Canadian Seal Hunt

[SteveCT]

Originally Posted by Seal diver

I recently emailed the Canadian government about the harp seal hunt.
Their reply is below for your info:

Thank you for your correspondence regarding the Atlantic Canada seal hunt.
I hope that the following information will serve to address your concerns.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) makes every effort to ensure that seals are hunted as quickly, effectively, and humanely as possible. Enforcement of the regulations is thorough and comprehensive, specifically ensuring adherence to catch requirements, licence conditions, and humane harvesting practices. Penalties are tough and could include court-imposed fines, and/or orders to forfeit catches, gear, boats and licences.

The harp seal population is a healthy marine resource that can easily support a responsible harvest. An abundance survey conducted in 2004 estimated the harp seal population at 5.82 million animals; approximately three times the population of less than two million in the 1970s.

Because the continued health and abundance of the herd is the department’s main priority, DFO sets quotas for harp seals to ensure that the resource remains sustainable. Management measures have been developed for 2006-2010. A number of conservation groups agree that a regulated and responsible harvest of the seal herd is appropriate, provided it is sustainable in the long-term from a conservation perspective. As you may know, the hunt of harp (whitecoat) and hooded (blueback) seal pups has been banned in Canada since 1987. Regulations also prohibit the trade, sale, or barter of the fur of these pups.

The value of the seal hunt may appear negligible to some individuals, but it is tremendously valuable to those individuals who use it as their employment during a time when economic opportunities are limited in many remote, coastal communities. Some sealers have stated that their income from sealing can represent up to 35% of their total annual income. Also, the top homeports for sealers have unemployment rates that are in excess of 30% higher than the national average. Sealing and fishing are also time-honoured traditions that allow people to provide for their families through knowledge of the marine environment and hard work.

There are many measures in place to ensure a safe and humane harvest, such as close monitoring, tight regulations, and two-year apprenticeship training for those wishing to become professional sealers. Harvesting methods used for the seal hunt have been studied and approved by the Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing. The Commission found that the methods used in the harvest of the seal resource compare favourably to the use and dispatch of any other wild or domestic animal resource. DFO also encourages the fullest possible commercial use of seals with the emphasis on leather, oil, handicrafts, and in recent years, meat for human and animal consumption.

Veterinarians from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) issued a Special Report on Animal Welfare and the Harp Seal Hunt in Atlantic Canada in September 2002. Representatives and veterinarians of the CVMA made independent observations of the seal hunt. The study concluded that a large majority of seals taken during the hunt (up to 98 per cent) are killed in an acceptably humane manner. An Independent Veterinarians’ Working Group (IVWG) was formed in 2005 and made observations and recommendations to further improve management and hunting practices. DFO is currently working to adopt these and other recommendations, such as improved enforcement and sealer training.

Please be assured that your views are valued. I understand your opinions and those of other individuals who have expressed concerns about the seal hunt, and the department takes these views into account when making management decisions. I hope that this information will help you to understand the issues surrounding the seal hunt. For more information, you are encouraged to visit DFO’s website at:
Fisheries and Aquaculture Management - Seals and Sealing in Canada.

Just for info.

And before anyone mentions it ,anyone who supports a seal cull in the UK at any time is ignorant of the facts.
Seals take very little of the fish biomass (<1% total).
Greedy man is the problem there!

Safe diving,
Ben "Seal diver" YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

There was an article in a Canadian newspaper that said the "hunters" said they didn't make any money out of the cull but they did it because the enjoyed it.

Steve

[SteveCT]

Originally Posted by Scubee

Just like many of the UK population will never accept the ban on fox hunting.

That's true but I'm a firm believer that animals should either fit well or taste good.

Steve

[Scrumbag]

Wow, some sensible people. And thanks for the greens guys!