BIRT: Canada Should Abolish the Seal Hunt

BIRT: Canada Should Abolish the Seal Hunt

International Reputation

• When countries around the world look upon Canada, they view her as harmless yet, intelligent. This image is being shattered with every seal skinned alive or bludgeoned to death. As we slowly ruin the diversity of our world renowned ecosystem, and cause the extinction of a mammal we’ve grown to love; countries around the world are starting to see Canada in a new, disappointing light.

• In the UK, Respect for Animals and the Humane Society International (UK) are calling on the UK government to ban the import of all seal products into the UK. To date 188 Members of Parliament have signed an Early Day Motion (number 237) in support of an import ban. A recent opinion poll showed that 73% of UK residents think there should be a ban on the import of seal products into Britain. 79% believe that the annual Canadian seal hunt should be stopped.

• International boycotts in response to the slaughter further weaken the “economic” argument. Italy and Greenland recently banned imports of seal pelts, and more than 400 restaurants and companies have pledged to boycott some or all Canadian seafood until the seal hunt is ended.

• The harp seal hunt is a big, bloody stain on Canada’s reputation,” says Watson. “There is absolutely no excuse for butchering helpless babies — it’s an international disgrace.” New Brunswick native and the founder/president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) Captain Paul Watson

• By continuing this inhumane slaughter of seals, Canada is not acting sensibly or responsibly,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “The modest profits from sealing are offset by massive losses in seafood exports and a terrible and indelible stain on Canada’s reputation.” Humane Society of the United States

• The Humane Society of the United States, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston will join animal protection and environmental groups around the world today holding demonstrations to protest Canada’s annual seal hunt. Events are scheduled in Canada, the United States, Africa, and Europe. The groups are gathering in front of Canadian embassies and consulates to protest the cruel and needless slaughter of harp and hooded seals in Canada. A demonstration will take place locally in Boston:

• We are being mocked all over the world, and loosing our friendly, environmentalist Kyoto supporting image, therefore we have no choice but to adopt the resolution, and celebrate over the peaceful image of Canada.

• Mark Glover, UK director of Humane Society International. “In Britain and around the world, Canada’s international reputation is being severely and irreparably damaged by the continuation of this brutal slaughter.”

• Nicki Brooks, director of Respect for Animals. “The British government has already stated its opposition to the hunt, and its intent to explore a ban of seal products.”

Environmentally Harmful

• >In 2003, the three-year harp seal quota granted by the Department of
  >Fisheries and Oceans was increased to a maximum of 975,000 animals,
  >with a maximum of 350,000 animals in any two consecutive years. [5]
  >In 2006, 325,000 harp seals, as well as 10,000 hooded seals and
  >10,400 grey seals will be killed. An additional 10,000 animals are
  >allocated for hunting by Aboriginal peoples.

• By decreasing the population of seals you are negatively affecting the populations of several organisms attached in this food chain. Therefore not only does the seal hunt slaughter 325 000 seals annually, it also destroys the populations of polar bears etc..

• After these 325 000 seals are killed, the carcasses are left lying around, rotting. This causes an excess of nitrates being released into the surrounding waters (gulf, arctic..) which contributes to an algal bloom, which as we know then destroys the populations of fish, and other living organisms in the bodies of water.

• As global warming increases the areas of which seals currently reside, are slowly being melted away. One density-dependant factor of the population of organism is based up the size of the environment they live in. Since we are causing the seals environment to slowly decrease in size, this means less area to live in, which means smaller population. So not only are we slaughtering them, we are slaughtering them in a tiny area, just like shooting fish in a barrel, how heroic.

Not a future Economic benefit

• The Canadian fishing industry is propped up by millions of dollars in subsidies every year. Local fishers make one-twentieth of their income from seal hunting and the rest from commercial fisheries. Even in Newfoundland, where 90 percent of sealers live, revenues from the hunt account for less than 1 percent of the province’s economy. Nor is sealing a livelihood for native tribes; most sealers are commercial fishers who use large boats to break through the ice to reach the baby seals.
• International boycotts in response to the slaughter further weaken the “economic” argument. Italy and Greenland recently banned imports of seal pelts, and more than 400 restaurants and companies have pledged to boycott some or all Canadian seafood until the seal hunt is ended.
• Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by fishers from Canada’s East Coast. They earn a small fraction of their incomes from sealing—primarily from the sale of seal pelts to European fashion markets. But the vast majority of the sealers’ incomes are from commercial fisheries. Canadian seafood exports to the United States contribute $3 billion annually to the Canadian economy—dwarfing the few million dollars provided by the seal hunt. The connection between the commercial fishing industry and the seal hunt in Canada gives consumers all over the world the power

• Realistically, as I have stated before, with the increase in countries boycotting Canada, and banning the seal hunt. As well with the very tiny profit created as my esteemed colleague has pointed out, there simply is no hope for a future seal industry. Instead of putting all of the countries eggs into a broken basket, one can clearly see that the world demand for seal pelts, or seal penis, is shrinking drastically. Therefore these Newfys that the opposition cherishes so much, have little hope for an economic future since many will be unemployed. Therefore, the country should focus on a more successful, profitable resource that is not being banned around the world as we speak.