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1st Annual Commercial Seal Hunt Protest
(Picture above: Ragged Jacket harp seal pup. Copyright HSUS.)
As seal hunters and fishermen call on our government for a seal cull, it is urgent we stand up and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! IT’S TIME TO END THE CANADIAN COMMERCIAL SEAL HUNT!
Of the 78,000 harp seals killed in 2017, it is estimated over 90% of these are juveniles between 3 weeks and 3 months old. Only 20% to 25% of carcasses or flippers are brought back to land for food. A mind blowing 75 to 80% are killed for their fur only, corpse dumped at sea.
The ragged jackets, baby seals about 12 days old, are prized kills. Why? This is when the baby harp starts to molt its white coat. As soon as a patch of white fur has shed that baby seal is done for.
These ragged jackets earn top dollar for the sealers and that is because the grey fur underneath is silky soft and has not spotted black yet.
Sealers prefer to hunt grey seals for food. They are bigger and apparently taste better than the harp seals, who are much smaller.
Over the years, various studies have been conducted to assess the level of animal suffering in Canada’s seal ‘hunt’. An analysis by a panel of veterinarians funded by IFAW in 2001 showed that about 40% of the seals were skinned while alive and conscious.
http://www.harpseals.org/
We, as taxpayers, are paying for the hunt approximately $2.5 million per year minimum; with the export value of the seal hunt making barely $500,000. In fact, the seal hunt has run a 2 million deficit and the Government blames it on “Gullible Public” according to draft minutes of a censored Intradepartmental Discussion on Seals. The Department of Fisheries has concealed data on the Atlantic hunt since 2014, when figures confirmed its value declined significantly.
https://www.blacklocks.ca/
The hunt is so violent and inhumane. The Canadian Government realized that as well, and set up a law that no one is allowed within one nautical mile of the hunt without a license to kill or an observers permit. Animal welfare organizations or anyone who is concerned for the seals well-being are not granted observers permit.
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/
Humane Society International states “The commercial sealing industry has been a taxpayer funded make-work project for decades. Canada’s top seal processor is warehousing a stockpile of baby seal skins no one wants, and the sole processor buying seal products is only able to do so with Government financing. Instead of propping up this dead industry with scarce tax dollars, our Government should invest in a buyout of the commercial sealing industry. This plan would involve ending the commercial seal hunt, compensating sealers and investing in viable economic alternatives. Economists tell us a sealing industry buyout would cost Canadians less than the vast subsidies required to continue this brutal slaughter. It would certainly offer more hope for coastal communities than empty promises of future markets for the skins of clubbed and shot baby seals.”
http://www.hsi.org/world/
The seals seem to be the Governments scapegoat for everything and the Commercial Seal Hunt is always the ‘remedy.’ From apparent population control to the cod decline – Cod is 1% of a seals diet. We will have FISHLESS oceans by 2050 because of HUMAN over fishing – but you want to blame the seals? Really??
Please come and take a stand with us on March 26, 2018 at the Ontario Legislative Building. The Government of Canada has to abolish the cruel, inhumane and unnecessary Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt! We will not stand for the barbaric slaughter of seals and let’s put our tax dollars to good use and instead of death and cruelty, let’s put it towards eco-tourism.
(This protest is against the Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt and has nothing to do with the Indigenous Hunt.)
About The Hosts:
Jennifer: I am of Newfoundland decent and actually lived there in a small town for a few years. It was during this time I witnessed a group of seals being slaughtered by Newfoundland sealers with a baseball bat. To say it was horrific is an understatement. I will never forget the sound of their cries, and how many times those men had to hit each seal before the seal actually stopped looking up. I will never stop defending the seals because of that day. Seals have a natural curiosity and innocence about them. Seals are also very intelligent, self aware mammals that do not want to die. No one deserves that type of inherently cruel torture.
Brigitte: I grew up in a small coastal community called Shediac, located in south eastern New Brunswick. As 13th generation born in Canada and Maritimer, seal meat has never been part of my Canadian culture or diet.
One year ago almost to the day, I had the privilege of leading Sea Shepherd campaign Operation Ice Watch. Op Ice Watch raised global awareness of the impact climate change on the seal population. The ice in the Gulf of St Lawrence is melting, thinning and breaking, drowning newborn seals. Each new generation of seals who survive the elements also have to survive the riffles and hakapiks of seal “harvesters”.
Baby white coat harp seals are angelic. I have looked into those big beautiful black eyes. There is an innocence and vulnerability that is undeniable.
Our purpose is to empower each of us who want to end the hunt with facts, not propaganda. Society has become confused and complacent with misinformation and lack of information available about the commercial hunt. Questions and discussions are welcome!
PLEASE NOTE: This event is family friendly and all ages are welcome. We realize the commercial seal hunt is a controversial issue and tempers can flare. Differences of opinions will be discussed in a respectful manner. We reserve the right to delete comments that are hateful, racist, vulgar and inaccurate in nature. We will block offenders.
Note: Please check the Facebook event page for updates.