NationStates Jolt Archive

Each spring, people go to Northern Canada head out to the ice flows, to well kill Harp Seals. This sounds cruel and pointless right? Maybe it doesn't, I donno. Anyway, the main justification for it is that it's gives money to fishing villages that because of the fisheries collapse have very little in Newfoundland and Labrador. Here's why I think it's pointless: they killed 300 000 seals this spring, and while the government maintains that it is done in a humane manner, these animals are usually clubbed several times before it kills them, and then some are still alive after that and left with a painful death. Most of them are babies, a few months old or maybe a few weeks old. And honestly, the only reason these communities need the money is that they way overfished the ocean and realized "Holy shit, we don't have any way to make money now". And of course Danny Williams (Premier) is now arguing with Paul Martin over the offshore oil, which he believes Newfoundland won't get a fair share of the revenue from. They know that they really messed up with the fisheries and are trying to fix it with. I say, let them get the damn oil, it 'ell stop them from going out and killing seals. And no, I'm not a big animal rights person or anything, I'm more pointing out something that is a pointless idea, uneccessary and crude. People in all of Canada's major politically parties are opposing it from Liberals to NDP and yes, even some Conservatives. Honestly, what would you use a dead seal for? Anyway, what do you think? Some say it's also humans balancing the equation in nature so that there aren't too many of one species. Well, they over did that with the fish, so I'm not thinking I'll trust them with the seals.

As long as the seals aren't endangered I don't see why hunting them is wrong.

I don't know if they are or not. I think the way they are killed is more at issue.

Frankly I don't care if they boil them alive in hot oil.

Well, what I'm more opposed to is way Newfoundland has gotten itself to this point.

Yeah, overfishing is a problem.

And now they fighting with the rest of the country over offshore oil. They are a bit of a pain. Like Western Canada is all the time :D.

And honestly, the only reason these communities need the money is that they way overfished the ocean and realized "Holy shit, we don't have any way to make money now".

Actually, the only ones allowed to hunt and commercialize seals are the native peoples, curiously the ones that never had access to fisheries or other natural wealth. And Newfoundlanders weren't the only ones to exploit those fisheries: Irish, Sctottish, English, Portuguese, Spanish, USA, practically everybody had something to do in the overfishing of that stock.

It's not only the Grand Banks that are nearly depleated. Almost the whole ocean is now empty.

Stupid humans, they just keep breeding.

Oh, just like the Toronto Annual Polar Bear hunt! *giggle* (Rick Mercer, anyone...?)

Ferryland Sealer
by Great Big Sea

Oh, our schooner and our sloop in Ferryland they do lie
They are already rigged to be bound for the ice
All you lads of the Southern we will have you to beware
She is going to the ice in the Spring of the year

[Chorus:]

Laddie whack fall the laddie, laddie whack fall the day

Our course be east-north-east for two days and two nights
Our captain he cried out "Boys, look ahead for the ice!"
He hove her about standing in for the land,
And 'twas in a few hours we were firm in the jam.

Oh our captain he cried out, "Come on boys and lend a hand!"
Our cook he gets the breakfast and each man takes a dram.
With their hats in their hands it was earlye for to go,
Every man showed his action 'thout the missing of a blow

Some were killing some were scalping, some were hauling on board,
Some more they were firing and a-missing of their loads.
In the dusk of the evening all hands in from the cold,
And we counted nine hundred fine scalps in the hold.

We are now off Cape Spear and in sight of Cape Broyle
We will dance, sing, carouse, my boys, in just a little while.
We will soon enjoy the charms of our sweethearts and friends,
But it will not be long before we're down to the bend

Seal numbers have exploded over the last few decades and I'm not opposed to the hunt. The manner in which they are killed are no different that how the Inuit do them in. Whack 'em till they stop moving, I say

It is a different scenario than in a slaughterhouse or farm where you manage the animals in enclosures until they are ready to cull. It is a HUNT. Just like if you are out hunting deer. Your first shot may not kill the animal. If it gets away it will likely suffer for a long time before it dies of lead poisoning or something.

It is a WILD environment not a CONTROLLED one so culling methods can't be uniform and expected to adhere to a certain standard.

The sad thing is that the PETA people have convinced everyone it is bad by using those fluffy harp seal pictures, therefore decreasing the value of what could be a more profitable venture (although the meat could be very valuable in poorer countries) thereby decreasing the value of a seal's life.