Annual Harp Seal Hunt to get underway
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:10 am
CANADA'S SHAME
THE STORY OF THE FAMOUS WHITE BABIES:
Harp Seals:- Adults average about 2 m in length with a maximum weight up to about 180 kg. At birth, the pups are covered with a long, fluffy white fur from which they derive their common name of “whitecoats.” Mothers find their pups among the many whitecoats on the ice floes by scent and reject all but their own.
The pups nurse for only about 2 weeks and are then abandoned to fend for themselves. During that two week period, however, they grow enormously on their mother’s milk which is rich in butterfat. When they are weaned, they weigh about 40-45 kg.
Harp seals feed primarily on small fish and crustaceans. They are reported to be capable of diving to depths of 100 to 150 fathoms and remain submerged for up to 15 minutes. They apparently live for up to 30 years or more.
Aside from sealers, their principal predators are Greenland sharks, killer whales, and polar bears.
Harp seals are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful and gentle creatures on earth. Sadly, it seems, this gentle nature also plays a part in the animal's demise as the Harp seals own the unfortunate status of ANNUALLY SUFFERING THE LARGEST SLAUGHTER OF ANY MARINE MAMMAL SPECIES ON THE PLANET.
Every spring, great numbers of Harp seals gather together on the stark ice floes off the Canadian Atlantic coastline of Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec to give birth to their babies.
Commonly referred to as "whitecoats", these famous babies are indescribably astounding in their innocence, individuality, and beauty. Their images have been captured in a thousand ways and distributed around the world to become one of the world's most recognizable and well known symbols of "cuteness" and innocent beauty.
It is ironic and sad to note that all this recognition does nothing to help their plight or future as these babies are the victims of a brutal annual massacre of their species by a politically driven government.
Every year, when the time is "right" (as soon as the ice conditions permit), a small group of "hunters" find their way to the floes and proceed to club, bludgeon, stun, shoot, and dismember thousands of young and adult Harp seals in a brutal manner of which most people can hardly imagine.
As many as 45% of the animals are skinned alive and the males are routinely dismembered for their penis bone alone. ("illegal" by the ridiculously unenforced set of "government standards and rules overseeing the hunt").
Moreover, independent observers have noted that as many as 1 out of 3 "targeted" seals slip away wounded into the ice holes and sea leads to be uncounted, unnoted, and unused in any way, shape, or form.
This annual killing of the innocents is not only unbelievably cruel and brutal but also makes no economic sense.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MEAT:
Only small amounts of the seal's meat is processed and utilized in any manner. (regulations state that "either the pelt OR the meat must be used for each animal.") It is rarely eaten by non indigenous peoples for food due to its relatively heavy fatty and oily composition. Small amounts are used for the pet food trade or fur farms, while the rest is simply left to rot on the ice.
IT'S NOT ABOUT "SUBSISTENCE":
Few natives or indigenous peoples are involved in the taking of the seals off the coastlines of Newfoundland, Quebec, and Labrador.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT SEAL OIL PRODUCTS:
Buyers from around the world continue to shun many seal oil products produced by pro-hunt businesses. This makes perfect sense as many of these oil products are produced for the vanity and health markets and it seems most consumers can't get excited about using a face cream or "healthy" skin supplement made from horrifically murdered baby seals.
Though the industry tries to hide the fact that their omega-3 oil supplements come from young seals by calling them "marine oils," many consumers are savvy enough to read the fine print and purchase flax seed or hemp seed oil instead.
SO WHY DOES THE HUNT CONTINUE?
Although the complete answer as to why the massacre still continues year after year without the support of the Canadian public is complex, the main reasons are:
1) the continuing (and rising) price for SEAL PELTS and,
2) the government SUBSIDIES that artificially prop up the market value of the seal "hunt" .
3) The way the government rationalizes these subsidies to their people and the rest of the world is through the use of an extensive and continuous wrong information that seeks to blame the seals for the decline of the cod fishery.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE PELTS?
Although the past has always seen fluctuations in the world demand for seal pelts, today's modern times indicate there is a CURRENT GROWING MARKET for baby and adult Harp and hooded seal pelts in some parts of the world.
Keep in mind: SEAL PELTS ARE OUTLAWED IN THE UNITED STATES and WHITECOAT PELTS ARE ILLEGAL IN EUROPE... (although non-whitecoat seal pelts are still legal)
Although it is a fact that certain individuals and corporations do profit from harp seal pelts, it is also true that the pelt business is NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE as the actual market value of the pelts (when factored in with all the expenses that go along with hunting seals), is not sustainable on its own.
-justin-
THE STORY OF THE FAMOUS WHITE BABIES:
Harp Seals:- Adults average about 2 m in length with a maximum weight up to about 180 kg. At birth, the pups are covered with a long, fluffy white fur from which they derive their common name of “whitecoats.” Mothers find their pups among the many whitecoats on the ice floes by scent and reject all but their own.
The pups nurse for only about 2 weeks and are then abandoned to fend for themselves. During that two week period, however, they grow enormously on their mother’s milk which is rich in butterfat. When they are weaned, they weigh about 40-45 kg.
Harp seals feed primarily on small fish and crustaceans. They are reported to be capable of diving to depths of 100 to 150 fathoms and remain submerged for up to 15 minutes. They apparently live for up to 30 years or more.
Aside from sealers, their principal predators are Greenland sharks, killer whales, and polar bears.
Harp seals are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful and gentle creatures on earth. Sadly, it seems, this gentle nature also plays a part in the animal's demise as the Harp seals own the unfortunate status of ANNUALLY SUFFERING THE LARGEST SLAUGHTER OF ANY MARINE MAMMAL SPECIES ON THE PLANET.
Every spring, great numbers of Harp seals gather together on the stark ice floes off the Canadian Atlantic coastline of Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec to give birth to their babies.
Commonly referred to as "whitecoats", these famous babies are indescribably astounding in their innocence, individuality, and beauty. Their images have been captured in a thousand ways and distributed around the world to become one of the world's most recognizable and well known symbols of "cuteness" and innocent beauty.
It is ironic and sad to note that all this recognition does nothing to help their plight or future as these babies are the victims of a brutal annual massacre of their species by a politically driven government.
Every year, when the time is "right" (as soon as the ice conditions permit), a small group of "hunters" find their way to the floes and proceed to club, bludgeon, stun, shoot, and dismember thousands of young and adult Harp seals in a brutal manner of which most people can hardly imagine.
As many as 45% of the animals are skinned alive and the males are routinely dismembered for their penis bone alone. ("illegal" by the ridiculously unenforced set of "government standards and rules overseeing the hunt").
Moreover, independent observers have noted that as many as 1 out of 3 "targeted" seals slip away wounded into the ice holes and sea leads to be uncounted, unnoted, and unused in any way, shape, or form.
This annual killing of the innocents is not only unbelievably cruel and brutal but also makes no economic sense.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MEAT:
Only small amounts of the seal's meat is processed and utilized in any manner. (regulations state that "either the pelt OR the meat must be used for each animal.") It is rarely eaten by non indigenous peoples for food due to its relatively heavy fatty and oily composition. Small amounts are used for the pet food trade or fur farms, while the rest is simply left to rot on the ice.
IT'S NOT ABOUT "SUBSISTENCE":
Few natives or indigenous peoples are involved in the taking of the seals off the coastlines of Newfoundland, Quebec, and Labrador.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT SEAL OIL PRODUCTS:
Buyers from around the world continue to shun many seal oil products produced by pro-hunt businesses. This makes perfect sense as many of these oil products are produced for the vanity and health markets and it seems most consumers can't get excited about using a face cream or "healthy" skin supplement made from horrifically murdered baby seals.
Though the industry tries to hide the fact that their omega-3 oil supplements come from young seals by calling them "marine oils," many consumers are savvy enough to read the fine print and purchase flax seed or hemp seed oil instead.
SO WHY DOES THE HUNT CONTINUE?
Although the complete answer as to why the massacre still continues year after year without the support of the Canadian public is complex, the main reasons are:
1) the continuing (and rising) price for SEAL PELTS and,
2) the government SUBSIDIES that artificially prop up the market value of the seal "hunt" .
3) The way the government rationalizes these subsidies to their people and the rest of the world is through the use of an extensive and continuous wrong information that seeks to blame the seals for the decline of the cod fishery.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE PELTS?
Although the past has always seen fluctuations in the world demand for seal pelts, today's modern times indicate there is a CURRENT GROWING MARKET for baby and adult Harp and hooded seal pelts in some parts of the world.
Keep in mind: SEAL PELTS ARE OUTLAWED IN THE UNITED STATES and WHITECOAT PELTS ARE ILLEGAL IN EUROPE... (although non-whitecoat seal pelts are still legal)
Although it is a fact that certain individuals and corporations do profit from harp seal pelts, it is also true that the pelt business is NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE as the actual market value of the pelts (when factored in with all the expenses that go along with hunting seals), is not sustainable on its own.
-justin-
