Greenland has recently imposed a ban on Canadian seal pelts.Thanks Paul !!!:wayne:

Read here:


http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/current/news_story6.php

Yay! That just made my day.

I'm so glad someone is taking an interest in a moral crime against humanity.
YEAH!!!!!!!

That's great! Yay!

:rockon: Three cheers for Sir Paul!

Oh, waitaminute: Biologists are still unsure if seals prefer to be shot or beaten to death.

:brood: I'm sure if *I* was a seal, I'd prefer to stay alive...

I just got this delightful reply from the Ministry of Fisheries :rolleyes: I thought it was terribly condescending.


Thank you for your correspondence of February 14, 2006, regarding the Atlantic Canada Seal Hunt. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Honourable Loyola Hearn, P.C., M.P., has asked me to respond on his behalf.

We respect an individual's choice to support or oppose the seal hunt; however, we encourage you to form your opinion based on the facts. We hope that the following information will serve to address your concerns.

The harp seal population in Canada is healthy and abundant. The population is nearly three times what it was in the 1970s. This is due, in great part, to the strict conservation measures Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has in place, and our commitment to the sustainable management of all seal populations.

In Atlantic Canada there has been, and continues to be, a hunt for harp and hooded seals. Sealing brings important economic benefits to small communities where other opportunities may not exist. Seals are an important natural resource, that, when harvested in a responsible manner, provide valuable income to thousands of Canadian sealers and their families.

In September 2002, veterinarians from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) issued a Special Report on Animal Welfare and the Harp Seal Hunt in Atlantic Canada. Independent observations of the seal hunt made by representatives and veterinarians of the CVMA were reported and compared to observations made by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The study concluded that a large majority of seals taken during the hunt (98 per cent) are killed in an acceptably humane manner.

The hunt of harp (whitecoat) and hooded (blueback) seal pups has been banned in Canada since 1987. Regulations also prohibit the trade, sale, or barter of the fur of these pups.

Management measures for the seal hunt are based on sound conservation principles and a commitment to strong, peer-reviewed scientific advice. Quotas are set at levels that make the continued health and abundance of the herd the main priority. Following extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, a new multi-year management plan is being developed prior to the major sealing activity in 2006.

To help ensure proper conservation, DFO will continue to conduct at-sea surveillance and dockside checks, monitor quotas, check sealers for proper licences and observation permits, as well as ensure humane hunting practices, compliance with Marine Mammal Regulations, and the proper use of hunting instruments.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write on this important matter. I hope the information I have provided adequately answers your questions and addresses your concerns. For further information, you can visit our website at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/seal-phoque/index_e.htm.

God I just want to scream when I read the crap in that e-mail.

Seals are a valuable natural resource, to be harvested? WTF, they're not a stalk of wheat!

Thats ridiculus... isn't our government wonderful?
Its especially sickening to me that the DFO supports the seal hunt, because my bf works for the DFO... (he doesn't support the seal hunt though, and has nothing to do with that area...but still...)

ETA: Thats great about Greenland though!! Its a step in the right direction anyway... :yes:

Yeah I got that email last year or the year before.

Standard crap & lies.

The harp seal population in Canada is healthy and abundant. The population is nearly three times what it was in the 1970s.

Personally I would prefer there to be less seals who are not at risk of a torturous, extremely cruel death than a larger population that is...

Sealing brings important economic benefits to small communities where other opportunities may not exist... provide valuable income to thousands of Canadian sealers and their families.


This is not a sufficient argument, but one that is used time and again to justify animal cruelty. I think that it's problematic in itself that the government is not providing alternate ways for these communities to make a living.

The hunt of...seal pups has been banned in Canada since 1987. Regulations also prohibit the trade, sale, or barter of the fur of these pups.


I don't think it is any less unethical that it is perfectly legal to slaughter adult seals. I don't think that one seal is any more worthy of protection over another, for any reason - but I am aware that the general public are more likely to be swayed by these things (finding seal pups "cute" and therefore more deserving of protection).

-deleted-

GRRR! :whack: That e-mail makes me want to cry!!! Yes, we do care about the seal's population, but what about the moral view of the hunt? Killing innocent seals is an atrocity! Our government has turned into a callous, unfeeling robot because they made no mention at all about the pain involved with the massive massacre. Personally I would prefer there to be less seals who are not at risk of a torturous, extremely cruel death than a larger population that is...

I totally agree with you. If only the Ministry of Fisheries can understand that...

This is fantastic news. Thank YOu, Paul and HEather.

That email pisses me off so much! GRRR, if I ever get near one of those sealers...

03/26/06 03:02
Seal-Hunt

^Seal-Hunt@
^INDEX:Fisheries Environment International Politics@

GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE -- It's going to be a challenge for sealers
to reach the early quota in the East Coast seal hunt.
The hunt began yesterday, but warm temperatures and thin ice have
left the young seals scattered one or two at a time on tiny chunks
of ice in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Hunters typically use spiked clubs to kill the seals, but many
are using rifles this year because due to the lack of ice they can't
get close enough to the seals.
Most of the seals killed are between two weeks and three months
of age.
The pups can't swim in their early weeks, so if the ice melts
under them, they slip into the water and drown.
The Humane Society of the United States says the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans has failed to take the high mortality rate in
account when setting the quota.
D-F-O spokesman Roger Simon discounts the claim, saying the ice
was good for the critical period of pupping and nursing.
(BN)
---
ktb

This is a very complex situation, but the plight of these seals IS very saddening. A death by rifle will at least be better than the clubs, no? I hope they can find an alternative to this practice.

Could these seals live in the southern ranges of Argentina? Could massive amounts be transplanted to other parts of the world without hurting them? There has got to be a better way.

Bumble, I know how important this is to you, and you've been working for a loooong time trying to save the seals. Keep up the good work. :up:

I was watching CBC this morning and they talked about the seal hunt and how protesters were making it very difficult for the seal hunters. The hunters said they're having a hard time making a living because of the protesters. Did it ever occur to them to do something else? It really struck me as odd.

I was watching CBC this morning and they talked about the seal hunt and how protesters were making it very difficult for the seal hunters. The hunters said they're having a hard time making a living because of the protesters. Did it ever occur to them to do something else? It really struck me as odd.
In that area of Canada, jobs are few and far between. I'm not defending the killing of seals at all, but if there were better jobs, I would like to think they would seek alternative employment. I would hope so anyway.