From: SEAL ALERT-SA
Subject: Canada's Largest Seal Hunt - Call It What It Is, 'A Sadistic Seal-Killing Booze Cruise'
Date: April 1, 2008
Dear All Cape Fur Seal Supporters,
Canada's Largest Seal
Hunt - Call It What It Is, 'A Sadistic Seal-Killing Booze
Cruise'
World headlines scream,
'Largest Seal Hunt in Canada'. This translates into 1 seal
slaughtered per sealer per day.
Throughout the
world, it is accepted that to harvest or hunt or catch, less than 5
per day, of anything, is considered non-commercial, in fact, it
is officially recreational.
This in fact, makes the Canadian Seal Hunt, not commercial or even
a small industry, even as a recreational activity. A national
government should have no role in protecting it. An activity
therefore, that can easily be stopped.Why then does Canada go to
such length's to protect a recreational activity?
Canadian Seal Hunt
figures just don't add up. The moment anti-seal hunt groups
excluded Cape fur seals from a written declaration to ban seal
imports, resulted in the need to compare. Recently I wrote to a
number of leading anti-seal hunt groups to assist with verifying
some data on Canada's seal hunt, none replied with data.
In an effort to
understand, what prompts these anti seal hunt groups to promote one
seal hunt over another. Lead me to doing a comparative table of the
Cape fur seal slaughter in Namibia and the harp seal slaughter in
Canada.
The
data/comparison yielded surprising results.
Anti-seal
hunt groups promote the Canadian Seal hunt as the largest in the
world. This implies it is a huge industry and creates many jobs,
playing right in governments hands, and as the pictures of horrific
cruelty to seals pour in all over the internet. There
is massive cruelty on seals during this largest seal hunt for
over 275 000 seals on ice floes. Much more it would seem, than in
Namibia, if their websites are to be believed.
Yet, the
figures don't add up. According to Canada, the seal hunt is
necessary as it creates much needed employment for out-of-season
fishermen and generates $16 million. Although only 3-times larger
than the Namibian Seal Hunt, generates 16-times more than the
Namibian Seal hunt.
The much
publicized capsizing and sinking of a 12-m sealing boat, just 2
days into the sealing season, whilst being towed by Canadian
coast guard vessel, and death of 4 sealers in the first week of
sealing, revealed some extraordinary insight. If media reports are
correct, it appears that after this sealing boat damaged its
rudder, the Canadian coast guard, a much larger vessel, lets call
it a ship, took the small, very light aluminum sealing vessel in
tow. Obviously to tow it back to port less than 20 miles away.
Another un-damaged sealing vessel followed closely behind the
sealing vessel being towed and rescued 2 of the 6 sealers
on-board as it overturned.
The question
is why did 4 sealers drown or 3 were trapped when the boat
over-turned. Towing, the Coast Guard had a full array of rescue
equipment, survival suits and medical officers and even a
helicopter. From what I have read, these 3 sealers were asleep
inside the boat when it overturned. My question is this, in
dangerous sea ice conditions, a boat becomes immobile, requiring a
tow, why on earth would 3 sealers go inside to sleep, on the less
than 20 mile journey back to port?
According to
the Canadian DFO. 14 000 individual sealing permits have been
issued to operate on 1,850 sealing vessels, although they state
only about 6000 sealers actively uses their permits. The seal hunt
lasts for 45 days, and the seal quota in total for three areas is
set at 275 000 seals. 60 organizations and media have applied to
film the hunt, as well.
One would
think, that if the sealing quotes increased, that more sealers
would be active - but not less? More than 50% less, means this is
no lucrative employment.
If we
accept the 6000 and not 14 000, who all have permits. The first
question is why grant 14 000 sealing permits to kill 275 000 seals,
if only 6000 uses them or increase the seal quota? Why would an
out-of-season fisherman turned sealer, not use his permit to earn
his portion of $16 million.
The answer
lies in the figures. Each of the 6000 sealers only average 1 seal
hunted per day or just 45 seals for the whole 45-day sealing
season. The average price of the seal pelt or industry is between
$20 - $50. A Canadian sealer earns therefore a $20 wage per day.
From this must be subtracted the costs of the boat, fuel,
insurance, finance and processing costs - and middlemen.
In
otherwords nothing, perhaps 'booze money'.
It just
does not make sense. That 14 000 fishermen would apply for a permit
to club seal pups to death, when 6000 sealers will only average 1
seal per day. The method used is to first shoot, and in most
cases a singular seal lying on an ice floe, from the sealing
vessel, and then for a smaller vessel to approach the ice-floe,
where a sealer will jump out the boat onto the ice, bludgeon the
seal pup on the head, at times repeatedly, afterwards gaffing it,
and then hauling it back to the sealing boat to be skinned.
When this involves
1 seal per seal for the whole day, why then is so much cruelty
involved? That has gone on for decades, each year. Skinning
seals alive, dragging the seal still alive struggling back to the
boat, kicking it in the head or face, clubbing it
repeatedly, and or shooting it repeatedly?
Surely, if
the intention is to create employment, it can not be very difficult
to humanely kill a single seal per day. After all, they have the
whole day to do it? So why so much evident cruelty?
To me, the
obvious answer, is that far from this being the largest seal hunt.
It is just in fact, the largest 'Booze Cruise' for thousands
of frustrated fishermen, to vent their anger, at helpless seals,
whom they believe, is eating their declining fish stocks. A sort of
government funded or promoted, "Kill for Joy" sealing policy.
Why else
would 3 sealers be asleep whilst being towed or why would a
semi-professional ice-hockey player be amongst one of those
'sealers' drowned?
In
South Africa, we have numerous examples of this "Fishermen
Booze Cruise", its called Fishing Competitions or Derby. Huge
prizes are on offer, and on the day, thousands of 'fishermen' some
wealthy, affluent individuals, take to the sea, with beers in
hand to enjoy the day's outing, slaughter marine wildlife.
To
me, this is why there is such obvious and widespread cruelty. It is
intentional. It is the whole point of the "hunt". This is why the
Canadian government defends it, will not end it and when forced,
attempts to project it as humane, constantly changing the seal
slaughtering regulations when exposed.
Far
from this being the largest seal hunt on earth. This "seal a day
activity", this a sadistic vent of a fishermen's sick frustration,
this is what it is actually all about.
This
is why it is so cruel and why Canada does not want it filmed.
Have a
close look at the comparative attached table (its still a work in
progress)
For the Seals
Francois Hugo Seal Alert-SA
link to sealmancam
CLICK HERE FOR CANADA-NAMIBIA-SEALING:
Canada-Namibia-Sealing1
