Photographer : Darragh Sherwin |
Canada's commercial seal hunt is the largest hunt for marine animals in the world. In 2009, seal hunters were given the go-ahead to kill 280,000 harp seals, provided that the seals had shed their white coats, an event which occurs when the seal is only about two weeks of age. It is unsurprising that this hunt, hotly debated for decades, has captured the world's attention.
What's the debate?
According to Humane Society International, fishermen off the east coast of Canada who conduct the hunt make only 1/20 of their income from this. Around 90 per cent of sealers reside in Newfoundland but commercial sealing accounts for less then one per cent of that province’s economy.
The Canadian government disagrees, claiming that the seal hunt is 'an economic mainstay for numerous rural communities in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and the North.' More importantly, the Canadian government says that many of these families get as much as 35 per cent of their income from the seal hunt.
The method of killing the seals is undeniably barbaric and cruel. A 2001 report conducted by an independent group of veterinarians found that not only were government regulations concerning basic animal welfare being ignored, but that in 42 per cent of the cases, seals were being skinned whilst alive and conscious.
In 2008, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) used recommendations made in a similar report from 2005 and created a mandatory three step process for the humane killing of the seals. The steps require that the hunters properly strike the seals, check for consciousness, and bleed the seals to ensure their death. The DFO also claims that most hunters use rifles to dispatch the seals, while the more primitive hakapiks are used in only five to ten per cent of Canada's entire commercial seal hunt.
Some argue that the Canadian government ignores the majority of the breaches in hunting procedures and those who exceed the quotas. The government has responded to these accusations by citing 180 charges for sealers failing to observe humane hunting practices between 2002 and 2007. To date, 100 of these cases ended in convictions.
Is it sustainable?
The current estimate of the harp seal population is a healthy five and a half million. The DFO has set a five year management plan to ensure the health and abundance of the seal herds. the plan takes into account changing environmental conditions and harvest levels, with a new quota being set annually.
Some Canadian scientists say that the current set quotas are not sustainable, and do not respect the current seal hunt management plan, which will result in a decrease of the harp seal population by more than 30 per cent.
Melting ice has also become a concern. Seal pups cannot swim within their first few weeks of life and need solid ice to support them or they drown. In 2008, the DFO reduced quotas for the hunt by 20 per cent to help make up for these losses. However, warmer temperatures and increasing amounts of melting ice could make this a bigger concern in the future.
What are people doing?
In 2009, Russia closed its own commerical seal hunt in the White Sea indefinitely. Similarily, quite a stir has been recently created by the European Union's legislative branch's vote to ban all products that have been derived from seals, an action that could drastically cut the seal hunt's profits. While this ban would exempt the Canadian Inuit population from continuing to trade seal products for cultural and traditional practices, the Canadian government is still very disappointed with the decision and maintains that, 'the seal hunt is humane and sustainable, and important for the sealers' livelihood.'
This content has been written in consultation with Humane Society International
This page was updated by Laura318.
How do I know this?
International Fund for Animal Welfare, "Canada's 2009 commercial seal hunt opens today-- the world watches as 280,000 baby seals are set to die", http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_canada_english/media_center/press_releases/3_23_2009_53651.php , 5 May 2009
The Daily Telegraph, "canada defends seal hunting" http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25132830-5001028,00.html ,5 May 2009
Canadian Sealers Association, "Seal Facts 2008" http://www.sealharvest.ca/html/facts.html , 5 May 2009
Greenpeace International, "No cod? Blame the seals!", http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/no-cod-blame-the-seals ,5 May 2009
The Washington Post, "Warming Thins Herd for Canada's Seal Hunt," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/03/AR2007040301754.html
