Indian trade authorities have slapped a ban on imports of seal products, just as canada. An ethical critique of the canadian seal hunt and an examination. Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. Furcanada atlantic canada seal hunt myths and realities. When cruelty is normal, protecting trade bans and fighting for seals is crucial. Recently, people found that the population of seal pups has decreased precipitously an introduction, n. Showing the human side of seal hunting washington post. There are no words to explain the horror of beating these baby seals and skinning them still alive. Ice conditions have been hazardous and the cost of insurance has gone up to the point many sealers dont bother to go hunting. Antiseal hunt rhetoric ignores facts and suppresses indigenous. I will try and put the facts of other hunts around the world later. Canadas seal hunt is the worlds largest hunt for marine mammals some animal rights groups were given observer permits and monitored the hunt.
Canadas annual seal hunt draws sealers and sceptics as canadas annual seal hunt begins, philip sherwell visits a newfoundland community at the heart of an international row. An ethical critique of the canadian seal hunt and an examination of the case for import controls on seal products andrew linzey summary of main points. Markets reopened after wwii, when the hunt again became profitable, primarily because of demands for oil, fur and leather. Register of shipping only showed one fulltime sealing vessel on its books. Most will become garments, like the winter jacket hanging in.
But theres simply no market to absorb the meat from 70,000 seals per year. At the end of the survey, after having discussed issues surrounding the seal hunt in atlantic canada, a plurality of canadians 44% support closing the commercial seal hunt, and only allowing hunting by aboriginals and others for personal or subsistence use. Harp seals spend relatively little time on land and prefer to swim in the north atlantic and arctic oceans. Each year, tens of thousands of harp seals are slaughtered in a massive commercial hunt on canadas ice floes in the north atlantic. Mar 08, 2016 it is difficult to extrapolate costs related strictly to the seal harvest. Mar 04, 2015 the industry continued to decline through the world wars when sealing ships were claimed for other pursuits and during the depression. Each year, tens of thousands of harp seals are slaughtered in a massive commercial hunt on canada s ice floes in the north atlantic. This has largely stemmed from increased international focus on the seal hunt and increased lobby efforts from antisealing groups, the document states. There are some other locations out there where seal hunting is still legal. If they have excess pelts, they often sell or give them away in their own communities. Justin trudeaus government has come under renewed pressure to ban seal hunting after it emerged that canada is spending far more on monitoring seal hunts than it. The provinces seal hunt has been through some difficult seasons in recent years. The seal hunt would have come to an end many decades ago without the money that has gone to keeping it on artificial life support.
It attempts to evaluate the scientific and political bases for the authorisation and management of the current commercial seal. Activists urge justin trudeau to phase out canadas. The 2008 canadian seal hunt kill quota was 275 000. Fully 97 percent of the harp seals killed are pups under just three months of age. Harp seals are the primary target of the commercial seal hunt, and to a much smaller extent, hooded seals are also killed. When newfoundland joined canada in 1949, its seal hunt became canada s seal hunt. May 03, 20 those involved with the hunt, including hunters, inuits and the fur industry, maintain that it is a sustainable, ethical and important tradition. At least on the atlantic coast, a byproduct of the seal hunt is that thousands of pounds of seal meat, seal bones and seal organs will end up tossed into the ocean. To inform the ethical debate on the annual seal hunt, wwf promoted the establishment of an independent expert panel of veterinarians to assess the treatment of harp seals during the course of the hunt, including the manner in which seals are hunted. The book recounts his numerous confrontations with seal hunters and. About a decade ago, canada adopted a series of new regulations for the hunt. January 22nd 09 amendments to the seal hunt the facts 2009 canadian seal hunt. E book or pdf edited book email encyclopedia article govt. It attempts to evaluate the scientific and political bases for the authorisation and.
Learn about the cruel, ecologically irresponsible, and totally unnecessary seal hunt on. As a matter of fact, there is a possibility that the atlantic cod will never recover. When inuit kill seals, it is primarily for their meat, and adult seals are the usual targets. Demand for seal products has fallenso why do canadians. United states is the largest buyer of seafood in canada, so if we can convince them to stop the trade in seafood until it ceases seal hunt, quite possibly canada reconsider if really makes them follow the same path and risk having multibilliondollar losses or finally change their attitude and stop exercising this wild and unnecessary activity.
Canadas commercial seal hunt animal studies repository. This annual massacre takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of harp seal pups each year. The government agency responsible for managing the seal hunt, the department of fisheries and oceans, has a history of using seals as scapegoats when they failed to manage fisheries well. The canadian seal hunt is the largest marine mammal hunt in the world. Seal information, anatomy, reproduction, feeding, habitat and conservation. Protest the canadian seafood industry by refusing to purchase snow crabs, cod, shrimp, lobsters, salmon, scallops and other seafood caught in that country. This book is however not an ethnographic study on the seal hunt, but. Canada s seal hunting methods have been studied and approved by the royal commission on seals and sealing, which found that the methods used in the seal hunt compare favourably to those used to hunt other wild animals, and.
However, very little information is available on this subject in the scientific literature. There are two main reasons for the canadian harp seal hunt. As fisheries and oceans canada notes, canadas seal population is healthy and abundant. Canada s government has a long history of funding and promoting the commercial seal hunt. Introduction the canadian commercial seal hunt is the largest marine mammal hunt in the world. Quebec photographer shows the human side of sealing. Sep 27, 2017 for many communities in canada and beyond, seal hunting is part of the social fabric, says photographer yoanis menge.
This is 5000 more seals than 2007s kill quota of 270 000. Pinnipeds are found all over the world, and there are 33 known species of them. Courtney, who also hunts deer, moose and ducks, says the seal hunt is the same as any other hunting season. It is an important economic and cultural activity in communities in atlantic canada, quebec and the arctic.
A harp seal pup clings to the ice in the gulf of st. Canada allowed 400,000 harp sealsjust days older than this oneto be hunted. In contrast to many populations of whales, cod and other species that are in dramatic decline in canada, the harp seal is found in record high numbers over five million individuals, so that the current hunt poses no apparent threat to the longterm health of this species. There are two major seal hunts in canada, one in the arctic sea seals hunted by inuit people and one on the east coast a commercial seal hunt. This is despite the fact that canada has banned the killing of whitecoated seals since 1987, and that the inuit never killed white coats. Aug 14, 2019 the sustainable management of canadian fisheries is important to fish harvesters whose livelihoods are supported by the ocean. Animal welfare and the harp seal hunt in atlantic canada. Government of canada establishes atlantic seal task team fisheries and oceans dfo canada. However, very little information is available on this subject in the scientific.
The industry continued to decline through the world wars when sealing ships were claimed for other pursuits and during the depression. For many communities in canada and beyond, seal hunting is part of the social fabric, says photographer yoanis menge. Inuit seal hunting accounts for the majority of the seal hunt, but just three percent of the hunt in southern canada. An ethical critique of the canadian seal hunt and an. Those involved with the hunt, including hunters, inuits and the fur industry, maintain that it is a sustainable, ethical and important tradition. This season, the seal hunt is gaining more attention than usual because seal hunt advocates recently challenged the european union to lift their ban on seal products. Campbell,james wong abstract much attention has been given over the years to animal welfare issues surrounding the seal hunt in atlantic canada. As members of canadian society, and an animal rights notforprofit incorporation, we have always believed that canada has represented itself as a progressive nation but such progression should not include sacrificing and inhumanely killing innocent life for making profit. For more on the history of the seal hunt visit canadian geographic or read the book of men and seals by. When newfoundland joined canada in 1949, its seal hunt became canadas seal hunt. The standardized threestep method for the humane killing of seals, outlined in methods, was included in the conditions of license for the canadian harp seal hunt in spring 2009, the same year it became entrenched in the marine mammal regulations of canadas federal government.
Harp seals are the victims of the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world. Home i hope this educates people of the truth on the seal hunt in canada. Comedy arts music books docs life parents kids kids news indigenous archives mycbc. The standardized threestep method for the humane killing of seals, outlined in methods, was included in the conditions of license for the canadian harp seal hunt in spring 2009, the same year it became entrenched in the marine mammal regulations of canadas federal government this method was developed in accordance with recommendations from the independent veterinarians working group. Fisheries and oceans canada supports and regulates the seal harvest and is committed to ensuring it is sustainable, vance chow, a communications advisor for fisheries and oceans canada, told the dodo. He has written or edited 20 books, including major works on animals. Animal welfare and the harp seal hunt in atlantic canada pierreyves daoust,alice crook,trent k. Takepart is the digital news and lifestyle magazine from participant media, the company behind such acclaimed documentaries as. Dec 10, 20 seal hunt controversy on the second day of the st. In fact, depending on the condition of the ice flows, the sealers may have little difficulty. Canadian seal hunt is humane, study argues the star. Your recent decision to authorize the slaughter of more than a million seals over the next three years is outrageous and indefensible. Seal hunt earth sciences bibliographies cite this for me.
For more on the history of the seal hunt visit canadian geographic or read the book of men and seals by james e. Seal hunt controversy, last edited december 10, 20. The fact that the people of canada rarely consume the meat from the seals they kill indicate that they dont engage in the behavior as a means of survival either. As members of canadian society, and an animal rights notforprofit incorporation, we have always believed that canada has represented itself as a progressive nation but such progression should not include sacrificing and inhumanely killing innocent life for making profit or products. Seal hunting can take place year round in canada, but since most hunters target babies for their fur, they wait until spring, when the seal pups are born. Some inuit may sell excess pelts for commercial gain, but this is by no means a major industry for the inuit, nor does it compare to the commercial seal hunt of newfoundland and labrador. This slaughter continues for many reasons including the value of the pelts, government propaganda, and pride in this socalled tradition. Canadas annual seal hunt draws sealers and sceptics.
Canada, where most of the worlds seal hunting takes place, namibia, the danish region of greenland, iceland, norway and russia. Estimated size of the seal herd off atlantic canada. Seal is a great example of this there are tons of them in canada and they are not at all at threat of becoming endangered. Hunting methods were studied by the royal commission on seals and sealing in canada and it found that the clubbing of seals, when properly performed, is at. Much attention has been given over the years to animal welfare issues surrounding the seal hunt in atlantic canada.
The majority of commercial seal hunting occurs in canada, where millions of seals have been killed for their fur, according to the humane society of the united states. Since canada s annual seal hunt is the largest killing spree of marine mammals in the world, opposition to the seal hunt should begin with that country. Lawrence seal hunt, remi clarke steered his 46foot diane rose away from the ice floes and back toward his home wharf on the northeastern tip of quebecs magdalen islands. As the 2011 commercial seal hunt winds down in canada, the issue is once again heating up in europe. This season, the seal hunt is gaining more attention than usual because seal hunt advocates recently challenged. The hunting season lasts from midnovember to midmay, but the hunt mainly occurs in march and april. The seal hunt provides such low economic return for sealers that it is not an economically viable industry. Harp seals are the primary target of the commercial seal hunt, and to a. Facts about seals, leopard seal, harp seal, weddell seal, monk seal. However, the difference between them and canada is that they do pay close attention to limits. The grey seals have been commercially hunted for their fur in canadas east. It has become apparent that the liberal government of canada holds no regard for the welfare, or the very survival of the harp and hooded seals species. The meat is eaten, the fat is used for a variety of products, and the skin is sold so that these people can support themselves.
The canadian department of fisheries and oceans dfo regulates the seal hunt in canada. C h needs your help with teach kids about seals and the seal hunt. Most of the seals killed in recent years have been younger than one month old. Most of the worlds seal hunting takes place in canada and greenland. An ethical critique of the canadian seal hunt and an examination of the case for import controls on seal products. Hampered by heavy fog and slim pickings, his plan was to dock the vessel for a night or two, unload the 81 pelts his crew did collect, and then head back to sea for another try. The commercial seal hunt, canadas national shame youtube.
Speaking of sustainability, seals are part of the reason why fish stocks are very low although overfishing is also a big issue and the seal hunt not only. Canadas 2008 annual commercial seal hunt in the gulf of st. The canadian seal hunt, as a controversial topic, has become a wicked problem because of the existing conflict between the animal welfare organizations and the stakeholders. Nov 19, 2017 the commercial seal hunt, canadas national shame. Canada s seal hunt is the worlds largest hunt for marine mammals. Canadian seal hunt begins earlier than usual the dodo. Newfoundland and labradors seal hunt has been through some difficult seasons in recent years. Thousands of sealers armed with clubs, rifles and spears headed for the ice floes off eastern canada yesterday for the worlds largest seal hunt. The majority of seals killed in this governmentsubsidized massacre are babies between 12 days and 12monthsold.
This book chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the humane society institute for science and policy. About the canadian seal hunt the humane society of the. The indigenous people of canada who hunt seals for subsistence purposes are not restricted by the commercial seal hunt quota. Canada s 2008 annual commercial seal hunt in the gulf of st. Canadian seal hunt student research on environment and. Canada spends millions of dollars on moneylosing baby seal hunt. That said, the canadian government usually prohibits hunting activity between midmay and the beginning of april, according to aldworth, which is when mothers give birth and nurse their pups. The canadian government allows sealers to kill whitecoat seals. An introduction to the canadian seal hunt harp seal. I will never visit canada again after seeing the horrific seal hunt canada allows.
These sleek swimmers cruise the chilly waters and feed on fish and. In fact, the videotape evidence of the 2005 seal hunt reveals, inter alia, that seals are. About the canadian seal hunt the humane society of the united. Lawrence and around newfoundland, quebec and nova scotia began on march 28. No management and no planis a report written by greenpeace scientists from the greenpeace research laboratories at the university of exeter in the united kingdom. Nov 09, 2012 courtney, who also hunts deer, moose and ducks, says the seal hunt is the same as any other hunting season. Canadian seal pup hunt begins world news the guardian. Antihunting groups noted that, in fact, well over one million seals were. The honourable gail shea, minister of fisheries and oceans, opened the canadian seal hunt amid protests by animal rights groups, at a time when.
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