Harp Seal Cull

(Photo credit: Hicker Photo)

The planet is full of murderers. Japan kills hundreds of whales with excuses ranging from scientific research to it being a part of their culture. Canada kills thousands of harp seals because their rural communities need the money and because they, too, call it tradition and part of their culture. What a bunch of blathering horse poop.

Color me stupid, but in today's technological age, there are literally thousands of ways one can make money from anywhere on the planet without having to club a seal pup to death.

Sea Shepherd is currently on it's way to Canada to attempt intervention on this years harp seal cull. Canada has set their quota this year to be around the 275,000 mark, with most of the seal pups being under 3 months of age.

Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Loyola Hearn says:

"Canada's seal hunt is humane, sustainable and responsible," the minister said. "A number of independent reports have supported this over the years, including the recent European Food Safety Authority report on the animal welfare aspects of global seal hunts."

How would Mr. Hearn feel if someone stood over him with a club and bashed his head in, all the while saying to him over and over "Killing you is humane, sustainable, and responsible."

People like this make me sick.

(Photo credit: Humane Society)

Canada has ordered Sea Shepherd to stay away from the seal hunt or face prosecution under Canadian Law.

Paul Watson states that he complies within the law and has the right of passage.

Just like there has been no scientific evidence that proves the Japan whalers are indeed killing whales for this purpose, the same applies to the killing of harp seals.

Excerpt:

In its examination of Canada's commercial seal hunt, the European Food Safety Authority scientists found that:

• there is strong evidence that, in practice, effective killing does not always occur
• there is evidence that, during Canada's commercial seal hunt, animals suffer pain and distress
• sealers often do not comply with the Canadian regulations in relation to manually checking the skull or administering a blinking reflex test
• in contrast to current practice, attempts to kill seals should not be made where the seal does not pose a stable target or the sealer may be unbalanced, such as on shifting ice floes
• seal hunts should be opened up to independent inspections without undue interference

The European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, concludes that seals should be recognized as sentient marine mammals that can experience pain, distress, fear, and other forms of suffering - not fish, as they are classified in Canada. It also recommends that seals should be protected from killing and skinning practices that cause them pain, distress, and avoidable suffering.

At least there are a growing number of countries who are protesting this culling and have created national bans on seal products. These currently include Belgium and the Netherlands and countries strongly considering this include Germany, Italy, and Austria.

While the hunt begins this Friday, there are delegates from Canada heading to Europe to lobby for their seal hunting industry. Canada could soon face sanctions on this from 27 nations.

I say sanction them up the butt and do it fast.

Meanwhile, let your voices be heard by sending a message to Canada's Minister of International Trade, David Emerson, below:

Take Action against the Canadian Harp Seal Cull

Mahalo,

Dolphin