letters to the Editor for the seals

June 02, 2005

today the Worcester Telegram&Gazette

in their opinion page, under letters

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Organization to protest slaughter of seals

I enjoyed reading an article by Pamela H. Sacks, "Animal ethics epicenter"(Telegram&Gazette,May 17), about the great work being done by the graduates of Tufts University's veterinary school in North Grafton.

These graduates work for the Humane Society of the United States, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other organizations concerned with animal welfare. The article also mentions the killing of seals in Canada.

I would like to bring to readers' attention that the humane society will be sponsering demonstrations and leafletting events in front of Red Lobster restaurants across North America on June 25. The society is urging the chain to join the boycott of seafood products from fishermen in Atlantic Canada, who are responsible for killing 1 million seals over the last three years. In a few months, Canadian officials will meet to set the kill quota for next year.

It's crucial that those concerned with this barbaric practice have their voice heard now. Most seals are slaughtered while still in their nurseries; too young to swim; they cannot escape their brutal fate. Their lives are shortened by 30 years to provide a $70 pelt for the fur industry. This program is heavily subsidized by the Canadian government and is the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world.

I would urge everyone concerned to help the humane society in this matter. Think not of what you can't do, but of what you can do.

joseph thibeault
Westminster


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at www.telegram.com go to opinion letters

joseph thibeault from boston, United States writes:
Dear Editor,

If Ottawa has so many billions to spend, why must the DFO insist on the "seal hunt"?

Fishermen earn 17 millions $ from the pelts of seals.

the hunt also helps 6,000 towards their unemployment benefits.

but results in a boycott of Canadian seafoods and causes irreparable harm to Canada's national image.

which harms tourism and trade.

a change in unemployment laws would go far in ending this negative industry.

the national economy is doing well, but the "seal hunt" is an economic negative and an ecological and moral disaster in my view.

lets hope whoever wins the next election will look for social and economic harmony,

joseph thibeault

Posted Nov. 14, 2005 at 7:31 PM EST Link to Comment

joseph thibeault from boston, United States writes:
Dear Editor,

the polar bears are still being hunted, the stress on their environment is ignored.

the seals are being hunted in Atlantic Canada, every custom and tradition of every little community must be honored by the federal government.

with this approach to the eco systems all talk of conservation is meaningless.

more dangerous than global warming is the mindless national politics towards wildlife.

this is a time of the year we celebrate life, St Patrick and St Francis both campaigned for a better treatment for animals.

lets hope someday humans hear their mesage.

joseph thibeault

Posted Dec. 24, 2005 at 6:13 PM EST Link to Comment

-------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----------
Globe & Mail article "Polar bears treading on thin ice" health and science section-comments Dec. 24th, Dec.25th, Dec. 26th, Dec. 27th and 28thToronto's largest newspaper.


Edited by joseph thibeault on Dec 25, 2005 at 1:50 PM

Mark Stephen Caponigro from New York City, United States writes:
Patrick Doyle (#1) is cynical, but right on, and I agree with him entirely.Ernie Epp (#9) is either a fool at best, or heartless at worst, and it is my hope that there are not many Canadians like him.As for Joseph Thibeault (#8), he is on the path of saints, and on this Christmas morning, I would strongly urge everybody to join Joseph, and Saint Patrick and Saint Francis, in asserting that the life of all animals is precious.It would be good and noble of us to dedicate ourselves to the defense of Canada's endangered animals in the North, the polar bears and seals of course, also other marine mammals, and caribou, and Arctic foxes, and migratory birds . . . . There are so many.

In a sense, it is a good thing that the polar bears' numbers are decreasing, because they are a popular, photogenic species, and when something bad happens to them, it will be reported widely, and will hopefully register widely.And so, hopefully, eventually, enough people will put enough pressure on the US government to start to do something significant to curb emissions of CO2 and other substances associated with the clearly evident global warming and climate change, out of affection for the polar bears.

Posted Dec. 25, 2005 at 3:02 AM EST Link to Comment

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Globe & Mail (health & Science section-polar bears treading on thin ice-comments),Dec.25th, Dec.26th, Dec.27th and Dec.28thGlobe & Mail, Toronto's national newspaper

Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada

posted in Globe & Mail.
article - Canada to fight UN trawling ban.
section - National-more national news-
comment # 16


joseph thibeault from Boston, United States writes:
the more one studies the politics of the DFO, one can only be appaled that there is no one in the government bringing moderation and wisdom to it's policies.

from trawling, to the mass slaughter of seals, the extremism of it's directors is evident.

the past 500 years of economically exploiting this planets' natural eco systems with only short term commercial consideration continues.

the imperial European greed that has raped this continent is alive and well at the DFO.

citizens concerned about the environment must realize that we are also responsible for saving the Oceans great wonders.

future generations will truly consider our time a dark age, when ignorance combined with technology brought forth unequalled babarism towards our Oceans.

when baby seals, too young to swim were hunted by helicopters, snowmobiles and million dollar ships.

the merger of this highly advanced technology with the lack of our society's ecological consiousness leaves little hope for the Oceans' future.

can enough citizens become involved in time to save anything for future generations is the question.

please do whatever you can.

Posted Dec. 30, 2005 at 2:00 AM EST Link to Comment

Globe and Mail, Jan. 28th, 2006
article - "Canadian anti-whaling ship detained"
joseph thibeault from Boston, United States writes:
in a world where there is little to beleive in, Captain Paul Watson's battle against man's babarism on the Oceans is a rare ray of hope.

modern technology has allowed man's insanity against marine life to reach an unprecedented level of evil.

the Farley Mowat is needed to race to Canada where the carnage against baby harpseals is to resume in two months.

all that can be done to end the slaughter of baby seals in Atlantic Canada and show that our governments have the capacity to control man's criminal behavior is needed.

i salute Captain Watson, an admirable man in a dark age.

Posted Jan. 28, 2006 at 7:02 PM EST Link to Comment

joseph thibeault from Boston, United States writes:
from reading many of these post one would think we are talking about starving people in the African sub Sahara.
Canadian citizens are free to move to some of the most prosperous cities in the world.
that these people have to brutalize themselves by comiting this savagery is nonsence.
Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
that it needs to continue this heinous act will no longer be accepted by the rest of the world.
this is why the boycott of Canadian seafood will keep on growing. as more millions become aware of the slaughter of seals, remember that these people make daily economic decisions, both personal and corporate, and Canadian trade does not win in their decisions.
the only question is how many more seals will die and at what cost to the Canadian economy?
wake up, sober up and evolve beyond this 'subsistance living', in Canada?
how can anyone in the U.S.A. or the E.U. beleive these imbeciles? fishing will not improve in our lifetime, so these desperate people should look for a new life with a future, at least for their children.
4 times too many fishermen in Canada and most everywhere else. boats became larger with technology that made them more efficient.
same as we need fewer farmers, we will need fewer fishermen.
in Canada they are lucky they can move to areas of prosperity and begin new lives.
Posted 03/03/06 at 12:43 PM EST | Link to Comment

posted in Globe & Mail, March 13th, 2006.
is it hot enough for yah.

joseph thibeault from Boston, United States writes: by the time environment is done with their study, the diplomats with their negotiations, the politicians done catering to their special interests, may He help the marine life of our Oceans. manmade problems is likely to keep everyone preocupied.
Posted 13/03/06 at 7:26 PM EST | Link to Comment

joseph thibeault from United States writes: where is Moliere and Shakespear when we need them. the news of the last few days would certainly give them much material. the politicians who wash their hands, oh yea, that's the Bible. but Moliere would love the characters, a Liberal fisheries minister is replaced by a Conservative. with a powerful electronic political microscope he would seek to find the reform element. Shakespear would say something is rotten in Ottawa. for a 17 million $ seasonal industry they will pay the fury of a boycott, and trade and tourism the loss of good will. the characters may even be worthy of Dantes when one looks at the seal bloodied ice flows of Atlantic Canada. the humans are pathetic, my prayers go for the seals. i hope He will show humans the way to END this tragedy.
Posted 16/03/06 at 12:54 PM EST | Link to Comment

<http://www.theglobean...

Globe & Mail, Toronto

Globe and Mail, Toronto



David Jenkins from Edmonton, Canada writes: I find this subject fascinating, if only because it seems to get Canadians all bent out of shape. I was born in England and lived there until I was 11 when my family emigrated to Canada, as such I can see this debate from both sides (for the record I am now a Canadian citizen and proud to be one). Some of the arguments I have read here are the same one's that were used in Britain to justify the fox hunt, they eat livestock (insert 'fish' here), impact farmers livelihoods (insert 'fishermen') and left unchecked will breed like rabbits. See, not so different afterall except that Britain has now 'banned' the fox hunt because it was barbaric, benefitted only a small part of society, and the rest of the world rightly condemned it. If you look that this objectively you soon realize that this damages our reputation around the world and really has no benefit to Canada as a whole. Now I know you can argue that it is a great benefit to the sealers, and it probably is, but surely risking your neck for a few measly dollars is not worth it. When you take into account the over economics of it all we would be better off paying them to sit at home with their families, it would save Canada's reputation and more than few taxpayers dollars in the end. And one last point, can we please stop calling it a 'hunt'. Whacking baby seals over the head while they lie there is not a hunt, it is a slaughter, plain and simple.
Posted 28/03/06 at 2:28 PM EST | Link to Comment