EU and the Canadian Seal Hunt

[peat moss]

Why is it such an issue with the bleeding hearts in Europe ? Seals are cuter than cows or minks ? I just never understood the double standard I guess .

I'm all for humane killing methods be it dogs in China or sharks in Japan but does seem odd . Wear leather shoes but not seal skin hats ?


http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1896528,00.html

[lynx]

The big difference is that baby seals are being killed simply because they are competing in the same food chain. They are being blamed for reduced fish stocks by morons who can't even pronounce "overfishing".

I'd guess that, if asked, the seals would say it should be the baby Canadians that should be clubbed to death. Given that the seals were there first, these are their fish stocks so they should have first call.

Canadians are cuter than cows or mink?

[devilsadvocate]

I think I kind of understand what you are saying, but I don't think mink is a good example. There is a lot of objection real fur and as far as I'm aware mink is not generally eaten, just the fur taken. One could argue for alternative man made materials but leather for shoes is a product of animals farmed for food so it wouldn't save the cow.

We all have our standards. I can't see why someone that eats meat purchased at the grocery store all pre-packaged thinks it barbaric to go hunting. Unless the hunter doesn't eat what he kills I actually think it more humane than intensive farming.

I don't know all the details about the baby seal cull. Is it an essential or traditional source of food or is it just for the fur and reducing competition for fishermen?

The Japanese overfish sharks and very often it's not humane. They haul the shark onboard, cut the fins and tail off and throw the still living shark back in the water.


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I was looking for a video of a factory ship, but this gives the gist of it.

[IdolEyes787]

It's all about the Canadian government making a point and not succumbing to pressure when it's a fact that it would cost less to retrain the seal hunters or even pay them a salary to do nothing than it costs the government to maintain the hunt.

The average Canadian ,outside the Maritimes ,is very much against it's continuation .
It came out in the news yesterday that the government wanted the Olympic team to wear seal skin and the OC flatly refused.

[peat moss]

I think what pissed me off was the fact the EU was allowing their hunt for the reasons Lynx mentioned .


" But the Inuit may feel most aggrieved by another aspect of the ban: It will remain legal for Europe's fishermen to cull seals for fish stock management. (And they can continue to sell the resulting seal products within the E.U.). "

[Rat Faced]

People only "know" what they are taught.

In this case, the guys against had better PR in Europe than the guys for.

All thats shown over here is the cute little seals being clubbed to death for their fur and often they show the carcas then being dumped into the sea. Those sights don't evoke sympathy, they evoke revulsion.

I don't know about any Danish Whale culls.. which probably means they have much better publicists to deflect the issue and make it uninteresting to the media.

[pentomato]

PETA= People eating tasty animals think that the hunt should continue, and all the seals should be eaten.