[Scrumbag]

The Canadians will probably never change their stance on seal culling because they have pretty much got it right.

In any environment there are limiting factors on a population. Predation is one of these. As the planets top predator, we should be hunting. What we have to ensure is that we do so responsibly as if we do not we will exhaust the natural resources available to us and this will be our limiting factor and we will die or reduce in number to bring equilibrium back to the resource replenishment - usage rates. Just like if the seals significantly diminish the fish population the seals will have too little food for the poplation and die off accordingly. The fish stocks will then recover, followed by the seal population at a lag and cycles continue.

Also, if the population of seals become too high, there is a virus that effects the seals and controls the population. This behaves in the same fashion as Myxamatosis in the rabbit population of the UK. In years where the population is high, there are many cases of Myxamatosis and this brings the population down to within norms.

It terms of having certified seal bashers, it is a good idea. To hunt game in Africa, you need a license and to hunt with a 'Professional Hunter'. To be a fisherman in the UK, you need to obtain a quota. It's a way of monitoring the influence man has on a population. Also, something annecdotal, much rather be shot or walloped over the head than die of some god awful virus such as Myxamatosis.

Sorry for the tirade but come on guys. Just because you wouldn't want to hunt yourselves, doesn't mean you should stop others.

I would like to leave you with a question: how many of you eat meat? And if so, how many of you would be willing to hunt it, killing and butcher it before you ate it? If you do eat meat and aren't willing to go through those steps, then you have an ethical dilemma which you probably should consider before passing judgement on those that do. (Give you a hint, those who are willing to hunt are on ethically higher ground than you)

I'm probably going to get red blobbed to buggery now but this is a forum for airing ones views and I suppose you are entitled to pass judgement on this. But please think about it first