The Canadian Seal Hunt - It's all for cash

A couple weeks back, I watched an awareness video about the Seal Hunt that occurs every year in Canada, and subsequently made a short 'article' about it, which was posted on my personal LJ. This is that article, though I'm going to great lengths to modify it, not only because the original was almost purely emotion based, but because I feel I didn't cover enough facts in it, nor give people enough to think about. I forewarn that this post is not for the faint hearted. If you don't want to hear about or see the horrible treatment these animals are receiving.. Close the window.

First and foremost, the original video that I watched on this subject can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQgRvRepqs#FP0f1F9ObLs (I can't guarantee it's still there, as it's been a few weeks, and YouTube is unpredictable. But it doesn't hurt to try.)

As those who know me and Seth are aware, we adore animals. We both do what we can in an effort to make a difference, even if it's just informing people of things they might not have known otherwise. It amazes and saddens me that so many people aren't even aware of the suffering so many animals endure at the hands of humans who want to make a quick buck, or think they're 'helping' by going through and killing the biggest, strongest and healthiest of a particular species.

Having done a bit of research on this seal hunt, I can tell you a number of things. The first is that, as far as the law is concerned, 'white coat' pups are not allowed to be killed, that's not to say they aren't, that's just to say that the -law- says they're supposedly untouched. Secondly, many native Canadians I've spoken to think this practice of clubbing the seals to death is not only humane, but that they use the fur, meat, bones, and everything else from the animal. However.. That's not true. I've watched about 4-5 dozen video's taken of this seal hunt, read countless pages on this barbaric practice, and very rarely have I seen or heard of an adult seal being taken. Usually, pups, still with mostly or fully white coats, are the ones bashed to death with what's called a "Hakapik". Research has shown that not only is this inhumane, but it's quite often innefective. Various organizations (And no, we're not just sticking with PETA here, guys, they're psychotic) have done research during the hunt, and it's been found that around 42% of these animals are still alive when skinned. Even if that number has been doubled.. 21% is still a hell of a lot of seals being skinned alive, but, from what I can gather that statistic is not exaggerated. And as much as those who are for this hunt would like to believe that it's necessary, humane, and serves some purpose.. I'm afraid it doesn't. Aside from the abuse these animals suffer, more and more places are completely banning seal products, after finding out what was involved in aquiring that beautiful white fur, making the hunt all the more pointless.

When the original article was written, it all stemmed from the fact that in the comments section of that video, a person insisted that 'white-coats' were never killed, and that all the parts were used. I will agree that in fact, if you want to be incredibly technical, white coats are supposedly safe (As far as the law is concerned).. Right up until the 12-15 day mark, when they begin molting, or are supposed to at least. These animals may have large spots of adult coat, or, they may not even be molting in actuality, just hit that deadly age marker. Either way, they're still pups, and since pups aren't as large as a full grown, sexually mature male or female, (This is assuming they actually use the other parts), why hunt them? Not as much leather, meat, bone, right? No, but there is plenty of that white fur that fetches quite a bit of money, and that's what fuels most people. In my view, if there's a need for population control, or some overt demand for seal products (Which there isn't.), it would make more sense to kill large, male seals, or even adult females who currently do not have pups, or who have already abandoned their most recent ones. The fur is the motivator, no matter what the law, or the locals may claim.

For the sake of curiosity, and perhaps to help others understand, if all of this is done so humanely, then why are there recent videos of these animals having to be clubbed repeatedly before they stop moving, if, as has been stated, the Hakapik is the -most- humane way of killing them, or the ones where beaten seals are dragged around, struggling to breath, snorting out blood, or the latest one I discovered.. That of hundreds of thousands of skinned seals being dumped into a landfill. Did these videos materialize out of thin air, no seals involved? Where do the statistics come from, and where are these supposedly much needed seal meat, liver, and bones for sale? I certainly haven't seen any of it at my local Wal-Mart.

I'll conclude this article with saying; Yes, we do need to kill other animals to survive. Most of us eat meat, most of us wear leather in one fashion or another, or use beauty supplies made from animal products. But some animals we don't eat on a daily, weakly, or even monthly basis, killing them to make money off of their fur is pathetic, cowardly behavior. The excuse 'We need to control the population' has gotten old and tired. Nature and other predators take the old, the weak, to keep the population in check. We take the strongest, healthiest, most beautiful. That's not population control, that's greed, we take them because we can, and because we can get money out of it. We're encroaching on their land more and more, eating up recources that can never be retrieved, partially because we don't have the sense to control our own breeding. We're the ones that need population control. We also need a bit of common sense. Eventually.. People will go too far, even farther than we have now. I can't even imagine the awkward conversation generations from now when some kid asks their grandparents why the only animals are in zoo's and on farms.