The Seal Hunt

Luna Lovegood · Aug 20, 2009

Late last month, the EU banned the import of seal products from Canada and other sealing nations. The ban is expected to take effect in all 27 EU member countries in October.

EU officials have said the ban was the result of public pressure to stop the hunt.

Animal rights groups argue the hunt is inhumane, but [Steven] Harper told reporters on Tuesday morning he disagrees.

"This industry, you know, has tight standards, the tightest in the world. The standards of this industry, quite frankly, are better than many other industries that deal with animal products," Harper said.

"There is no reason the seal industry should be singled out for discriminatory treatment by Europeans or any other nation."

Shortly after the EU ban was approved, Trade Minister Stockwell Day vowed to challenge it before the World Trade Organization, calling it an unfair trade restriction.

Canada's East Coast seal hunt is the largest of its kind in the world, with an average annual kill of about 300,000 harp seals. Canada exported about $2.5 million worth of seal products to EU countries in 2008.

Canada's Inuit also have a traditional sealing industry in Nunavut. Sealers in that territory harvest about 35,000 seals annually, up to 11,000 of which are sold on the open market.

Seals are also an essential source of food and clothing for Inuit in remote Nunavut communities.
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Full article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/08/18/harper-seal-hunt.html

I've never been particularly fond of Stephen Harper, but I'm really glad he supports the seal hunt.

The EU was under massive amounts of pressure from the public to ban seal exports from Canada; from many petitions that all have similar platforms. "Hey, see this picture of an adorable baby seal? http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/munozlaura/Baby_seal.jpg
They are killing thousands of these. Please sign this petition." Uh, no. No they're not. If you've had a chicken breast within the last month, why would you sign such a petition? The seal hunt is no different than the beef or poultry or pork or fishing industry. With the exception that the seals aren't bred to be killed, they live free and in the wild well into their adulthood.

The seal hunt is part of the Inuit culture. For many communities in Nunavut, it is their main dish, like the Irish's potatoes. It also provides financial income for isolated communities. If the hunting of seals is banned, those communities will suffer. Many will be out of a job.

The population of the species of seal that are hunted are not affected by the seal hunt. If the population has decreased it is not because of the annual Seal Hunt, it is because of the illegal poaching from fisherman, or the melting of the Arctic ice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Seal

Ŧiмє Яǽрεѓ · Aug 20, 2009

Very good observation. Seals are not endangered, and while the numbers appear large no-one stops and thinks about millions of cows that are killed for their meat and leather. You can't stop the hunting of animals just because they are 'cute' while others aren't. Nature intended humans to be hunters, because nature is not about being nice to every organism you meet.

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The Seal Hunt

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