letters to the Editor for the seals

The Independent, UK

Letters: Killing seal pups
Published: 20 March 2006
Sir: The Canadian authorities have long played fast and loose with the facts of their cruel slaughter of Newfoundland seals (report, 16 March).

They claim the hunt is humane, despite clear evidence that baby seals are skinned alive. They also misrepresent the real scale of the slaughter and greatly exaggerate the economic necessity of the hunt.

Over the past three years, one million seals have been slaughtered in the name of fashion, 97 per cent of them under three months, most only a few weeks old. My late husband Tony Banks, like Sir Paul and Heather Mills McCartney who recently visited the site of the hunt, was sickened by this slaughter.

He believed, as I do, there was no justification for this cruelty and that it was a stain on Canada's reputation.

That is why we seek a trade ban on Canadian products and will seek to convince British supermarkets and shoppers to boycott Canadian fish products in protest at Canada's continuation of this unnecessary, inexcusable and morally repugnant hunt.

The last time a supermarket boycott was conducted here in the 1980s, the Canadian government was forced to think again about the hunt.

It is clear that only external pressure again will bring the hunt to an end once and for all.

SALLY BANKS, LADY STRATFORD

LONDON E7

Globe and Mail, Toronto




Marie Schwartz from Omaha, United States writes: I think it would be obvious to anyone viewing the footage of the incident that it is a set-up. Common, two Canadian officials just happen to be on this vessel? Regarding "whitecoats," the argument is stale, to the tune of 30 years. As for American contempt, here is a letter from a "Newfie:" Nadine Saunder's letter to Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams: Dear Mr. Williams, With all the Seal Hunt media coverage in the last few days/weeks, I have a feeling that at this point in time most of Canada and the world think that every single person in Newfoundland supports the Seal Hunt. Thank you for putting all of us onto your animal cruelty agenda. I grew up in Newfoundland and lived there for half of my 31 years on this earth..... and I can tell you that not ALL of us feel this way. The Seal Hunt is unfortunately an ingrained part of the closed-minded part of the Newfoundland population, and has been for many generations. Many Newfoundlanders see this as their God-given right. I'm not one of them. I think that I can fairly say that a typical Canadian doesn't actually know all that much about Newfoundland. They might know one or two Newfies, or many Newfies if you live in Alberta! Quebecers (and the media) goes on and on about how Quebec is a distinct society. Anyone who has ever visited Nfld from other parts of this country knows and understands that Nfld is equally distinct, with their own languages, heritage and customs. It is a society on its own in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, an 8 hour ferry ride to the nearest Mainland destination, that being North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Many Newfoundlanders have a feeling, maybe even a chip on their shoulder, that the rest of Canada thinks we are all 'dumb Newfies', who 'milk the EI system'. By encouraging this seal hunt as some sort of 'temp employment to feed yer kids' you are perpetuating the myth that Newfoundlanders are uneducated and cruel rednicks. Newfoundlanders have a not-so-great history with their own Government's mis-management of natural resources. The DFO has brought the Atlantic Cod fishery into a state that will never recover. I fail to understand, after everything that has happened, how so many of my fellow Newfoundlanders, including yourself as Premier, still take what the Government in Ottawa and the DFO says as "gospel." These officials CLEARLY don't know what they are doing! It doesn't take a Scientist to figure out that the Cod fishery is dead because of overfishing and the wastefulness of the drag nets and the industry in general, not the Seals. Many individuals live in tiny rural communities in Newfoundland, and have never even left the province. Some only know one way of life...and that suits them just fine. However, the upcoming "bloodbath" on the ice will remain in our memories and in our hearts for years to come. Regardless of how much money the province of Newfoundland and the country will put into tourism, it will not take that image of seals being brutally slaughtered from our minds. The rollin' of the sea, won't be beckonin to me, I can guarantee you that, Mr. Premier! Until this slaughter stops I will be forced to boycott my own province. Newfoundland is a rugged, natural beauty of Canada. I only wish that the people of this country including yourself would see it as such, and come up with more creative methods of bringing money into my home province. I live in Vancouver now, and B.C . has a HUGE tourism industry because of the 'natural beauty'. When I walk along the shoreline here in Vancouver with my dogs, I think of my far away home province that I love so much. The quiet times spent walking among the driftwood, the silence and the stillness. Animals and nature together. Yet how many Canadians have actually made that 8 hour ferry ride to get to know about the Newfoundland culture and beauty? If the rest of Canada actually saw the rugged coastline, the Whales in their natural habitat, the fog rolling into the harbour in St. John's....you would feel a connection to the sea and the land, as do I, having grown up there. What we all need to do is to work together to bring Newfoundland into the greater Canadian collective, and in a positive way. With all the blood, sweat, and tears I put into helping animals every day, I don't want to be seen around the world as a cruel, murderous Newfoundlander. The Seal Hunt gives us a great opportunity to educate people, and show them what Newfoundland and Canada REALLY is. A humane society that cares about animals. There may be some deeply ingrained traditions in Newfoundland 'heritage' and 'culture', but in 2006 we should be showing the world how we've evolved from the cave man days and promote our province instead for it's ski resorts, cozy winter log cabins, snowmobiling, etc. There are many other ways to subsidize the cold harsh Nfld winters than going out onto the dangerous ice flows, endangering our husbands and boyfriends, and killing innocent animals. Why do you refuse to see that eco-tourism is the more viable and self-sustaining option for the province in the long run? I believe that if all of Canada supported Newfoundland with a genuine interest in coming up with creative alternatives for employment, rather than Ottawa just throwing money into band-aid solutions for temporary and seasonal jobs, then things might actually change there for once. But maybe I'm wrong, what do I know? I'm just another 'stupid Newfie'! --Nadine Saunders
Posted 03/04/06 at 5:03 PM EDT | Link to Comment

Globe and Mail, Toronto, Pamela Anderson

joseph thibeault from Boston, United States writes: thank you Pamela, for giving an entertainment event a soul and a nation a consciense about this legalized slaughter of seals in their nursery. only if these cruel events are kept in the public scruteny can we have any hope of a better world. thank you for caring about the Oceans' life, which is under attack from unwise commercial practices, climate change and the evil of federal subsidies for every useless industry with a politician in their pocket.
Posted 02/04/06 at 9:42 PM EDT | Link to Comment

To the editor;
Canada is renowned for its commitment to the rights and welfare of all. We are known as peacekeepers and as progressive thinkers. The continuation of the annual seal hunt, the largest slaughter of marine mammals anywhere in the world, is a shameful blight on Canada.

To profess that the hunt is the “most humane” in the world would seem to be a complete lie.

Arguments that the hunt is vital to the economy of remote Atlantic communities are difficult to swallow, considering the relatively small amount of annual revenue the seal hunt actually generates.

The proponents of the seal slaughter seem to weigh heavily on the issue that there is a historical connection, whereby the hunt has been going on for centuries and should be allowed to continue. Barbarous and cruel practices should not be sanctioned simply because they have been historically.

I urge all Canadians to seek out information regarding the seal hunt from animal rights organizations such as World Society for the Protection of Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. If you feel as strongly opposed to the seal hunt as I am, I implore you to write your local member of Parliament and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

R. Dahms
Salmon Arm



http://www.starjourna...

in the Toronto Star, April 26th 2006

Seal hunt unnecessary

Re “Seal hunt helped us survive” (April 16): How arrogant of John Crosbie to insinuate that all Newfoundlanders support the seal hunt. I (born and raised in Newfoundland) and my 75-year-old grandmother (whose father was a sealer) have both been very outspoken about the seal hunt this year. We have attended protests, written letters and voiced our strong opinions as Newfoundlanders against the brutal slaughter of baby seals. Just because something cruel and disgusting founded our province, and just because the fur trade was an important industry in Canada hundreds of years ago, doesn’t make it ethical in this day and age. I really wish Newfoundland and Labrador would wake up and join the 21st century. The oppression of racial minorities, women, and children also helped found many business activities in the past. That doesn’t make it acceptable.

Nadine Saunders

Vancouver, B.C.

(Oh, and there’s nothing arrogant about that attitude?)

from Waterloo, Ontario, April 26th, 2006

Shame on Harper

SANDI NELSON


(Apr 26, 2006)

I have always been a proud Canadian, but since the election of Stephen Harper, I have felt shame creeping in to my otherwise solid Canadian identity.

Harper has taken a stance on the international stage that diminishes our status as an enlightened, progressive and environmentally conscious people.

Economy takes precedence over animal life -- as seen in Harper's unwillingness to bend, even slightly, toward international pressures to limit the seal hunt. Economy takes precedence over our environment -- as seen in his waning follow-through on our commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. Economy takes precedence over the well-being of all Canadians, as seen by Harper's intention to reduce taxes to less than those seen in the U.S. -- despite the impact on social programs and health care. Economy takes precedence over humanity in the opinion of Harper and the Conservative party.

I don't look forward to living in a country where I make even more money than I do now, but the people that I love can barely make ends meet, and the animals and countryside that I cherish have no value. I would rather pay higher taxes, and live in a country that I can believe in.

Sandi Nelson

Kitchener

Seal hunt violates nature

VIVIENNE ORTEGA


(May 15, 2006)

Regarding Hannah Foulger's May 10 letter, Pick The Right Fight, she is misguided in her opinion about the justification for the seal hunt.

The indigenous people of Canada would have subsisted on seal hunting, and have taken what was needed to survive. This kill now is not for survival, but for an international industry, and the babies are targeted. This is not at a subsistence level and not justified.

They are lining their pockets by depleting their natural assets in a cruel and greedy way. They are violating nature and the environment.

There is no justification for the seal industry.

Vivienne Ortega

Australia

http://www.therecord....

Beyond Newfoundland's very public seal hunt
Penticton Herald
Thu 25 May 2006
Page: A7
Section: Opinion
Byline: Gerard Ockeloen
Column: Gerard Ockeloen
Source: Penticton Herald

The seal hunt attracts a lot of attention every year because it is one
of the few public mass executions of animals in the world. The only
other one I know of is the sacrificial slaughter of more than a
million animals during the Hajj in Mecca, one goat per pilgrim.

Basically the seal hunt is a sneaky attack on one-month-old seal pups.
The seals are whacked over the head with a two metre long hakapik to
render them unconscious, and then the hunter cuts arteries so that the
animal bleeds to death before waking up. All of this in order to
minimize pain and anguish for the animal, and putting these killings
in the category of humane. That is the theory.

Having observed this drama a few times on television, it appears to me
that often two or three blows are applied before the animal stops
moving. That, to me, goes against the idea of minimum pain and
anguish. Surely between blows the seal must be hurting considerably
and must be getting the notion someone is out to harm him.

The Canadian Royal Commission on Sealing declares "the method employed
in the seal hunt compares favorably to those used to hunt any other
wild animal, and those used to slaughter domestic animals for human
consumption."

That probably is true, but it says more about how animals are treated
in general than about the seal hunt. If humaneness is a great concern,
I would suggest to enforce the use of shorter clubs which will improve
the accuracy of that all-important first blow. It would also help if
there was a proven proficiency amongst the hunters.

This came to mind when I heard Labrador MP Todd Russell talking about
his participation in a seal hunt party, and even boasting he had
killed a seal himself. There was no indication he had a history of
seal hunting and one wonders how humane his kill was.

It is quite obvious slaughtering animals in public is not a good idea.
That is the reason slaughterhouses do not invite visitors.

Someone once said, "if the walls of slaughterhouses were made of
glass, we would all be vegetarians." I don't think so. The percentage
of people that have sincere compassion for all animals may be quite
small. And if there were glass windows, most people would just not
look, like today they won't listen.

Approximately 30 million land-based animals are consumed every day in
North America. That is big business. Ever larger flocks, reduced
comfort for the animals, less supervision against cruelty, lower
veterinarian expenses, increased speed of conveyor belts, etc. means
money in the bank.

Profit and humaneness are mutually exclusive. Don't think your health
plays a role in the decision to load up animals with hormones,
antibiotics, etc. - the only goal is to maximize profit.

Every 15 seconds an animal dies in a Canadian laboratory, and most of
them in abject agony. The validity and reliability of experiments on
animals are challenged by many scientists, doctors and researchers,
but government regulations blindly keep on demanding tests.

It appears there are far more unpleasant experiences for animals than
that of the seals. We don't hear from those because they happen out of
sight. The seal hunt on the other hand, well, the media love it
because it is so photogenic. There is the scenery, the seals, the
orange survival suits, the celebrities, the action and all that blood.

The only protection animals have in Canada is an antiquated law passed
in 1892, with only a few updates for penalties since then.

The abuse of animals is part of human history, but probably not as
perverse as today. When a few thousand years ago some author wrote
down those self-serving, infamous words "man shall have dominion over
all animals", he merely recorded what was happening all around him. He
could not have foreseen that this statement would one day become a
license to torture.

In the 1892 law animals are considered to be "machines". Which makes
for minimum animal welfare regulations and renders the need for
enforcement nearly non-existent.

For the idea of animals as machines, we can put the blame on the
French philosopher and scientist Rene Descartes. As a scientist he has
made great contributions to physics and mathematics, but his
philosophy really sucks. According to Rene, all living bodies were
mechanisms like clocks, set in motion by God. In his view animals were
bodies without soul, mind, feelings or language. They were automata,
and via some warped logic he concluded that without a mind animals
could not feel pain. Vivisection was born.

I quote from Barbara Noske's book, Beyond Boundaries: "They said
animals were clocks; that the cries they emitted when struck were only
the noise of little springs which had been touched."

Today in Europe, the recognition of an animal's ability to feel pain
has made a huge difference in animal welfare laws. Animals are no
longer seen as having value only as property. Companion animals have
been the first to receive moral and legal status and the hope is to
broaden this to other classes of animals.

In 1999 Justice Minister Anne McLellan valiantly attempted to bring
the animal protection laws out of the Victorian era, and after four
years of debating found support from a majority in Parliament.
Canadians had spoken for a modern approach to animal welfare. Alas,
all the work was for naught when the proposed law changes were killed
by the Senate, through delaying tactics until the end of the session
of Parliament in 2005.

It still saddens and enrages me that in my country non-elected
senators basically have the power of veto and can block such a morally
vital decision, leaving our country in the dark ages as far as it
concerns animal welfare.

There is a lot more wrong in Canada beyond the seal hunt.

- Gerard Ockeloen is a Penticton resident.


(c) 2006 The Okanagan Valley Newspaper Group. All rights reserved.


Edition: Final
Story Type: Column
Length: 988 words

To: editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 8:06 PM
Subject: letter to editor: Funeral Motorcade for the Seals


Dear Editor:
Kudos to Anthony Marr and his Funeral Motorcade for the Seals ("Motorcade Protests East Coast Seal Hunt", June 24, 2006). Have supporters of the brutal yearly massacre ever stopped to wonder what might motivate a person to take to the streets and advocate so staunchly for the well-being of animals? Critics of such crusades are quick to state that these are fundraising events, but they have stopped short of doing the math in their zeal to deflect from the true purpose of these events. With the rising cost of gas, animal advocates like Anthony Marr will not be further ahead financially. They are, however--ethically speaking--light years ahead of those who support the mass slaughter of innocent baby harp seals. Further, in anticipation of the usual arguments from the sealing sector and the government, seals do not stop being babies at 12 days old, when their white coats begin to turn gray. This is another devious attempt at twisting the facts by those who really know better.
May this be the last motorcade that must ever be conducted for the seals. Hopefully our federal government will soon locate its sense of ethics and bring an end to the largest and most vicious slaughter of sentient marine mammals on earth.
Respectfully yours,
Sinikka Crosland
3430 Turnbull Road
Westbank, B.C.
V4T 1W3
Ph/fax: 250-768-4803
tracs@shaw.ca
_________________
Original article for those wishing to write letters to Nanaimo Bulletin:

Motorcade protests East Coast seal hunt


Jun 24 2006

Imagine 325,000 dead and skinned seals lining the Island Highway from Victoria past Campbell River.

That's the image organizers of the Funeral Motorcade for the Seals would like you to grasp as they travel the distance in protest of Canada's East Coast seal hunt.

The motorcade leaves Victoria on July 2 at 10:15 a.m., stopping in Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo (12:15 to 12:50 p.m.), Parksville, Qualicum, Courtenay, Comox and Campbell River, raising awareness of the annual hunt on the ice flows off Newfoundland and Labrador.

"We usually set the number of kilometres by the quota of seals which is set by the government," said Anthony Marr of Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE).

Marr said at least ten vehicles will be leaving Victoria, with others joining along the way, and he expects up to 15 when the motorcade reaches full strength.

"We will be raising awareness by holding media conferences in each city. We need the media to convey our message to the general public," he said.

"Our idea is to convert a dry statistical number like 325,000 into a horrific vision of 325 km of a single file of 325,000 dead seals at one meter per seal - to hit the public in the guts."

Marr admits it is a lot of work to get the message of the seals' fate out to Canadians and their group has to try to be innovative and come up with something new all the time.

For more information on the Funeral Motorcade for the Seals, please telephone 1-866-822-1169.

online@nanaimobulletin.com
What do you think? Give us your comments by fax at 753-0788 or by e-mail: editor@nanaimobulletin.com. Be sure to spell out your first and last names.


Anthony Marr, founder
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
Compassion for Animals Road Expeditions (CARE)
http://www.HOPE-CARE....
Anthony-Marr@HOPE-CARE.org
604-222-1169, toll free 1-866-822-1169

1. antoine Marcel from Calgary, Canada writes: This is not ridiculous- it is just sad. To think that our fisheries minister is so devoid of a decent communication skill needed to educate the world about the realities of modern seal hunt. Resorting to shaming games based on a half-a-century old story? How could we get anything accomplished to Canadian advantage with these tactics? Scary indeed..
o Posted 02/09/06 at 7:18 PM EDT | Link to Comment
2.
Scot Loucks from Pickering, writes: Typical crap. Lets not cull the herd. Let's let the seals eat all the fish that we need to survive. Lets all hug a tree and eat dandilions.
o Posted 02/09/06 at 7:23 PM EDT | Link to Comment
3. Scenic Sask! from Canada writes: Thank you G&M for including a photo, from last year, of a seal being clubbed! Next time there is an article about beef or pork will you be showing another "death scene"? No mention about keeping the seal/fish population in balance either! A nice balanced article! (and another of mine that you won't publish!)
o Posted 02/09/06 at 8:55 PM EDT | Link to Comment
4. noname nolastnameeither from Canada writes: Death is never pretty. I've heard horror stories from people who used to live near slaughter houses. They didn't even have to go in - just listening to the noise was enough for them. The seal hunt isn't special in that way. But anyway, who cares about Belgium. Sorry, but seriously, who cares. If they don't want to buy the product, they don't have to. You could try to make the case that their government shouldn't have the right to tell its citizens what they can and can't buy, but they'll never take you seriously because EU countries seem to like micromanaging their citizens' lives.

following article from globeandmail.com, Canada's leading
source for
online news:

"Hearn references war dead in case against Belgian seal ban"
Seal hunt critics say Federal fisheries minister's attempt to
sway
parliamentarians and EU commissioners a wasted effort and
'spin'
<
http://www.theglobean...

Note from joseph: seals