If they weren't cute no one would care
Seals that is.
I'm not sure how 'on the radar' this issue is worldwide, or even Canada-wide, but I know that in the Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Nfld. & Lab.) it is certainly a known issue. This 'issue' I'm speaking of is the annual seal hunt off of Newfoundland's icefloes. That's the biggest one, and it always makes the news come the seal-hunting time of year. There are others, of course, but I'm no expert on this subject, I just care. And have something resembling common sense, I hope.
Basically, the seal hunt(s) are always protested loudly and vehemently by animal rights groups and other 'tree-hugging' types. They want it banned, and I just read in today's local paper for the town I live in that the European Commission (exec. branch of the Euro. Union) is (I quote) "expected to discuss legislation Wednesday that aims to prohibit the import of seal products". Again, I'm no expert, but I know that Europe makes up a large portion of the market, and any sort of prohibition will probably cause the ruin and/or poverty if many fishermen in Newfoundland and elsewhere in Atlantic Canada.
Now, I've nothing against animal rights activists. I agree with them that animals should be treated with respect, not subject to cruelty, not over-hunted (anyone with common sense and a few ecology lessons knows that), and not subject to needless slaughter. That's all well and good. But it seems to me (and has for a while - I've just reached my breaking point) that many of those who do protest the seal hunt aren't fully aware of the situation - and I don't just mean those who actually go out and disturb the hunters, the seals, and endanger themselves on the floes during the hunt. By 'those who do protest' I mean almost anyone who says 'oh! It's so cruel and needless, it should be banned!'.
You see, the seal hunt isn't cruel or needless. They don't, contrary to popular belief, kill the white-furred baby seals. Young, immature seals maybe (I don't know that one for sure), but not the cute babies everyone adores. Yes, they do use hakapiks (hammer-like spikey things used like clubs) and clubs, but they have a reason - a gunshot would scare off the rest of the seals while clubbing them just makes the others look at you suspiciously. (Mind you, the premier of Nfld & Lab and the premier of Nunavut, both asked the prime minister to ban hakapiks - so maybe there is a better way. I don't know for certain - the above reasoning is my theory.) Or so I figure. They use guns as well, of course, and that itself isn't any crueler than shooting deer.
Method of death aside, it is not a needless slaughter. Yes, hundreds, even thousands, of seals are killed each year. But the number is only so large because the seal population itself is huge. Many of the Atlantic provinces, NS and Nfld especially, had first built their economy on the fisheries - now, for various reasons I won't get into - the waters have been overfished. The fabled cod stocks are fabulously low. They have been for years, and for nearly as long people have been working to bring the fish populations back up. But there are too many seals. And too few predators. Polar bear populations are declining, as are whale populations. We all know that. So just as every year deer are hunted to control the population, so are the seals. Each fisherman has a quota. The seals have to be hunted. Otherwise the already over-fished waters would lose even more fish and the already stumbling fisheries and impoverished fishermen's lots will only worsen.
It makes perfect sense. And those who are completely anti-hunting... I've yet to hear a convincing argument as to why we shouldn't hunt. Hunting is a natural, necessary part of life. The seal hunt is not overly cruel or at all needless. It is necessary for the ecosystem.
If the above-mentioned legislation is passed it will mean a triumph for the animal welfare activists - and the first step in stopping the hunt. For the hunters - it will mean the beginning of disaster.
I really need an icon with my subject heading as a quote... hmmm...
I'm not sure how 'on the radar' this issue is worldwide, or even Canada-wide, but I know that in the Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Nfld. & Lab.) it is certainly a known issue. This 'issue' I'm speaking of is the annual seal hunt off of Newfoundland's icefloes. That's the biggest one, and it always makes the news come the seal-hunting time of year. There are others, of course, but I'm no expert on this subject, I just care. And have something resembling common sense, I hope.
Basically, the seal hunt(s) are always protested loudly and vehemently by animal rights groups and other 'tree-hugging' types. They want it banned, and I just read in today's local paper for the town I live in that the European Commission (exec. branch of the Euro. Union) is (I quote) "expected to discuss legislation Wednesday that aims to prohibit the import of seal products". Again, I'm no expert, but I know that Europe makes up a large portion of the market, and any sort of prohibition will probably cause the ruin and/or poverty if many fishermen in Newfoundland and elsewhere in Atlantic Canada.
Now, I've nothing against animal rights activists. I agree with them that animals should be treated with respect, not subject to cruelty, not over-hunted (anyone with common sense and a few ecology lessons knows that), and not subject to needless slaughter. That's all well and good. But it seems to me (and has for a while - I've just reached my breaking point) that many of those who do protest the seal hunt aren't fully aware of the situation - and I don't just mean those who actually go out and disturb the hunters, the seals, and endanger themselves on the floes during the hunt. By 'those who do protest' I mean almost anyone who says 'oh! It's so cruel and needless, it should be banned!'.
You see, the seal hunt isn't cruel or needless. They don't, contrary to popular belief, kill the white-furred baby seals. Young, immature seals maybe (I don't know that one for sure), but not the cute babies everyone adores. Yes, they do use hakapiks (hammer-like spikey things used like clubs) and clubs, but they have a reason - a gunshot would scare off the rest of the seals while clubbing them just makes the others look at you suspiciously. (Mind you, the premier of Nfld & Lab and the premier of Nunavut, both asked the prime minister to ban hakapiks - so maybe there is a better way. I don't know for certain - the above reasoning is my theory.) Or so I figure. They use guns as well, of course, and that itself isn't any crueler than shooting deer.
Method of death aside, it is not a needless slaughter. Yes, hundreds, even thousands, of seals are killed each year. But the number is only so large because the seal population itself is huge. Many of the Atlantic provinces, NS and Nfld especially, had first built their economy on the fisheries - now, for various reasons I won't get into - the waters have been overfished. The fabled cod stocks are fabulously low. They have been for years, and for nearly as long people have been working to bring the fish populations back up. But there are too many seals. And too few predators. Polar bear populations are declining, as are whale populations. We all know that. So just as every year deer are hunted to control the population, so are the seals. Each fisherman has a quota. The seals have to be hunted. Otherwise the already over-fished waters would lose even more fish and the already stumbling fisheries and impoverished fishermen's lots will only worsen.
It makes perfect sense. And those who are completely anti-hunting... I've yet to hear a convincing argument as to why we shouldn't hunt. Hunting is a natural, necessary part of life. The seal hunt is not overly cruel or at all needless. It is necessary for the ecosystem.
If the above-mentioned legislation is passed it will mean a triumph for the animal welfare activists - and the first step in stopping the hunt. For the hunters - it will mean the beginning of disaster.
I really need an icon with my subject heading as a quote... hmmm...