Zach LarkinsFIGHTING BACK
The annual Canadian seal hunt is set to begin at the end of the month. As always, there are the loud mouthed animal rights activists, who don't know anything about it, straining their vocal cords over how inhumane the whole thing is. Look, I don't care if you're a vegan, that's your choice, but it doesn't allow you to take away from others something that is their source of food and money just to make you feel better.
The European Commission restated its opposition to an immediate ban on the import of Canadian seal products Thursday, but said it would proceed with a study to determine whether the centuries-old hunt is carried out in a humane manner. Why? Studies have already been done by a wide group of international scientists and veterinarians who found the seals are killed in a most humane way. White-coats have been exempted from the hunt since 1987, so those pictures PETA and the rest of the crowd want you to believe are indicative of the kill are just plain lies. Using a hakapik is probably more humane than shooting the seals, as with a gun, you could easily miss and merely wound the animal, but the club shatters the skull quickly, neatly, quietly and gives you 100% certainty that the animal is dead without it having suffered.
Aaju Peter, an Inuk from Nunavut, travelled to the Netherlands with her son to counter "misinformation" she says has clouded people's judgment about a hunt that has attracted increasing scorn across Europe. "People have been informed by the animal rights movement and they haven't had a chance to hear the Inuit side," she said. "I'm worried about the effect a ban would have and I think it is based on misinformation. We were telling them we hunt it and we eat it because we cannot grow potatoes, we cannot grow vegetation. I think we may have begun to shift some people, but it's going to be a lot work because there are a lot of misconceptions." The hunt was valued at $30 million last year by the federal Fisheries Department and supports hundreds of people in eastern and northern Canada who have limited ways to make a living.
Germany has said it will move ahead with a ban, while the Netherlands has confirmed it is also proceeding with legislation to enact a ban. Belgium was the first member of the European Union to ban the import of seal products while Italy and Luxembourg have introduced temporary bans. British Conservative John Bowis, a member of the European Parliament, said the Canadian hunt was "not worthy of a civilized country," and Swedish Green party member Carl Schlyter said the hunt created "appalling suffering." Okay Mr. Bowis, just how civilized is it to have a pack of dogs rip a fox apart during one of your hunts? You don't see us over there giving you grief over that, do you? And Mr. Schlyter, until you actually witness the seal hunt first hand, save your "appalling suffering" comment until you can be certain it is the absolute truth, because it is not.
Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn said that Russia and Norway buy the bulk of Canada's seal exports and he would welcome inspectors from the European Commission, who are expected to investigate practices at this year's hunt. Opponents of the hunt staged modest protests in Ottawa and other Canadian cities Thursday, claiming that the hunt is a cruel slaughter that serves no economic purpose. I don't know about that. It seems to me that $30 million isn't chump change, so there must be some kind of economic purpose somewhere. Maybe a small part of it is people actually making a living instead of relying on welfare or unemployment. Maybe a small part is someone selling the seal meat and being able, thus, to pay their hydro bill. Maybe a small part is selling the pelts to make clothing so someone can make a mortgage payment. Maybe a small part is selling seal oil to health food stores to aid someone else's diet. No economic purpose my eye.
Lenie 't Hart, who runs a world-renowned seal sanctuary in the Netherlands, travelled to Prince Edward Island on Thursday to promote ways to compensate fishermen who leave the industry. "If fishermen on Prince Edward Island decide to no longer take part in the seal hunt, it will set a tremendous precedent," she said about a province that has only 22 fishermen involved in the hunt. "It will be the beginning of the end of the seal hunt." Pretty light on the compensation end of things, Lenie. Come back when you've got something concrete to say. Or would you like to personally pay these people their lost wages if they quit sealing?
As for all you people who might think the seals are in danger of disappearing tomorrow, the hunt is based on a quota system which has allowed the seal population to grow from just under two million to 5.8 million harp seals in the last couple of decades.
Sources: Alison Auld Seal-hunt Dispute Steps Up Canadian Press
The European Commission restated its opposition to an immediate ban on the import of Canadian seal products Thursday, but said it would proceed with a study to determine whether the centuries-old hunt is carried out in a humane manner. Why? Studies have already been done by a wide group of international scientists and veterinarians who found the seals are killed in a most humane way. White-coats have been exempted from the hunt since 1987, so those pictures PETA and the rest of the crowd want you to believe are indicative of the kill are just plain lies. Using a hakapik is probably more humane than shooting the seals, as with a gun, you could easily miss and merely wound the animal, but the club shatters the skull quickly, neatly, quietly and gives you 100% certainty that the animal is dead without it having suffered.
Aaju Peter, an Inuk from Nunavut, travelled to the Netherlands with her son to counter "misinformation" she says has clouded people's judgment about a hunt that has attracted increasing scorn across Europe. "People have been informed by the animal rights movement and they haven't had a chance to hear the Inuit side," she said. "I'm worried about the effect a ban would have and I think it is based on misinformation. We were telling them we hunt it and we eat it because we cannot grow potatoes, we cannot grow vegetation. I think we may have begun to shift some people, but it's going to be a lot work because there are a lot of misconceptions." The hunt was valued at $30 million last year by the federal Fisheries Department and supports hundreds of people in eastern and northern Canada who have limited ways to make a living.
Germany has said it will move ahead with a ban, while the Netherlands has confirmed it is also proceeding with legislation to enact a ban. Belgium was the first member of the European Union to ban the import of seal products while Italy and Luxembourg have introduced temporary bans. British Conservative John Bowis, a member of the European Parliament, said the Canadian hunt was "not worthy of a civilized country," and Swedish Green party member Carl Schlyter said the hunt created "appalling suffering." Okay Mr. Bowis, just how civilized is it to have a pack of dogs rip a fox apart during one of your hunts? You don't see us over there giving you grief over that, do you? And Mr. Schlyter, until you actually witness the seal hunt first hand, save your "appalling suffering" comment until you can be certain it is the absolute truth, because it is not.
Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn said that Russia and Norway buy the bulk of Canada's seal exports and he would welcome inspectors from the European Commission, who are expected to investigate practices at this year's hunt. Opponents of the hunt staged modest protests in Ottawa and other Canadian cities Thursday, claiming that the hunt is a cruel slaughter that serves no economic purpose. I don't know about that. It seems to me that $30 million isn't chump change, so there must be some kind of economic purpose somewhere. Maybe a small part of it is people actually making a living instead of relying on welfare or unemployment. Maybe a small part is someone selling the seal meat and being able, thus, to pay their hydro bill. Maybe a small part is selling the pelts to make clothing so someone can make a mortgage payment. Maybe a small part is selling seal oil to health food stores to aid someone else's diet. No economic purpose my eye.
Lenie 't Hart, who runs a world-renowned seal sanctuary in the Netherlands, travelled to Prince Edward Island on Thursday to promote ways to compensate fishermen who leave the industry. "If fishermen on Prince Edward Island decide to no longer take part in the seal hunt, it will set a tremendous precedent," she said about a province that has only 22 fishermen involved in the hunt. "It will be the beginning of the end of the seal hunt." Pretty light on the compensation end of things, Lenie. Come back when you've got something concrete to say. Or would you like to personally pay these people their lost wages if they quit sealing?
As for all you people who might think the seals are in danger of disappearing tomorrow, the hunt is based on a quota system which has allowed the seal population to grow from just under two million to 5.8 million harp seals in the last couple of decades.
Sources: Alison Auld Seal-hunt Dispute Steps Up Canadian Press
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But yeah, PETA and animal groups are just as guilty of going ovber board as anyone else.
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