Canada's controversial seal hunt produces less-than-savory images

If you like seals and other marine mammals, then this is not a good week for you: Canada's annual slaughter known as the East Coast seal hunt began Monday and it is not a pretty sight.

Nobody supports it but the Canadian government -- which assures that the killing of more than 300,000 seals is humane and necessary to control seal populations -- and the remote communities that sell harp seal pelts and blubber mostly to China, Russia and Norway.

A European Parliament committee labeled the hunt, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence ice floes near Quebec's Iles de la Madaleine, "inherently inhumane" and had supported a bill that would ban the import of seal products to the 27-member union.

The Humane Society of the United States is on site and is asking that people boycott Canadian seafood and  express opposition in an online campaign.

Wrote HSUS/Canada's Rebecca Aldworth: "The blood was visible from the air, from 2,000 feet away. The carcasses were dumped — as they always are — left to rot in the blood of the slaughtered seals. These seals are killed for their fur in a pointless slaughter, all for vanity and fashion.

"From the air, we could see the babies try to crawl away, to escape as the sealers bore down on them.

"But they were no match for men armed with hakapiks and knives. In seconds, the sealers reached the defenseless pups, and beat the terrified animals to death."

If that's considered humane, then so is firing exploding harpoons into whales. At least the Japanese, during their annual whale hunts off Antarctica, claim to be acting in the name of research.

Thankfully, the United States has a longstanding ban on seal products.

-- Pete Thomas

Photos: Harp seal carcasses litter the ice during the annual East Coast seal hunt in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence around Quebec's Iles de la Madeleine. Canada's Fisheries Department has set a combined allowable catch for this year's East Coast seal hunt of 338,200 harp, hooded and grey seals. In second photo, a young harp seal rests on the ice floes. Credit: Associated Press (top) and Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press

Comments

[steve]

I can't believe this goes on and on every year. We are all to blame for letting this happen and it makes me sick to be a part of the so called human race. those of you out there that make your comments to justify this have no morals and in the end 'it will be all of us who will pay for these acts of stupidity and crulity against another poor inocent baby seal. we are the worst beings on the planet and as such have no rights to be here. I pray for all of us.

[amy]

i think what you are doing is crul. why should you kill them they did not do anything to you. we can live with-out their fur we dont need it we would reather keep them alive then have their fur. how would you like it if someone just came up to you and wacking you to death how would you like that so please can someone make a STOP to this ASAP before and more seal die for their fur and pelt and it is not just me their are thousands of more peole thinking and doing the same thing so PLEASE STOP ASAP. why would you want to do something so bad to poor inercent seal that have not done anything wrong. if they get extinct everyone will blam it on canadias and i mean EVERYONE!!!!. we just ask you to STOP plesea

[Jill Cantou]

That's odd. I didn't know that bashing in the head of a baby seal pup was humane. I really don't think people on here could sound any stupider trying to defend these horrible things they're doing to the seal pups. How heartless could you possibly be? Go make your cash off of killing helpless little seal pups and feel good about it now because you'll get yours in the end. Talk about respect...how about we talk about K A R M A!!!!!!

[Bearclaw]

"Nobody supports it but the Canadian government "

Really? What about the World Wildlife Fund, who support a sustainable level of seal hunting (levels which the Canadian Government is in line with)?

http://www.panda.org/faq/response.cfm?hdnQuestionId=11320030954082

This has been a way of life for the Inuit people since well before Europeans even set foot on the North American continent. It may offend the delicate sensibilities of the rest of the planet, but the seal population is NOT endangered, the seal hunt is sustainable, and there is legislation in place to ensure that it remains as humane as it possibly can be.

Get over yourselves.

[Merv Scanlan]

Look at this picture. Is this right?
What have we become?
What do you think?
Aren't we the biggest bunch of Evil that the world has?
Damn the human race for the atrocities we do.

[Francoise Desrochers]

I am a Canadian and ashame to be !!!

[Eric Fletcher]

It is a fact of life and life is a bloody, brutal business. Anyone who has ANY education in the wildlife arena understand that to strengthen a population you must harvest. The same is true of seals, trees, shrubs and even human beings (That is one reason why even war is a necessity. It thins the human population and allows for a better chance for those that are left.). Sadly, though, the normal way of things is survival of the fitest; to kill the weak, sick and infirm. As is becoming more and more evident in this world,The wrong group of human population is being thinned out. We are now being bred not for strength, intelligence and ability to survive, we are being bred for stupidity, ignorance, weakness and emotional degradation. When will you people learn that life is not a Walt Disney movie and weak, emotional provocations are not useful in life. Get real. Grow a spine. Gain an education and GROW UP!!

[Tony Seaward]

I have no problem with stating that I am a Newfoundlander. I am not a "Newfie". I would not use a derogotory term to describe someone I am having an arguement with, it shows your mental abilities are seriously lacking.

I am not going to argue the seal hunt here. If you have made up your mind about the hunt nothing I have to say will change your mind.

I would just like to point out that while all your attacks are directed at Newfoundlanders no seals have been killed by Newfoundlanders yet this year. The hunt has been carried out so far by people from Nova Scotia, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Why so much animosity towards Newfoundlanders when Canadians from five out of ten provinces are involved in this hunt?

[Amrit]

Carry on with your boycott Rebecca and TJ - I don't want your business, I prefer clubbing seals.

I think I'll club a few extra this year, just out of spite, because of your posts.

Next time you see a picture of a bloody seal on the ice, it might be one of yours.

Have a nice day.

[TJ]

Amrit and Tim - ahhhh - two fine gentlemen from Newfieville I am sure - sitting on your couches getting fat, drinkin' your beers yah, til Feb/March just dreamin' of bashing in some baby seal skulls and making a few bucks ($20/each I hear) - ahh - so worth it you seal-bashing cretins. This is why my money stays in Western Canada - I will never spend a cent to travel to Newfoundland - perhaps in your Travel to Newfoundland ads on TV - you should include the lovely sight of seal hunters skinning a baby seal alive, leaving blood and guts and skinned blodies all over the ice to rot - that will really pull in all the bottom feeders to visit your "lovely" province. Amrit - you asked for people to show respect - how about you show a bit of decency, but then again - I am sure you get all giddy just swinging that club at a 13 day old seal - cause to you - that is not a baby anymore. No respect for you lot - not now, not ever.

[it's feesh!]

It's really too bad there's so much waste of the animal here. Solution: wrap 'em in bacon!

[Rebecca S]

Once again the nationally subsidized glut-of-murder spree begins for the "oh-so-humane" serial killers of the Northeast. The millions upon millions spent protecting, rescuing, promoting and keeping away those dastardly observers should just be given out as a handout to these thugs. Let them buy a video game upon which to take out their violent tendencies,

The seal killers have lost more revenue from seafood boycotts than the seal slaughter has ever brought in. If they would stop their brutal killing, maybe that business would pick up again. I know I am boycotting Canadian seafood as are millions of other people and thousands of stores and restaurants. I'll also be boycotting the Olympics just like I did the Beijing ones due to their brutal beating to death - sound familiar? - of tens of thousands of dogs prior to the Olympics. It is a shame too, because my family and I could easily have travelled to Canada and spent our money there. We've been boycotting for 8 years now all things Canadian and will continue until the senseless, wasteful slaughter ends.

And Ozzie123....I LOVED your comment!

Easy to tell that Amrit and Tim are newfies from the vehement way they spout the party lines. Nothing but disgusting degenerates who revel in the pain and suffering of innocent baby animals for nothing but vanity and profit. it ISN'T the same as the Innuit who utilize the entire animal and subsists off of it. This isn't at all equivalent or else no part of the animal would be left behind and wasted. Also, it is my understanding that the Innuit go after adult animals, not babies. Real sporting...that killing of babies who have NO means of escape. Just sickening as usual.

Too bad there isn't another nice big ice storm on the way like last year...

[Tim]

Nothing wrong with this. It is a god given natural right. I have several seal coats and they are quite luxurious. You yuppie bastards don't know what it is like with your hybrids and starbucks.

[christina johnson]

Canadian lobster and snow crabs. I will remember that. Oh, and dash my plan to visit Montreal to brush up on my french.

If what Canada hopes to gain through this barbaric practice is money, our best recourse is to redouble our efforts to take back more than they may ever hope to gain by slaughtering animals on ice.

Shame on Canada.

[Linda Simard]

For the price of a take-out pizza these young seal pups are slaughtered for their fur. O Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Amrit]

Wow you animal rights types seem to have a lot of pent up emotions & issues. As I look at those posts I see mostly hate, arrogance, callousness, hypocrisy, self-righteousness, somebody cranking out slurs against identifiable minorities. And of course lots of lies and misrepresenting of facts to justify all of that.

40 years of protests still haven't accomplished anything.
Here's a clue: if you want to influence people, try a little R E S P E C T.

[NT]

As a Canadian I am shamed of this bloody so called "hunt". The government of Canada is made up of inept, vote grabbing politicians who care about nothing but their cushy positions in parliament, at whatever cost.
I am encouraged by the international support for a ban of seal products and by the fact that the pelts are down from $100 to $20! This hunt is not even sustainable financially if it wasn't for our tax dollars subsidizing it.
All I can say to the international community is boycott everything Canadian, (especially Canadian seafood from Atlantic Canada like lobsters and snow crab) tourism and the Vancouver Olympics. Hit these bastards where it hurts!

[ozzie123]

The newfies are out in full force. At this time of year, they Google "seal hunt" to see what the rest of the world thinks of their neanderthal pastime of baby bashing and then they flood the comment boards with their denial stupidity. The article is accurate and honest and if you read moronic comments, you can be guaranteed it comes from an animal hating newfie. I am Canadian and have felt shame and disgrace about this massacre for over 45 years. The Newfies do not represent Canada. They should actually be cut free to fend for themselves but they are too dependant on government handouts and, like spoiled little children, they throw tantrums if they don't get their way. The Canadian government represent 6000 animal murderers, not real Canadians. This country has 25 million people and the crooks in Parliament Hill represent 6000 pogey loving baby bashers. Disgusting. Even when markets are shutting down worldwide and Russia closes down their own seal slaughter, our own government gives the world the finger and ups the killing quota to satisfy the bloodlust of the cavemen in Newfoundland and Atlantic Canada. RUSSIA of all places - that backwards and cruel country has more decency than Canada does. What does that say about this place. Save your money. Boycott our Olympics and don't spend any tourism dollars here. Oh, and I guarantee that the newfies will come back with the same old crap that they do every year - "what about the slaughterhouses" (typical deflecting), "the animal rights groups are making money off this" (oh ya, stop killing and they stop making money - no brainer), "the seal herd is not endangered" (ya, and neither is the homo sapien herd at 7 billion plus but nobody does anything to control our damage), and the list goes on and on. It's boring you seal killers and supporters. Get with the 21st Century and learn how to work like the rest of us!

We have one senator speaking out against this - finally. Check out Canada's one progressive politician here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj-uKjwY7HI . He'll probably get nowhere because the other politicians are cowards and probably afraid of having their heads bashed in by those violent thugs out east.

[Amanda Daniell]

Here is the update from Sheryl Fink from IFAW;

DAY THREE: "We are at day 3 of the seal hunt here. They had nearly reached the region's quota and to date 15,000 pups are dead. Their skinned bodies are stacked up by the thousands with their blood is smeared across the ice" - Sheryl Fink
copy and posted from "Save the Baby Seals"
http://wflendangeredstreamlive.org/savethebabyseals.html
End the cruelty! Boycott Canadian seafood, tourism and the fur industry at large!

In three short days a few hundred fishermen managed to annihilate 17 000 baby pups. The carcasses are left rotting on the ice in bloody piles and the scene on the ice field is silent. There is not a world of sympathy from the sealers. Not a moment's hesitation. The seal pups were close to land and they started bludgeoning and skinning in record time. They might even think "god" is on their side...this massacre was an easy one this year. Waiting quietly and gently on the ice they were destroyed in record time.

[Joanne Siddall]

The Canadian seal hunt is a disgrace and against all humanity.I am sickened as a Canadian citizen that my govt cares more for the votes they get from the prosealers who live in Newfoundland, Quebec, Nova Scotia. These people dont speak for the rest of Canada, in fact they dont even like us *mainlanders*.Its pure avarice and greed. A way to make a couple of thousand bucks in a few days. They dont eat the meat, the bloody carcass is left behind. The only good thing is a few other critters get to eat it. This is for the fur only. They can sell it and buy some new toy. Dont even get me going on the cow vs seal argument they always bring up. At least a cow is fully utilised, its not skinned for its hide and left to rot in the slaughter house.
I urge all my American neigbours to write to our govt and tell them you wont be spending your tourism dollars here in Canada, especially in the east coast.

[Frankie MacHardy]

True -- slaughterhouses are as horrific... there's one BIG difference, unless you are Native hunting, the commercial seal slaughter is PRIMARILY for their fur/pelts. When the market closes then the seal pelts will be worth nothing. We understand the issues. We're not radicals nor vegetarians. There is no humanity here with killing these seals. The cod population was practically wiped out by humans; not the seals. Over fishing with regard for the fish population. It's all about money, greed, etc. Canada would be far ahead of the game if the government would just pay the sealers/fisherman direct subsidies. We all know there's little market for pelts. Enough of the pathetic political lies...

[Amrit]

How about you post some pictures from the slaughterhouses where 10,000,000,000 animals are killed in the USA every year? Would those look pretty?

Stop the hypocrisy. The Canadian seal hunt must be judged in the context of the legal and well accepted killing of animals that goes on everywhere in the world.