Research Paper: Seal Hunt

[DFCaper]

I also voted in support for the hunt. I also find it unfortunate that as a result of the animals being in the wild, vs literally stuffed in to cages, caused this silly ban.

My question is, if all of the opponents (Europe and US) have banned all seal products, then why we don't again allow the white coats to be hunted again. I bet Asia and other regions would buy far more white coats than our current product lines. I just don't see any logical reason to keep up this ban.

[bush_cheney2004]

You can also buy eggs, which never even got the chance to be a chick, let alone a chicken.

These are not real chick persons under Canadian abortion law. LOL!

[Guest American Woman]

Even Russia has banned the hunting of seals under one year old.

[Natchuck]

The fact that they are babies does make it different from other hunts from the wild. It's not legal to kill a fawn, for example, and fish generally have to be a certain size before one can keep them.

Again, there are legitimate reasons. There's an objection to the method of the kill and the fact that it's babies.

What about those disgusting suckling pigs they serve in restaurants over there?

[Argus]

Even Russia has banned the hunting of seals under one year old.

The Russians being such an ethical people so utterly devoted to the welfare of nature and animals, right? Are you really so dense you can't tell the difference between a PR ploy and something meant for the welfare of animals? We banned it for the same reason, no matter what your give-us-yer-money-so-we-can-save-pretty-animals web site says to the contrary.

Not that banning it spares us from the whiny complaints of deceitful animal rightists or their gullible airhead followers even twenty years later. You can still see ignorant, dumbass english morons rolling around in white coats in front of the Canadian high commision while some other brainless mongoloid pours red stain on them and hits them with a club.

"Save the pooor baby seeeeaaalllss!"

Let Africans starve to death but by God don't hurt pretty furry puppy eyed seals!

[Guest American Woman]

What about those disgusting suckling pigs they serve in restaurants over there?

Sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about. But this thread is about the seal hunt, and as I pointed out, even Russia has put a stop to hunting baby seals.

Russia’s seal-hunt ban pushes Canada further into isolation

Furthermore, evidently most Canadians support such a ban. Polling shows 85% of Canadians believe seals under one year of age should be protected from all hunting. Well over ninety-five percent of the seals killed are under three months of age. link

[Argus]

Sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about. But this thread is about the seal hunt, and as I pointed out, even Russia has put a stop to hunting baby seals.

Russia’s seal-hunt ban pushes Canada further into isolation

Oh of only we were as ethical as Putin. He won't kill baby seals! Just babies. Thousands and thousands of them. But that's okay! Because he's gonna protect the baby seals!

Furthermore, evidently most Canadians support such a ban. Polling shows 85% of Canadians believe seals under one year of age should be protected from all hunting. Well over ninety-five percent of the seals killed are under three months of age. link

Another animal wacko site which continues to use puppy eyed white coat harp seals in its fundraising. You do realize that the only purpose for that site is fundraising right? None of these groups give a shit about Canadian harp seals.

[PIK]

I think spain is also involved in the ban and they kill bulls just for enertainment. And the fernch enlarging goose livers for snacks.

[Guest American Woman]

I think spain is also involved in the ban and they kill bulls just for enertainment. And the fernch enlarging goose livers for snacks.

Do you think that somehow excuses Canada's killing of baby seals?

[myata]

100% agreement on this one, Argus.

Yep by all signs we are (all) heading firmly and steadily toward the oceans without any fish, seals or no seals. Guess it'll put an end to all issues, naturally. And depending on the effort, may even come in our lifetime.

[Sir Bandelot]

Before humans began to fish here the seals and fish kept each other in balance. However, after we landed and began to take a lot of fish, and because the Europeans took a LOT of fish and continue to do so, the huge cod stocks have diminished to the point of being endangered. Many other species have also been hugely diminished. So allowing the seal population to baloon and take even more is not good for anyone.

And btw, the Europeans have strongly resisted any and all appeals to reason in terms of restricting fishing for decades. Fish aren't pretty so they don't mind hunting them to the point of extinction.

Yeah that makes a whole lot of sense.

Why do people think that it's worse to kill the baby ones anyway? Just because they're babies?

Killin's killin.

[Molly]

Do you think that somehow excuses Canada's killing of baby seals?

To be seeking 'excuse' we'd have to first think there's something wrong with the seal hunt.... but it points out that the stone-throwers live in glass houses.

By the way... polling shows that 100% of Canadians (who hang out in our shop) think your anti-sealing website has no credibility.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Molly

[Guest American Woman]

To be seeking 'excuse' we'd have to first think there's something wrong with the seal hunt.... but it points out that the stone-throwers live in glass houses.

I guess that means every person and every nation in the world lives in glass houses, and should never stand up for any principles or beliefs, because no one is perfect.

But for the record, as I've already pointed out, I don't eat lamb or veal or suckling pigs or any other form of baby animal and I'm sure many in the nations that were mentioned feel the same way. At any rate, I would support a ban on all of those things. But for the record, I think referring to the seal hunt as a hunt is ridiculous given that some of the pups can't even swim yet. Talk about shooting fish in a barrel. Literally. Hardly a "hunt."

By the way... polling shows that 100% of Canadians (who hang out in our shop) think your anti-sealing website has no credibility.

And polling shows that 100% of Americans (who live in my house) don't care what the Canadians who hang out in your shop think about my website. :rolleyes:

Talk about defensive. It seems a good number of Canadians here can't respond to anyone who dares to be critical of the seal hunt with any level of civility or any facts; anything that's presented is merely dismissed as false, having no credibility, or not really the way we think. My suggestion is that you get used to it, because it seems as if more and more of the world is becoming critical of it.

[Sir Bandelot]

Well I've been reading up on seal hunting today and i'm inclined to believe it's a purely emotional issue. Evidence given by some of the finest conservationists and organizations agrees that the use of the Hakapik is humane and should be continued, that there's no current danger to the seal population, but that proper training and techniques of killing should be followed to minimize suffering.

Studies done by the World Wildlife Federation conclude that seal hunting is at least as humane as slaughterhouses, and if done properly is more humane. The animal dies virtually instantaneously. Of course anything can happen during hunting, and animals can be wounded and escape only to suffer and die more slowly. Mistakes are also made in the slaughterhouses. If you really care about animals, consider stopping eating meat entirely. I could show you pictures of tormented looking chickens, they know they're headed for the big family bucket at the kernels. But once they're cooked all crispy and golden brown, most people who cry about cute seals have no problem chowing down on them.

In 1978, Marine ecologist Jacques Cousteau criticized the focus on the seal hunt, arguing that it is entirely emotional. "We have to be logical. We have to aim our activity first to the endangered species. Those who are moved by the plight of the harp seal could also be moved by the plight of the pig - the way they are slaughtered is horrible."[

What's for dinner tonight, AW?

[myata]

I have to admit that I'm sort of of two minds on this. On one hand, should purely emotional responses translate into national policies, certainly no, they should not. In that sense I agree with the crowd here. Either there's something wrong with the way these seals are slaughtered, and then the policy should be applied consistently to anywhere animals are slaughtered without emotion driven jerks. Or if it compares on par with other ways of "harvesting" animals (can't stop being amazed at our creativity in avoiding unpleasanties), then the best would be to shut up and enjoy whatever ethically questionnable national treat we go for, without pointing fingers at others.

On the other hand though, and yes there's the other side to it to, a bunch of grown up guys jumping off helicopters to hack some helpless pups does not strike me (and I'm just trying to be honest here) as a very meaningful excercise. Sure it's absolutely legal and ethically no more offensive than killing a baby pig or sucking out a mussel, alive. But should it be made a matter of national pride, I don't think so. First, for a very practical reason, we may lose more, maybe lot more on lost tourism (yes it translates to jobs also), than we'll ever make off those useless seals. If those guys have to go there and earn their bread that way, so be it there're all kind of jobs out there, who am I to judge but don't ask me to cheer either. I'd be the first to support incentives to reeducate, start business etc. I mean outside of traditional native way of life - and here I'm fully on side, it shouldn't be interfered with in our "civilized" ways that so often make so little sense and lead to disastrous results - who eats seal meat?!! Who needs "vitamin A" pills or woodoo pelts? For all I can see it looks like people just saw a bunch of those animals that happened to exist there, for free and without any profit to anybody, and thought of correcting that mistake. It sounds as dead a business proposition as can be, and sure it shouldn't be unfairly discriminated against, and sure you should be able to earn your bread that way if you need to, but I've no desire to jump on bandwagon making it an issue of national patriocy, chewing on raw seal meat or gobbling vitamin A pills while tying up with pelts any more than I'd expect sealer guys to go bulk shopping for stuff the place I work for makes. Let's use some common sense people.

[Guest TrueMetis]

You realize you're trying to convince a Yankee troll whose only purpose for being on this site is to bait Canadians into pointless arguments.

I'm not doing it for that ignorant fool, it's for anyone who reads what he says an may believe him. (though those people are probably beyond my help)

Even Russia has banned the hunting of seals under one year old.

So what? The Harp seal population that Russia hunts is a fraction of the size of the one Canada hunts. They don't have to deal with a population of 7 million seals, which is higher than the population has ever been. What we have now is a population that is very large surviving on less food if they aren't hunted the population will crash. Seals will continue to be slaughtered whether there is a commercial seal hunt or not, the money that these hunters get to survive with is just an added bonus.

I should have made this very clear from the begining the main purpose of the hunt is conservation, conservation of the animals the seals eat and conservation of the seals.

Do you think that somehow excuses Canada's killing of baby seals?

They are not babies.

[bush_cheney2004]

....What we have now is a population that is very large surviving on less food if they aren't hunted the population will crash.

This makes absolutely no sense...what were they eating to increase population....hamburgers?

[Oleg Bach]

Whales have huge brains and are more aware of things going on than we suspect - now seals - those puppy eyed little fluffy things that garner so much misplace emotion that should go to human children is another matter - wacking them on the head is horrific - growing of tortured artifical chicken is horrific - eating the feces of cows kept like torture victims is horrible..and calling shit E-coli is horrifically Orwellian but it seems to work - so eat shit and die.

[Guest TrueMetis]

This makes absolutely no sense...what were they eating to increase population....hamburgers?

Stuff they've never eaten before they are also ranging farther than they ever have. My link There are also less predators as they have been hit by hunting and fishing as well, directly or indirectly.

Edited May 17, 2010 by TrueMetis

[Oleg Bach]

The consumption of hamburger as part of a steady diet - will decrease the human population - it all works out in the end - you eat dead rotten meat long enough and you become rotten inside and dead. JOKES aside - the seal hunt - if you are doing a paper on it - the core should be how disloyal humanity is to the human family and how they are traitors to their own as they embrace other life forms as their own - people first>

[punked]

Come seals have the second largest natural animal population in the world. They only rank behind deer, and they aint going away. Hunt them, employ northern Canadians. Heck I will start wearing seal if it isn't good enough for those in the EU, Canadians can provide a market for it.

[Oleg Bach]

Come seals have the second largest natural animal population in the world. They only rank behind deer, and they aint going away. Hunt them, employ northern Canadians. Heck I will start wearing seal if it isn't good enough for those in the EU, Canadians can provide a market for it.

You must admit that a collar trimmed in natural material such as a strip of seal pelt is much more cozy than some synthetic made from oil. Is it better to demand more artifical fur that comes from the plastic industry? The EU because of it's age has destroyed most of it's natural resourses including animal pelts..long gone - They have become so artifical that getting warm clothing from a natural sourse is allien to them...LET the EU re-establish it's own natural environs and shut t f up.

[Remiel]

Not too long ago I did take a look at some of the videos on YouTube of chicken factory farming; broiler chickens, as they are called. The things they do on purpose, like debeaking, are just the beginning. I saw one video where chicks just a day or two old were sealed in plastic bags - alive - to be sent off to the labs. Hakapik, or asphyxiation? I saw chicks that had literally been disembowled by the machines, and were left alive. Hakapik, or bleeding out while your entrails lie on the wrong side of your skin? All those chickens are killed before their 50th day. The ones that don't starve because their legs can't lift the bodies that have been bred too big.

[Argus]

Talk about defensive. It seems a good number of Canadians here can't respond to anyone who dares to be critical of the seal hunt with any level of civility or any facts; anything that's presented is merely dismissed as false, having no credibility, or not really the way we think.

Because we've heard it all before from ignorant foreigners. We know you don't know anything. We know you're city people whose idea of hunting is looking for the choice meat in your supermarket's meat section. We know you're responding to dishonest animal rights groups who continue to use pretty puppy-dog eyed baby seals as their primary means of soliciting donations from the morons who keep them in business. And we know that, ultimately, none of you really care about nature or the environment. You're just responding to the fact they have big puppy-dog eyes and you think they're cuuuuuute.

There are hundreds of major species which are endangered, which are in crisis. But what does your lot focus your attention on and donate money for? Harp seals, even though there are millions of them and their numbers continue to grow. People who go to all the effort to donate money for that kind of cause, who organize boycotts of Canadian products, all while remaining completely ignorant of all the world species which are actually in danger, and while doing nothing and caring nothing about them really shouldn't expect more than contempt.

I mean, Jesus, there are people being starved to death, tortured to death in huge lot-loads in a number of countries, and yet these fat, dumbass, people are out sobbing over the harp seals instead - and then of course, searching for bargains in leather handbags on their way home.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Argus

[Oleg Bach]

Old Oleg is going to tell you a story - why when I was a boy we ate anything we killed -- Recently...watching a sports hunting show out of Muskoka..they rationalized a black bear hunt by first showing the cheapest most flimsy plastic dumpster ever made - with a couple of holes clawed out by black bears ---Then this idiot..gets his high tech weapon and shoots this stupid black bear that was about as smart as an institutionalized zoo dweller...The program pissed me off -

If I catch a fish _ I eat the fish.... I doubt very much that this ass hole is going to garbage fed free range black bears. AT least the pelts from young seals are of use....sports hunting is stupid -