The queen of animal activism, Brigitte Bardot, has received a lot of media attention the past couple of days because she was in Ottawa, trying to get a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The subject was the seal hunt to be conducted off of Canada's East Coast. This headline grab came shortly after Paul McCartney and his wife actually visited an ice floe for some photo ops with the cute little things (see picture).I have to admit, I'm a tad conflicted with this issue. On the one hand, the seal population is so large that it can, and has, adversely affected the East Coast fisheries stock. On the other hand, the clubbing of seals is not exactly a humane way of harvesting them, although the Newfoundland Fisheries Minister states that only about 10% are killed this way. The rest are killed with a bullet to the head.
Why are they being killed? For their fur, of course. Nothing different than mink, fox, or any of the other furs that are highly sought after. The difference, I think, is that seal pups are cute and they're in the wild. I'm sure if there were seal farms where everything was hidden from view and the seal pups were actually quite hideous, there wouldn't be such an outcry (take note that they are actually killed when they're older and not as cute as in the picture). Lambs are cute, but when's the last time you saw a celebrity protest the killing of them? When's the last time you went to a restaurant and ordered some? I had some recently and it was quite delicious. However, I believe that most of the seal carcasses are left on the ice flow because the seals' remoteness doesn't allow the economic usefulness of the entire kill.
I suppose that it comes down to this. I learned in Economics 101 that economies are based on supply and demand. For there to be a supply, there has to be a demand. This applies to anything. Food, guns, drugs, seal pelts. The greater the demand and the less supply, the higher the price. The people that conduct these hunts come from economically depressed areas, so this is a way for them to make some money, instead of being on unemployment.
Do you truly want the the killing of seals for their fur to end? Make the wearing of their fur unfashionable. Don't buy them. Don't let your friends buy them. If the demand dries up, the killing will stop, or at least make it uneconomical to do so. That doesn't solve the fisheries problem, but maybe you'll sleep better. However, be prepared that the seal hunt won't stop overnight. Seal hunt protests have been going on for decades and the hunts continue. That's the economic reality. Instead of trying to stop the hunt, maybe you can at least lobby to make it more humane.
Now, stopping the drug trade (including marijuana -- no it's not a victimless crime), there's a cause for protest!
Wings Over The World
(photo credit: www.ctv.ca/ Tom Hanson)
2 comments:
It is not just fur.
Virtually every part of the seal is used after it is killed.
(They even use the male sex organs for goodness sake)
There is a lot of good meat in seal, and quite healthy for you as well for it is rich in Omega 3 and 6. Seal oil is used to prevent and treat heart problems.
I've been told the eyes taste like ice cream, I personally haven't tried it but I have had flipper pie.
Even the fur is unique, most people with fur allergies will not have reactions to seal fur.
The hunting of harp seals is one of the most regulated hunts in the world. Although listening to any animal rights group you would think it was the least regulated event out.
Like you said most seals are killed with fire arms rather then clubbed. But what makes clubbing a seal inhumane and the methods used in slaughter-houses okay? Farm animals deaths make the seal hunt look like a cake-walk.
If you want to help seals fight global warming. Last year several baby white coat harp seals washed up on a beach close to my house. Cause of death, not hunting but ice breaking up too soon.
Shelley, I stand corrected. More of the seal is used than I thought.
Thank you for your info and opinions.
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