Seal hunting protests - One big gimmick

[Fenris]

Seal hunting opposition websites
Canada embarks on mass seal hunt
"Facts" about the canadian seal hunt (Notice how they barely bring any fact or source)
Stop Canada's massive seal hunt!
Paul McCartney slams Seal hunting policies

But is that all true? Read the following, and don't let yourself be fooled
What motivates Seal Hunt protest Groups?

They insist on displaying pictures of baby white coat seals, they talk about hunters skinning animals alive and some refer to seal hunters as barbarians.

The truth is that white coat baby seals have not been hunted for decades and sealers are not savages who enjoy torturing animals.

The fact is that these groups are actually making more from the annual Atlantic seal hunt than the sealers themselves. Take for example the $77.5 million U.S. the International Fund For Animal Welfare raised last year and it's easy to see the benefits seal huntinig actually bring to protest groups.

If these groups were truly interested in protecting a species, why not fight to protect overfished cod stocks which are truly on the brink of extinction? The answer is simple. Even though seal populations are quite strong, they are far cuter than the lowly cod fish. Who among us would dig deep into their pockets seeing a picture cod fish, but a doe eyed baby seal, now that's a different story.

Atlantic cod stocks are nearly depleated, due in part to overfishing both in Cana da and abroad, but also due to the voracious appetite of seals. The current seal population is larger than it has been in decades and these predators, make no mistake, they are predators, love fish.

Recently Paul Watson of the Sea Shepard Society publicly stated that seals actually eat very little cod, instead they prey on species that eat the cod. According to Mr. Watson, by leaving the seals alone, cod stocks would be increased.
One thing Mr. Watson never mentioned however is exactly what these other predatory species are. Could it be that he didn't say what these species are because he can't. What exactly is eating the cod and are the seals really eating these predators? Does he expect people to believe that seals are eating sharks or maybe it's whales they're. For his sake I hope it isn't the latter because if it is, how will he ever protect both the seals and the whales?

In a way Mr. Watson is right about seals not eating a great deal of cod. They usually just feed on the soft underbelly of the fish, unfortunately once the belly is ripped out, the cod doesn't just swim happily away. Unfortunately as well, the belly alone does little to satiate a full grown seal so after killing the first, it simply moves on to the next cod and the next and the next.

If these groups really wanted to stop seal hunting, rather than using the current tactic of trying to force restaraunts to boycott Canadian fish products, maybe they should try to stop overfishing in Atlantic waters. If fish stocks came back to a viable level, fishers might not need to hunt as many seals to augment their incomes. Instead of taking this type of approach howeve r, they would rather paint sealers as barbarians who love to go to the ice and massacre poor baby seals. Is this even rational?

etc.


New demands drive Canada seal hunting

But the revival is also made possible by a Canadian seal population that was
replenished during the long hunting slump. The Canadian harp seal population
has tripled in size since 1970, according to the Department of Fisheries and
Oceans, to more than five million today.

Fishermen contend that the abundance of seals is hindering a revival of

But so far the outrage has not echoed the way it once did, in part becauseCanada outlawed the killing of the youngest pups to follow Western European import guidelines and stiffened rules and enforcement to ensure that seals are killed quickly and not skinned alive. The government requires novice seal hunters to obtain an assistant's license and train under the supervision of veterans for two years before qualifying for a professional
license.

Some prominent environmental groups that opposed the hunt in years past because of concerns over the sustainability of the Canadian harp seal population have dropped their active opposition. Greenpeace, once one of the most active groups against the hunt, now says it is satisfied that Canada is not allowing infant whitecoat seals to be killed.

hunting seals is no worse than "people taking the heads off chickens, butchering cows and butchering pigs

Did you know that it's impossible for a human to hold those baby seals in their hands? They would bite and try to get away, they aren't docile at all. But then, you see that little miss Brando posing with them? For that to be possible, the little seal was or drugged, or dead.

Cod stocks are on the brink of extinction (but no one cares, they're not cute) due partly to overfishing and overpopulation of seals. And this put other species in dangers, like belugas who are also near extinction.

The fact that those cod stock are so small makes it harder for fishermans to make a living out of it, what do they have to do to put food on their kid's tables? Hunt seals. There has been a few villages that were closed up north because they were dependant on the fishing industry, but there was not enough fish left.

Seal hunting protesters are hypocrites who base their claims more on the look of the little baby seal than actual impact on the environnement. And this is coming from someone who is way more environnementalist than the average, and also more to the left.

[Hub'ite]

Ehhhh tree huggers.

[Fenris]

Ehhhh tree huggers.

I consider myself a tree hugger, but a tree hugger have no reason to be against seal hunting.

[Wild Bill Kelso]

If anything the anti-sealhunt groups use this as kind of a funding drive. Without the sealhunt they wouldn't get near as much sympathy money from the misinformed public. The same public who are guilty of just as much if not more environmental destrcution through thier everyday living habits yet do nothing as that would directly affect thier lives.

[Fenris]

If anything the anti-sealhunt groups use this as kind of a funding drive. Without the sealhunt they wouldn't get near as much sympathy money from the misinformed public. The same public who are guilty of just as much if not more environmental destrcution through thier everyday living habits yet do nothing as that would directly affect thier lives.

Exactly, the first link with quotes talks about that. These groups make more money than the profits generated by the hunt!

[vizi]

Everything was fine when we were an Agrarian society. I saw we give up this industrialized society and go back to our farms and only kill seals and fish when we need to eat them.

:wink:

[MaximiIian]

Ehhhh tree huggers.

Nah. Sealhuggers. Even worse. Environmentalists are okay. I mean, the environment is where we live, too.
But seals are abundant, they're not endangered, or at least not as much as other animals. As long as they use the whole of the animal, and not waste it, I don't see what the problem is.

[the_mango55]

My question is, where can I get a sealskin blazer, and how much would it cost?



But yeah, I have heard about the swelling seal population. My poli sci professor was talking about it while we were discussing global warming. Warming makes it harder for Polar Bears to hunt seals, therefore, smaller polar bear population, larger seal population, and shrinking cod population.

[Fenris]

My question is, where can I get a sealskin blazer

Canada, Scandinavia or eastern europe. Illegal to sell them In the USA and in most of western europe.

[Erik]

I'm not agains hunting seals, but I am against the WAY they kill them.

Some seals are hit once and left alive for several hours until the hunters come back to finish their job.
And others are even skinned alive! (YES, they ACTUALLY skin them alive sometimes, and that's not animal-right bullcrap).
Why can't they just kill them properly in one go?

[vizi]

Why can't they just kill them properly in one go?

I would assume because it prevents them from killing more seals if they take their time killing one kindly.

[Mr.Flint]

But yeah, I have heard about the swelling seal population. My poli sci professor was talking about it while we were discussing global warming. Warming makes it harder for Polar Bears to hunt seals, therefore, smaller polar bear population, larger seal population, and shrinking cod population.

Strangely, Canadian scientists and observation institutions, are saying that currently the polar bear populations are doing quite well.
(There was quite a discussion recently on Toronto Star on this matter, after it printed a story from an Australian scientist...
a number of local scientist responded, and the tone of these was in the lines of "That Aussi never saw a polar bear in his life" :laughing: )

I'm not agains hunting seals, but I am against the WAY they kill them.

Some seals are hit once and left alive for several hours until the hunters come back to finish their job.
And others are even skinned alive! (YES, they ACTUALLY skin them alive sometimes, and that's not animal-right bullcrap).
Why can't they just kill them properly in one go?

Life in the wild is not humane.
Ever seen how wolves kill a bison?
or hyenas killing a baby elefant?
so why do we concern ourself about the "humanity" of hunting?
now cruelty on fur farms is quite a different thing a requires much more attention, specifically dog and cat ones

[RZZZA]

"Life in the wild is not humane.
Ever seen how wolves kill a bison?
or hyenas killing a baby elefant?
so why do we concern ourself about the "humanity" of hunting?
now cruelty on fur farms is quite a different thing a requires much more attention, specifically dog and cat ones "

Some people dont like to be compared to animals in the wild.

I personally cannot witness an animal dying, if its a human doing the killing or another animals, it doesnt matter, I cant watch it because I know I'll feel very bad. If its an insect or a worm or something thats a different story, its true that cute animals, animals with fur or pretty eyes, animals with advanced emotions and big brains and all that, a lot of people dont like killing. Hell, I dont like killing anything, period...sometimes even with spiders I feel guilty about killing, and spiders are my mortal enemies, but that doesnt mean I cant get hung up about wether or not killing it is justified, in my mind I can mull over it for days.

[Garbarsardar]

My only question here is when the seal hunters will decide to become a little bit more clever on the issue. The main fuel in this largely sentimental campaign is the cruel ways of the hunters. A degree of attention and a good PR would probably suffice to put the brakes on the anti-hunt camp.

The hunters have to realize that their livelihood depends on them retaining their ability to hunt seals, and this in turn depends in relieving the Government fron the political pressure.

A little political theatricals could go a long way...

[Mr.Flint]

"Life in the wild is not humane.
Ever seen how wolves kill a bison?
or hyenas killing a baby elefant?
so why do we concern ourself about the "humanity" of hunting?
now cruelty on fur farms is quite a different thing a requires much more attention, specifically dog and cat ones "

Some people dont like to be compared to animals in the wild.

I personally cannot witness an animal dying, if its a human doing the killing or another animals, it doesnt matter, I cant watch it because I know I'll feel very bad. If its an insect or a worm or something thats a different story, its true that cute animals, animals with fur or pretty eyes, animals with advanced emotions and big brains and all that, a lot of people dont like killing. Hell, I dont like killing anything, period...sometimes even with spiders I feel guilty about killing, and spiders are my mortal enemies, but that doesnt mean I cant get hung up about wether or not killing it is justified, in my mind I can mull over it for days.

But essentialy we ARE animals... just smarter than others, and placed outside of the life pyramid.

My only question here is when the seal hunters will decide to become a little bit more clever on the issue. The main fuel in this largely sentimental campaign is the cruel ways of the hunters. A degree of attention and a good PR would probably suffice to put the brakes on the anti-hunt camp.

The hunters have to realize that their livelihood depends on them retaining their ability to hunt seals, and this in turn depends in relieving the Government fron the political pressure.

A little political theatricals could go a long way...

Newfoundland's PM owned, the McCarthneys on Larry King, majorly
it was brutal, he shot them,skinned them and ate them live!:laughing: (Them as in "Paul and his wife")

[Erik]

My only question here is when the seal hunters will decide to become a little bit more clever on the issue. The main fuel in this largely sentimental campaign is the cruel ways of the hunters. A degree of attention and a good PR would probably suffice to put the brakes on the anti-hunt camp.

I agree.

There are enough seals to hunt but not many people wil buy their products just because they don't take the time to hit a seal 3 times in stead if one.

Sure, they can kill a few more seals when they rush.
But if more people buy seal products prices go up so they make much higher profits per seal.

It doesn't make sense to me, maybe they all got hit on the head or something.

[removeduser_487563287433]

It is a bit ludicrous to blame the depletion of fish stocks on seals, but I harbour a certain contempt for animal rights extremists in the first place.

[internationalist]

It is a bit ludicrous to blame the depletion of fish stocks on seals, but I harbour a certain contempt for animal rights extremists in the first place.

I agree completely.
However, that article can hardly be taken at face value, due to its obvious obvious obvious anti-anti-seal hunting agenda. Also, once more, overfishing depleted cod stocks-natural environments operate within equilibriums, its humans who messed all that up, not the bloody seals.

[Fenris]

It is a bit ludicrous to blame the depletion of fish stocks on seals, but I harbour a certain contempt for animal rights extremists in the first place.

No they say the depletion of fish stocks is because of overfishing AND made even worse by the very high number of seals present. The article is clear on that.

[removeduser_487563287433]

No they say the depletion of fish stocks is because of overfishing AND made even worse by the very high number of seals present. The article is clear on that.

I know, but it completely ignores knowledge of ecosystems that a fifteen year old would know. Predator populations decline with prey populations and a balance is maintained.