No seals to hunt this year

RushlimboRushlimbo Posts: 832
edited March 2007 in A Moving Train
Maybe these idiots will club each other this year. Human pelts have to be worth something, even though Canadian pelts would be worth a little less if based on the U.S. dollar exchange rate.
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Lack of ice set to kill start of Canadian seal hunt
By David Ljunggren
1 hour, 30 minutes ago

The first stage of Canada's controversial annual harp seal hunt is likely to be scrapped because the ice floes where pups are born have broken up and many animals have drowned, officials and animal rights activists said on Tuesday.

The first part of the hunt, which had been due to start on Wednesday, occurs in the Gulf of St Lawrence to the south of the Magdalen Islands on Canada's East Coast. Hunters move across the ice floes, shooting and clubbing to death young seals.

Canada's federal fisheries ministry, which oversees the hunt, said the pups had been born as usual this year but the ice floes had then been blown far out to sea and started to break up before the seals learned how to swim properly.

"This is the first time I've ever seen this in 25 years ... for sure there is increased mortality," fisheries spokesman Roger Simon said from the Magdalen Islands.

"There is ice (south of the islands) but there are no seals on that ice," he added, saying the animals were now well out of the range of most of the hunters' vessels.

Activists say the hunt is cruel and unnecessary and want it to be scrapped. Ottawa is likely to spell out this week how many seals may be killed.

Canada says the seal population is a healthy 5.5 million animals and says the cull is needed to keep numbers under control. Last year's overall quota was 325,000 seals.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said unusually warm weather meant the ice cover south of the Magdalen Islands was almost completely missing, adding it feared thousands of harp seal pups had drowned.

"The conditions this year are disastrous. I've surveyed this region for six years and I haven't seen anything like this," said IFAW researcher Sheryl Fink.

"There is wide open water and almost no seals. I only saw a handful of adult harp seals and even fewer pups, where normally we should be seeing thousands and thousands of seals."

Simon said many of the seals had been blown due east into the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Some of them might eventually make their way back to the Magdalen Islands, he added.

"There may be some hunting on drifting ice floes but if there is, we don't expect it to be very significant," he said.

Fink told Reuters she had spent two days flying over the Cabot Strait and had spotted very few seals.

The main part of the hunt takes place in April off the northern and western coasts of Newfoundland, where ice conditions are average, Simon said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070327/wl_canada_nm/canada_seals_col
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Comments

  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    Seals are cute....however no different than butchering cattle...funny how Americans go crazy over this topic...never made a hint of news anywhere until a non-American went for a visit...makes me laugh....so if they sedated the animals would it make it better.

    Its no different than using a gun with wild game...sometimes one shot will kill and sometimes it will take more...point is that the animal still suffers.

    The only people I feel that even have any sort of arguement to this are vegens.

    I would never do this or watch it...however it has been a part of Maritime culture for over a hundred years.

    However I could never kill a seal....they are like cats to me...way too cute.
  • sourdoughsourdough Posts: 579
    Seals are cute....however no different than butchering cattle...funny how Americans go crazy over this topic...never made a hint of news anywhere until a non-American went for a visit...makes me laugh....so if they sedated the animals would it make it better.

    Its no different than using a gun with wild game...sometimes one shot will kill and sometimes it will take more...point is that the animal still suffers.

    The only people I feel that even have any sort of arguement to this are vegens.

    I would never do this or watch it...however it has been a part of Maritime culture for over a hundred years.

    However I could never kill a seal....they are like cats to me...way too cute.
    I do agree with you, except I still think the clubbing is wrong. If they shot the seal or killed it in a more humane way than fine. I'm not anti-hunting but I think all measures have to be taken to prevent any unnecessary suffering.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Drowning is such a better way to die. :rolleyes:
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • The fish get to eat them instead.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
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  • The only people I feel that even have any sort of arguement to this are vegens.

    I would never do this or watch it...however it has been a part of Maritime culture for over a hundred years.

    So are vegans the only people who actually have a conscience?
    And just because it's tradition we should go on with it? Bullfight is a tradition in my country and it's still inhuman. Some ancient tribes used to scalp their enemies. That was a tradition. Uhhh.
    I'm not saying you must be against seal hunting, but just cuz it is a tradition, it isn't necessarily correct.

    Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYPM8ncsR8 -> The video contains scenes that may be shocking/disturbing for sensitive people.
    Real People have no Colour
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  • So are vegans the only people who actually have a conscience?
    And just because it's tradition we should go on with it? Bullfight is a tradition in my country and it's still inhuman. Some ancient tribes used to scalp their enemies. That was a tradition. Uhhh.
    I'm not saying you must be against seal hunting, but just cuz it is a tradition, it isn't necessarily correct.

    Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYPM8ncsR8


    I didn;t watch more than a few secs past the intro,

    If that link has images seals getting tortured and killed, you should probably make note of it.

    It's disturbing to watch a defenseless animal suffer for most people.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
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  • even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    http://www.cbc.ca/22minutes/

    Click on the video/spoof Danny Williams on the budget and cheesies. If we called seals, cheesies everybody would want to eat em. :D
    You've changed your place in this world!
  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    even flow? wrote:
    http://www.cbc.ca/22minutes/

    Click on the video/spoof Danny Williams on the budget and cheesies. If we called seals, cheesies everybody would want to eat em. :D

    'cheesie' seal doesn't sound very appetizing.

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  • I didn;t watch more than a few secs past the intro,

    If that link has images seals getting tortured and killed, you should probably make note of it.

    It's disturbing to watch a defenseless animal suffer for most people.

    I'm sorry... I'll edit the post.
    Real People have no Colour
    Real Love has no Gender
    Real Beliefs have no Religion

    Real Human Beings don't Hate. Please don't Discriminate.
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    I wonder if, from a seal's perspective, it's better to be clubbed or shot than to drown? I guess the end result for the poor seals is the same....
    The only people we should try to get even with...
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  • even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    know1 wrote:
    I wonder if, from a seal's perspective, it's better to be clubbed or shot than to drown? I guess the end result for the poor seals is the same....


    How about tossed around like a beach ball by an orca or two. Damn those orcas!
    You've changed your place in this world!
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    know1 wrote:
    I wonder if, from a seal's perspective, it's better to be clubbed or shot than to drown? I guess the end result for the poor seals is the same....
    That's why the doomed were told to tip the axeman prior to their execution....pass him some loot where he would sharpen the axe and take your head off in one swing. It's better to go quickly....than to suffer IMHO.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • brain of cbrain of c Posts: 5,213
    quote.......Simon said many of the seals had been blown due east into the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.


    i took my car to the garage. the mechanic said i blew a seal. i told him leave my personal life out of it and fix the damn thing.
  • halvhalv Posts: 701
    I would never do this or watch it...however it has been a part of Maritime culture for over a hundred years.

    quote]

    Oh no...those poor Newfoundlanders. With all the baby seals drowning they can't celebrate their "culture" this year, because seal slaughter is a "cultural" part of the Maritimes of course. It has nothing to do with money, that would just be cruel. Even if they didn't earn the meager amount they do selling the pelts to Gucci and Versace, they would still bundle up the kids every March, have their wives make a picnic and walk down to the ice flows. Dad would teach little Jimmy and Jane how to properly impale a baby seals head with a hakapick, and they would laugh and laugh. What's 350,000 butchered seals when there's an important "cultural" event being threatened.

    I'm not trying to be a dick to you Rockin'In Canada, I just get annoyed when the cultural argument is used. You are right that animals killed for food is just as brutal and horrific. We should have respect for all animals, not just cute baby seals. That being said, this seal slaughter benefits very few people for not alot of money. It's almost solely for the fashion industry so ugly rich women can wear the seals as jackets. It is no longer sustainable (another popular argument) for the very reason this first hunt might be called off...they are drowning to death. It is highly subsidized by the Canadian gov't, and if they turned all this effort and money to developing other industries in NFLD they could stop this hunt and stop shaming Canada.
    Plus, hunt isn't the best word for men shooting and clubbing helpless baby seals to death. Almost all of the seals killed are between 11 days to 3 months old, and most of them cannot swim yet or have even had a solid meal. A hunt is when the other animal has a resaonable chance of escape.
  • The music is kinda funky though...

    http://www.newgrounds.com/seals/
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
  • brain of c wrote:
    quote.......Simon said many of the seals had been blown due east into the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.


    i took my car to the garage. the mechanic said i blew a seal. i told him leave my personal life out of it and fix the damn thing.

    I overheard a mechanic yesterday talking about how he had a loose seal. I thought nothing of it at the time until now.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    halv wrote:
    I just get annoyed when the cultural argument is used.
    That's because you believe your culture to be so superior that everybody should do what you say and do. They should believe everything that you believe too. Cultural imperialist.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    halv wrote:
    I would never do this or watch it...however it has been a part of Maritime culture for over a hundred years.

    quote]

    Oh no...those poor Newfoundlanders. With all the baby seals drowning they can't celebrate their "culture" this year, because seal slaughter is a "cultural" part of the Maritimes of course. It has nothing to do with money, that would just be cruel. Even if they didn't earn the meager amount they do selling the pelts to Gucci and Versace, they would still bundle up the kids every March, have their wives make a picnic and walk down to the ice flows. Dad would teach little Jimmy and Jane how to properly impale a baby seals head with a hakapick, and they would laugh and laugh. What's 350,000 butchered seals when there's an important "cultural" event being threatened.

    I'm not trying to be a dick to you Rockin'In Canada, I just get annoyed when the cultural argument is used. You are right that animals killed for food is just as brutal and horrific. We should have respect for all animals, not just cute baby seals. That being said, this seal slaughter benefits very few people for not alot of money. It's almost solely for the fashion industry so ugly rich women can wear the seals as jackets. It is no longer sustainable (another popular argument) for the very reason this first hunt might be called off...they are drowning to death. It is highly subsidized by the Canadian gov't, and if they turned all this effort and money to developing other industries in NFLD they could stop this hunt and stop shaming Canada.
    Plus, hunt isn't the best word for men shooting and clubbing helpless baby seals to death. Almost all of the seals killed are between 11 days to 3 months old, and most of them cannot swim yet or have even had a solid meal. A hunt is when the other animal has a resaonable chance of escape.

    YOu are right about "cultural" not being valid. In Australia, Aboriginals are allowed to hunt dugong near Fraser Island, because it is traditional. The fact that they go out in aluminium boats with outbaords, and use rifles seems to be overlooked. I have far less problem wiht it happeninf in Northern Australia, where Aboriginals are,living more of a traditional lifestyle, to their benefit.
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  • halvhalv Posts: 701
    tybird wrote:
    That's because you believe your culture to be so superior that everybody should do what you say and do. They should believe everything that you believe too. Cultural imperialist.

    Hmmm...that's quite the assumption. All I was saying is this so called "hunt" has nothing to do with culture and everything to do with profit and greed. Take the money out of the equation and the Newfoundland fishermen wouldn't kill another seal. I respect other cultures. I don't respect utter cruelty and greed in the name of "culture". There's a difference.
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