

[Maria Bernardes]

How can such a government and its people allow this attrocity and cruelty? How can people in this country close their eyes and pretend they don't see? I am an elementary school teacher. I was talking to my students about animals and we came to the seals. I remember I saw an article in a very important and informative magazine in Brazil called "Veja" like "Time" in the USA. That was years ago and I remember getting so sad and frustrated and helpless. Years ago, now, teaching my students in the USA, it crossed my mind again and I decided to research what had happened since then. It's the same or even worse! Every year is the same thing!!! How can people and organizations tolerate this cruelty? My students were so sad and chocked. They are writing letters that hopefully will touch some people's hearts. Is this killing really necessary? Even if is, isn't there a painless way of doing it? How can these hunters look in their innocent eyes who don't know what it's going to happen to them? They don't imagine that their skulls are going to be smashed and they'll suffer in agony so that someone can make money! Don't these people have Jesus in their hearts?
Please someone has to do something... imagine your babies being killed in this such cruel manner? How would you, hunters, feel?

[Matt M.]

They feel like they need to make a living for themselves. Newfoundland isn't like the USA... especially in the outport communities. Life is harder and every dollar counts. If there was a better alternative to paying off the boat and putting food on the table, they would take it - there isn't. No, that lady offering 16 million isn't going to help (is she going to pay 16 million a year indefinitely?) Ecotourism also isn't going to help thousands of fishermen - would you pay a few grand to go out in the freezing cold to watch a few seals? There are few people who will, and if the hunt closes then there will be no publicity from IFAW and PETA and HSUS - where's their cut of the money then?

[Ellen Lockley]

I cant understand how anyone can agree with what is happening, it is in no way humane and is totally wrong! It really upsets me to see these videos of the poor animals being killed in such a horrible way, it is awful. And to the people that state we only care because they are Cute animals is unbelievable! I personally care for every animal that is being killed in such an awful way, in this day and age there is no need! I dont care what anyone says, the people that go out on the ice and do these awful deeds have no morals and no heart! It needs to STOP and I personally will do everything in my power to help this happen!!!!!!!

[Robin]

The seal hunt is barbaric and arcane. And truth is it doesn't count for very much of the fisherman's income. The hunt is monitored very loosely so the idea of a "humane" and "baby seal free" hunt is mute. If you want to read more check out www.ivorytowerz.blogspot.com

[Robin]

I meant to say "arcaic" not "arcane" which would imply that seal hunting is just misunderstood...which it's not. It's just stupid.

[club sandwhiches]

The seal hunt has to be stopped.

theres no reason for this
cruel and pointless slaughter.

the seals that are still babies coat changes so the stupid sealers think that they are grown up.

dont tell me that seal is not a baby.its still a baby.I cant make it any clearer then that.

get the picture.lets stop this once and for all.

you know seal fur is beautiful and it looks fashionable on the seals and theres no need to be on us at all.

theres lots of other alternatives to be used these days.

they look fantastic in their own fur and we look good in our own skins.
lets keep it that way.

now thats a fashion statement worth making.

[Dylan]

Matt

You need educating, Canada is one of the G8 - the 8 wealthiest countries in the world so you comments about how life is hard and these 'por men' have to make a living is plain wrong and entirely misinformed if you think people are living in poverty and struggling in the outport communities then you need to take a look at whats happening elsewhere in the world for an example of real poverty and admit that there are better and more ethical ways for these people to make money.

[Matthew McDonald]

Well, if you read why the price of pelts dropped, it was because they allowed too many low grade pelts to be accepted in prior years. http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/080407/t040711A.html
So it wasn't because of protests (nice attempt to make stuff up as usual though).
I'd honestly like to see somebody attack me or berate me for wearing fur... stone me to death eh? That would be hilarious, and it would probably end with jail time for them. But why do you keep bringing up violence on people? Why is everybody here so bloodthirsty for HUMANITY?

In any case, keep wishing the hunt will end. The EU really isn't as important as they think they are. That said, they are reasonably important in terms of global backlash, but not so much economically. The big markets are China and Russia. Funny how the lot of you would probably go there and protest against seal hunting before you would protest against human rights abuses.

So, I need educating Mr. Dylan. Where do you live? Do you live in Newfoundland like me? Are you going to tell me you know that everybody in Canada is rich because we're in the G8? Hell, Russia's in the G8 and they don't seem so rich to me. So before you've actually seen the place, stop making extreme generalizations. Newfoundland has one of the worst economies of the nation (Admittedly it is improving as of late due to oil money, but the outports are still terribly bad off). When you go talk to a fisherman or a sealer, come back and tell us he can just get a new job easy enough. That's like me saying that most Africans just don't have the willpower to rise out of poverty.

There seems to be a grading system in place here. Going from least important to most important: hunters, non-vegans, vegans, ugly animals, cute animals.

Act like a human being before anything else. You obviously aren't.

Oh and, I'm not leaving anytime soon. I know it pains you to see logic appear in the forums, but you're just going to have to deal with some opposition to your propaganda.

[Grant]

I am new to this post but I have to say I do not and will never support the seal hunt , being born and raised in New Foundland it's sad that some of my fellow people can't see the cruelty in these hunts. I had a close friendfrom school who's father had said many times it's in our blood.....these are people that refuse to grow with the times ...There are other jobs if they would look for them ..
The bottom line is these fisherman (seal hunters) are not going to change until they are forced to ... Our government doesn't care about them and most of us realize this now ,

[Grant]

I am new to this post but I have to say I do not and will never support the seal hunt , being born and raised in New Foundland it's sad that some of my fellow people can't see the cruelty in these hunts. I had a close friendfrom school who's father had said many times it's in our blood.....these are people that refuse to grow with the times ...There are other jobs if they would look for them ..
The bottom line is these fisherman (seal hunters) are not going to change until they are forced to ... Our government doesn't care about them and most of us realize this now ,

[Justin Parsons]

Another thing I must point out.

All of you protesters haven't lives in the shoes of a fisherman or sealer here in Newfoundland. Maybe, if you weren't so stubborn and thick headed, you'd listen to reason. No, I'm not a fisherman or sealer myself, but I live in this province and I am well aware of what's going on.

You see the act of killing the seals as cruelty. Those fisherman see it as a means of money so they can support there families. You can't just tell that person that he can get a better job, because you obviously don't understand the circumstances.

Next time, study the issue. Don't just shoot your mouth because you believe it's sad to see an animal get killed for means of survival.

[Ines]

Matt M + Justin Parsons:

Looks like you guys are taking over this thread by posting your ridiculous comments to fool the rest of the world and being such proud Newfoundlanders. Have fun in trying to bullXXXX other people here. You Newfoundlanders are as arrogant and ignorant as the rest of Canada.

You'll see how important Europe is to Canada by the time the ban of seal products is introduced. And funny how and in fact we already did: a delegation from Canada, headed by this silly Loyola guy travelling Europe to convince the EU countries not to ban seal products. Do I see here a “tiny” flicker of worry? Hm... so Europe is not important, hey.....?! You might still soak China (a country far away from civilization and just look what is happening in Tibet, scandalous!) in seal pelt. Russia is on it's good way to reconsider the slaughter of seals and that of course will also result in a ban one day.

And stop whining that the "poor" fishermen need this extra income to survive. We all know how much they get (peanuts) for the annual, traditional, commercial Canadian seal slaughter and this is even more ridiculous that the hunt hasn't stopped yet. Quit finding reasons to justify this massacre.

And on this occasion I love to quote "Danuta Sobczyk" in the "Coaster" and she is so damn right:

http://www.thecoaster.ca/index.cfm?sid=124270&sc=319&comments=submit&#thankyou

"Work for the future and leave the job of seal hunting for the tales of Canadian history. The sooner you start "clubbing" your local politicians the sooner they will start helping you"

Have a great time and weekend. You deserve it :-))

Best wishes
Ines from France

[Tooyaah]

Ines, I love you !!!

Thank you for your true and attested comments.
You are writing down what lots of people in Europe are also thinking !!!

[Grant]

Hey Matt , I am Canadian from the east coast and I know what it's like . You guys don't have a leg to stand on when your own people are against it and support the rest of the world in putting an end to the hunt .

[Deb]

My husband is a fisherman, and yes the pay in not brilliant, but he wouldnt go seal hunting. I have seen how these seals suffer, and how it can take as long as 45 mins+ for a seal to die. Some are even hit once but escape under water.. injured badly, and obviously will die later... making its suffering even longer. And this is what goes on every year. My husband is native canadian, (1st Nations) It is part of his traditional food. But we do not beieve in clubbing them to death. The numbers of seals killed are also unacceptable. This is not part of the food chain. The seals are not used for food, the fur is taken and the rest of the seal is left to rot. This is a huge waste. And companies like Prada, D&G etc.. all the big fashion names buy the fur to make big money from people who have more money than brains. And this is the exploitation the government will not stop because they stand to make money.. just like with anything else oil etc. I am a fishermans wife, and yeah its hard sometimes, but we make the effort to find ways of being self sufficent etc. Bashing seals on the head is not an option. There is always plenty of food and fish on the table etc, we do not see a need to seal hunt. And I certainly never will enjoy watching the fashion industry profit from killing baby seals for their fur. In some contries its a tradition to cut certain body parts off... but we dont all think its a good idea do we?? Geez! Wake up and smell the coffee!!! Anyone can exploit animals. But that doesnt make it right. There are ways of making a living without seal hunting. Plenty of animals are hunted humainly.. but this is not one of them. When my husband goes out and hunts a dear, he uses all the meat there is on it and it lasts us for months on end. Everything is used and nothing is discarded and left to rot, like I have seen many seals being left to rot without their fur. It is just plain wrong.

[Stella B.]

Thank you, Deb....for your report.
It's a consolation to know, that there are still OTHER- thinking and -doing people in Canada and that not EVERY fisherman is a baby-murderer.
I hope there are more men like your husband !!!
Wish your family all the best !!!!

[Stella B.]

Thank you, Deb,again....
You are soo right !!!
Every country has it's own animal scandals...
we in germany,too...
but what we are watching from Canada's harp seal slaughtering is the most bad we have ever,ever seen and the cruel behaviour of these baby-killers is representative for the whole country Canada and many,many people here are so shocked, that they will never travel again for holidays to this country, also not buy Canadian products incl. CD's from Canadian musicians...
This seal war is simply not good for Canada's reputation,
but the Canadian government and it's followers have only one thing in the head.....
money, money, money....
it does'n matter where it comes from...
It's a sad development !!!
And always the animals must suffer.
We don't accept this and we continue to fight against this barbaric massacre to the little seals...
We do all we can to prevail a ban from the European commission !!!

[Deb (Canada)]

We shouldnt think that just because we are humans, we are above all other animals and have the right to treat them in any way we wish.
Yes hunting is part of the food chain and has been for many years. Clubbing little helpless baby seals is totally unnecessary. Baby seals are targeted just because of their fur. Lets not forget about all the other animals that became endangered because of this attitude... Gorillas, Elephants, Tigers, and so many other animals beautiful in their own unique ways. All have been exploited. Poeple need to learn the difference between exploitation and the real food chain in hunting. There is a BIG difference between the two. The right balance without cruelty. I really shouldnt have to explain. People will do anything these days to make money. Makes me wonder where they draw the line. If my husband clubbed seals and came home putting the cash in my hand, i know i wouldnt want that money. I would have blood on my hands. My husband is not that way, and always works towards keeping the wildlife we have here. And that makes me very proud of him. When we have children it will be something we will teach them. Respect.

[Leigh-Ann]

Rick, please express yourself without calling other people names. That's all I ask... otherwise you're free to express your opinions. I'm not singling you out, and I've removed a number of 'name-calling' attacks, but they're difficult to keep up with.

[Ali]

What is the reason that not enough people take care on this tragedy.
There are several reason ...

Silence is agrement also this would be one of the last chance to wake up and declarar your opininion.
Hello World wake up, this is the rigth time and right place otherwise we are lost and see you in the Hell.

[Deb (Canada)]

People who swear and call people "sick *()&*(&" are not people I really have time to listen to, as arrogance never does anything good in life.
I have never said hunting animals is a bad thing. However, there comes a point when we need to draw the line, as with most things in life.
According to a 2004 poll by Ipsos Reid, more than 70% of Canadians believe the commercial seal hunt should either be banned or limited to seals over one year of age. (Ninety-seven percent of the 365,000 seals killed in the 2004 hunt were babies under three months, and the majority were less than three weeks old.)

Many Canadian groups are working with us to stop the hunt, including the Vancouver Humane Society, Nova Scotia Humane Society, Animal Alliance of Canada, Environment Voters, Global Action Network, Greenpeace Canada, International Fund for Animal Welfare, World Society for the Protection of Animals-Canada, The Green Party of Canada, and many other Canadian organizations.
Though the harp seal population has increased since the 1970s when they were severely over-hunted, their current numbers are just recovering from an all-time population low in the 1950s. Government scientists estimate that the harp seal herd has been declining since 1996, and the current plan is predicted to reduce the population even further. Poor ice conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where many harp seals give birth, may already be affecting the species as well.
Harp seal experts, The HSUS, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Greenpeace, and the protect Seals Network cite a wealth of scientific evidence showing the insustainability of the seal hunt. Ice cover off the Atlantic coast, where seals give birth, is rapidly thinning, and there is evidence of rising seal mortality rates. Furthermore, cruelty to wildlife, whether rare or abundant, should not be tolerated.
Greenpeace recently came out with a thorough report on the Canadian government's extreme mismanagement of the harp seal population.
The decline of cod and other fisheries is caused by over-fishing, not marine mammals. After reading the report from the internationally respected harp seal biologist, Dr. David LaVigne, who gives evidence that the Canadian government is mismanaging the seal hunt population, and that it is more concerned with its own economic interests than the health of the seal and cod population, I also became increasingly concerned.
In 2001, a report by an independent team of respected veterinarians, who were invited by IFAW to observe the hunt, also concluded that governmental regulations were neither being respected nor enforced, and that the seal hunt failed to comply with Canada's basic animal welfare regulations. The veterinarians found a disturbing number of seals (as many as 40%) probably were skinned while alive and conscious.
As for the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association study claiming that only 2% of the seals were killed inhumanely, some have questioned the reliability of a survey in which those carrying out the killing knew they were being observed.
Subsistence seal hunts are not the target of the Protect Seals campaign. Fewer than 1% of harp seals last year were killed by aboriginal people in Canada. The truth is that the commercial seal hunt near Newfoundland and in Gulf of St. Lawrence is a large scale, industrial slaughter conducted by non-native people. Powerful ice-breaking boats and sophisticated aerial-spotting techniques enable hunters to pinpoint seals with relative ease. This year, the combination of high-tech equipment and old-time brutality will translate into more than 300,000 dead seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The commercial hunt specifically benefits the fur fashion industry. The seals are skinned for their pelts and fat, and virtually all of the seal meat is left to rot on the ice. A very small amount of meat is sold to Canadian factory fur farms. These seals are killed primarily for the European and Asian fur fashion industry, and used by such major designers as Versace and Prada. That is not for subsistence by any means.

The use of seal oil is insignificant, and the Canadian government promotes its use to justify the hunt. There are plenty of alternatives on the market, including flax oil, which does not entail cruelty.
Enforcement of hunt regulations is spotty and inadequate at best. The HSUS Protect Seals team witnessed first-hand the terrible cruelty and brutality of the hunt on March 29. They saw animals being clubbed and left for dead, when the animals were still alive and struggling to survive. One seal, in particular, was clubbed, and she dragged herself around for 90 minutes while suffocating in her own blood. In past years, witnesses have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of animals skinned alive on the ice. They have rarely seen the blink reflex test administered.
The blink-reflex test is very simple. It involves leaning over and touching the dead animal's eyeball. If the animal doesn't blink, it is in fact dead. If it does blink, it's an indication the animal is alive and possibly conscious. Unless sealers administer this test, they have no way of knowing if the animal they're skinning is dead. Last year, witnesses did not see the test administered at all. This is a clear violation of the marine mammal regulations, but one that the government appears unable to enforce.
The commercial seal hunt receives many forms of subsidies from the Canadian government. The Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment reports that the government provided more than $20 million in subsidies to the sealing industry between 1995 and 2001. They are made in the form of interest-free loans and grants to cover wages and capital costs for processing companies, for companies to develop seal products, and for product marketing trips overseas.
Economic analysis shows that the seal hunt has very little positive economic effect on Newfoundland. The Canadian government and fishing industry are promoting the hunt in spite of worldwide opposition that has led to a boycott of all Canadian seafood.
The HSUS is urging the government of Canada to help individuals caught in the tragedy of slaughtering seals to develop livelihoods in other occupations and in other segments of the economy. Few believe that killing seals will continue to be a viable livelihood for the next century.

When the Canadian government banned whale killing, some discovered that whale watching tours were more profitable. In the same respect, The HSUS believes seal and other wildlife-watching excursions would be better for the economy and the ecology of the east coast.

In 1995 Norway killed 2600 seals just over two weeks old under the pretext of scientific research. This acted as the reopening of the Norwegian seal hunt which had been crippled by the European Community ban on whitecoat and blueback seal products. In 1996 27,000 seals were killed by Norway, of which 17,000 were young seals.

Commercial seal hunting also takes place in Greenland, Russia and Namibia, with varying numbers of seals being killed.
There is next to no market now for any seal part, the flesh is reported to be unpalatable (much of it is used to feed other animals on fur factory farms) and there is a glut of seal pelts. According to the Canadian Sealers Association, this glut is because the number of seals killed in the past few years has grown at an incredible rate, outpacing market demand. Some revenue comes from seal oil and seal penises as aphrodisiacs in some parts of Asia. Both these aspects have been highlighted in campaigns, by trying to stop the sale of seal oil and campaigns in Asia against the use of seal penises. Typically seals killed for penises have their genitals cut off leaving the body to rot. The biggest threat now is the apparent burgeoning market for seal meat in Asia and the only barrier to the market opening up to this, is the extreme difficulty in obtaining the necessary paperwork to allow export.
Canada
In 2000 the Canadian government set a quota of over 275,000 seals. The ending of the seal meat subsidy, rising fuel costs, and declining pelt prices resulted in fewer seals being killed (according to the government 92,000 harp seals - one-third of the quota - were killed).

The quota for 2001 remains the same despite government research showing that the seal population will decline if more than 257,000 seals are killed.

Norway
Figures for 2000 show that 20,549 seals were killed.
8,581 harp seals were classed as being 'young', non-suckling pups less than one year old (harp seal pups suckle for an average of 12 days). 1,346 of the hooded seals were young (pups suckle for an average of 4 days)

The quota for this years hunt allows a total of 20,000 adult harp seals and 10,300 adult hooded seals. The quota can be taken as adults or non-suckling young where 1 to 2.5 young equal one adult harp seal (depending on whether they are killed on the West or East Ice) and 1.5 non-suckling hooded seals are equal to one adult.
Pelts which made it to market will sell for £5 to £25 this year, while blubber would fetch 10p a kilo.
Buyers of the pelts include international fashion houses, including Gucci, and British makers of Scottish sporrans.
The Canadian government continues to provide large subsidies for the sealing industry—subsidies clearly listed on government websites.

The government of Canada regularly provides subsidies to the sealing industry through Human Resources Development Canada, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and other federal programs. These subsidies are provided in the form of grants and loans to seal processing plants, sealing industry associations and private companies, and cover capital costs, employee salaries, operating expenses, and product development and marketing.

In 2004 alone, more than $450,000 was provided by the Canadian government to two companies to develop seal products. Additionally, the Canadian Coast Guard continues to break ice for sealing vessels at taxpayer’s expense.

In 2001, the Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment produced a report detailing over $20 million that had been provided to the sealing industry in government subsidies from 1995–2001.
Claims that seal oil markets have grown substantially in recent years are also untrue. Seal oil is a byproduct of the skin trade (blubber is attached to the skins when they are removed from the seals). Canadian international trade data shows that Canadian exports of marine mammal oil in 2004 were valued at just about half of what they were in 2000 It is impossible to characterize this as "substantial growth."
The majority of seal hunting is done commercially, by non natives, not by the native comunity (Inuit). There are few Indegineous people involved in the commercial seal hunt.The same officials who previously told us that some seals only appear to be alive (because of something called the "swimming reflex") after hunters beat them with spiked clubs and leave them to crawl around in their own blood, are now telling us Canada's Inuit depend on the commercial seal hunt for their livelihoods.

If you believe either of these claims, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell you.

No one — not even PETA — has a quarrel with native peoples who truly have no choice but to hunt in order to survive. But that's not what is going on here. Most Inuit live in the Canadian Arctic, in Nunavut and other regions — not in Newfoundland, where the main Atlantic seal hunt takes place. The Inuit hunt year-round and use seals for meat. The thousands of seals who will be slaughtered in the next few weeks are killed for their fur — not for food. Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik says native people in his region hunt "the ring seal, and it's primarily adult ring seals." The hunt in Newfoundland is for harp seals — and it's primarily for babies.

Canadian officials and seal hunters alike take issue with the word "baby," but what else would you call a seal who has not yet learned how to swim or eaten a solid meal? The animals being shot and beaten with hakapiks, so their pelts can be turned into fur coats for a few "don't care" fashionistas, are seal pups — and seal pups are baby seals.

The commercial seal hunt that takes place every spring is an off-season cash bonus for a handful of big-business fishing companies — not a needed source of income for aboriginal peoples. The hunt is about greed, not necessity. Seals are not being stabbed with boat hooks and dragged across the ice to "save" the Inuit.

[Deb (Canada)]

I did try posting the links on too, but this site has an antispam filter, so it flags messages with links on. Most of the information i posted came from documented evidence i found, also my husband is a commercial fisherman and was able to give me some very interesting facts. Also if you go to www.hsicanada.ca/seals/ there are some good resorces at the bottom of the page including an interesting document about Harp Seal Populations in the Northwest Atlantic [PDF]

[Deb (Canada)]

I have read many statements made by the Canadian government, also the DFO, fisheries and aquaculture online sites. They even present a photo gallery.. all nice and clean. No pictures of what actually happens. Even show images on the main page of live baby seals looking healthy and unbutchered. They obviously dont want to show people the images of what exactly takes place, and facts during the hunt. I have seen countless baby seals after being skinned, that have been left behind to rot. Once you see 1st hand evidence, there is no denying exactly what goes on. The Government have every reason to support and want to cover up any grusome realities. So of course they are going to do so. I certaintly wouldnt trust the government with anything. And I am sure alot of people feel the same way. All governments are the same, and will profit from whatever they can get their hands on, regardless of the harm it may cause.

The Canadian government has worked hard to ensure the baby seal dies alone with no compassionate eyes bearing witness.

It is heartbreaking to think that these pups are being bludgeoned to death for their fur. It is devastating to
envision the scene unfolding - greedy sealers rushing about on the ice floes, viciously pounding hakapik into skull to immobilize
the pups, not caring if they are dead or alive before leaving them to pursue other seals, as the pristine ice turns into a river
of blood.

But overriding that heartache is an increasing sense of purpose and resolve. The government works hard to ensure the killing of
seals continues in secret, but the ProtectSeals team works even harder to ensure that this issue is not shrouded from the public
eye and that the inhumane killing of seals on the east coast of Canada is brought to a halt.

I am proud to stand with this courageous and dedicated group of people to protect seals.

1:00 PM

This grows more farcical by the minute. In the past, daily renewal of permits has been relatively easy. This year suddenly the rules have changed.

We have been advised by DFO that we must now present ourselves at the DFO office each morning to renew our permits in person. There is no guarantee that everyone permitted today will be permitted tomorrow. In other words, the media and photographers who were set to document the cruelty of the seal hunt but were prevented from doing so by a combination of DFO machinations and bad weather may not be re-permitted tomorrow.

REUTERS/International Fund for Animal Welfare/
Stewart Cook/Handout
To further complicate matters, the seal hunt begins at daybreak every day. The average start time is 6:00 a.m. DFO does not open its office until 9:00 a.m. Therefore, for a MINIMUM of three hours the killing of seals will continue unwatched and undocumented. By the time the DFO office opens, the requisite paperwork is filled out, and we reach the helicopters, an obscene number of seal pups will already have been slaughtered with nobody watching. What DFO has done is effectively state an intention to withhold observation permits for a portion of each day while seals are being killed. This must not be allowed to continue.

This is the most outrageous stunt the Canadian government and Department of Fisheries and Oceans has ever pulled. It is patently obvious that they do not want anyone to witness the killing of seals in Canada and there is absolutely no low to which they will stoop to achieve their goal.

Who do the folks at DFO think they are fooling? They make representations to the world - indeed they have sent a delegation of government officials and sealers to Europe to make these representations - that the hunt is humane, regulated and fully open for scrutiny, yet their very actions contradict these claims. The seal hunt is NOT humane, NOT regulated and DFO's frantic efforts to block lawful scrutiny of the seal hunt make it patently obvious that DFO itself knows this and is desperate to hide that fact.

I hope the European representatives with whom the Canadian delegation is meeting will ask the Canadians why exactly, if DFO has nothing to hide, they are making it impossible for anyone to witness the seal hunt.

It will be very interesting to see how the Canadian delegation answers that question.


Thursday, 27 March 2008

Today the Canadian government has shown just how far it will go to ensure that the slaughter of baby seals occurs unseen and unwatched. The ProtectSeals team was advised by DFO today that no permits would be issued until Saturday, which means that the entire first day of killing will occur in secret with nobody to observe or document the cruelty.

DFO's excuse is that it does not know how many sealing boats will be positioned to slaughter baby seals when the hunt begins at roughly 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. DFO officials claim that they need to fly over the area to ascertain how many boats are present to ensure that there are not too many observers. DFO knows - as do we - that at least 12 boats will be in position when the bloodbath begins.

This is not particularly surprising to me, as the Canadian government has been following a campaign of blocking lawful observation to the commercail seal hunt for many years. This year the stakes are high - DFO announced the implementation of a 3-step killing process which requires sealers to cut the arteries of the pup sometime after stunning to supposedly ensure the pups are dead before being skinned. This new process does not follow veterinarians' definition of a humane kill and will be impossible to monitork, and the government knows this. The 3-step process is simply an empty gesture - mere lip service to placate the European Commission on the eve of their decision of whether or not to ban trade in seal products.

The government is so terrified of what we will witness and document out there on the ice floes that they are willing to risk the intensely negative PR and the ire of the international community to ensure that the cruelty is not captured on film.

The Canadian commercial seal hunt occurs in public space and it is our right under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to witness it. Each year the government of Canada violates our rights by requiring observers to have permits and to remain 10 metres away from sealers while they are killing seals. Each year we must jump through hoops - sending application forms, attending for an interview, being kept waiting at DFO's convenience, answering the same silly questions and being at the whim of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, because ultimately if he feels that someone plans to disupt the hunt - whether or not they have stated such an intention - he can refuse to issue them a permit. Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we as Canadians have the right to peaceful assembly on public space and have freedom of the press and other media of communication. If DFO succeeds in its campaign to block all lawful observation and documentation of the seal slaughter - including national and international journalists - it succeeds in shrouding the slaughter of seals in secrecy and violates the rights of those unable to attend in person to inform and educate themselves as to the true aspects of the slaughter.

This will not happen.

If the government thinks this will stop us in our quest to protect seals and to bring an end to this intensely cruel and archaic slaughter, the government needs to think again.


Wednesday, 26 March 2008

It's hard to believe that the year has fallen away and we are once again bracing ourselves to witness the inhumane slaughter of seals that occurs annually on Canada's east coast.

Just last month I bore witness to the cruel slaughter of grey seal pups on Hay Island, part of the Scatterie Island protected wilderness area. Then, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans colluded with the government of Nova Scotia to allow sealers to enter upon a protected wilderness area to slaughter up to 2,500 grey seal pups. I was present on the island with Rebecca Aldworth of Humane Society International/Canada / Humane Society of the United States to document their horrific deaths.

Now, it is the beginning of the slaughter of harp and hooded seal pups. The location is different. The species of seal is different. The inherent cruelty is the same. As then, we are here now to bear witness and to document the cruelty to share with the world.

I arrived in Charlottetown two days ago where I joined the ProtectSeals team as they ready themselves to witness and document the atrocity of the commercial seal hunt.

The Canadian commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine wildlife in the world. Baby seals just a couple of weeks old are bludgeoned and shot to death for their skin to supply the fashion industry in Europe. It is a vicious annual occurrence here in Canada and is rabidly defended by the Canadian government and the sealing industry

[Deb (Canada)]

I am yet to see any real believable evidence that baby seals do not go through any suffering. These sites claim that A hakapik is an efficient tool designed to kill the animal quickly and humanely. Marine Mammal Regulations state that sealers must strike the seal on the skull until it’s crushed, and administer a blinking eye reflex test or manually check the skull. I have never actually seen this happen.
Sealers are also encouraged to take a training course on proper hunting techniques, product preparation and handling. However this is not something they have to do by law, this is optional.. as it is stated on the Fisheries and Aquaclulture website. They also stae that
"they are not usually hunted until they reach the “beater” stage of development at around 25 days old." Then why is it that i have seen hundreds of seal pups around 12 days old being clubbed to death?? They also state that "The seals hunted are self-reliant, independent animals." I know for sure that this is not true, as I have seen baby seals as young as 12 days old, unable to even swim at this age, being targeted. Its fact, Ive seen it all happen. Ive even been to an eye specialist, and he says theres nothing wrong with my eyes, i am not on any drugs or medication, so i am not seeing things either.

[Deb (Canada)]

They also say "Seals have been hunted for food, fuel, shelter, fur and other products for hundreds of years. DFO is no longer involved in product support or promotion activities, but the department does encourage the fullest possible commercial use of seals. Seal products consist of leather, oil, handicrafts, and meat for human and animal consumption as well as seal oil capsules rich in Omega-3" So what they are saying is, they encourage no waste, but cannot say for sure. They are not telling us that seals are not wasted, because they know they cannot confirm this. There is a huge market for the fur.. thats a fact, and as long as there is a market for the fur, this will be the number 1 reason for targeting the pups. This is where the majority of the profit is. If you are denying that, then you might as well deny the rest of the fur trade. You only have to look at the big designer names to see the facts about that. There was a time when fur was used better in the way of resorces. Now because of the mass production scale, it is a totally different story. Big industry changes everything, just like i said before. And this is the main cause of the problem.. as with most wildlife issues.