Canadian Government Desperately Seeks to Avoid Seal Product Ban

[Barrett808]

After years of denying that the hakapik and the club were inhumane, the Canadian government in a desperate attempt to appease European legislators has decided to restrict the use of both weapons.

The Canadian government is also now demanding that the sealers ensure that they kill the seals before skinning them; something they have also long denied is done.

The European Parliament has voted to propose a ban on all seal products that originate from any inhumane hunt.

Fisheries Minister Gail Shea is now denying that these changes are nothing more than "tweaks" to existing regulations and that Canada has no intention of shutting down the annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of seal pups every year.

Canada also intends to budget more funds to defend the seal killers on the ice from interference by hunt opponents.

The DFO report also estimates how much it would cost to implement the proposed restrictions: $1.8 million to $3.6 million. That amount would include increased costs to sealers and local coast guard crews.

"There is no humane way to kill a seal," said Captain Paul Watson. "The more civilized elected representatives in Europe are not going to be hood-winked by continued Canadian propaganda about how "humane" the slaughter is. Anyone with half a brain need only witness the killing to see for themselves how despicably cruel the killing is. That is why cameras and video documentation of the killing is illegal. The government does not want the public to see what is going on out there on the ice every year."

(more)

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-081229-1.html

[Sandrine for you]

1. "There is no humane way to kill a seal" LOL

He should see the way we are killing our chickens, our porks and all...

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Capt Paul Watson is a vegetarian.

You cannot be an environmentalist and a conservationist if you support the meat and fishing industry. My ships are run as vegetarian/vegan vessels. We take campaigns to the coast of Antarctica to fight Japanese whalers and we do so without meat, fish, or dairy products and everyone is healthy and strong. The meat industry is a major consumer of fish meal and because of this we have turned the cow into the largest aquatic predator on the planet. The amount of water and resources utilized to raise domestic animals for food is irresponsibly high. Yes I am a vegetarian and I think vegetarianism is an essential requirement of anyone calling him or herself an environmentalist.

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3747


I would assume he would not approve of murdering animals, whether it was for fur or for food.

[Sandrine for you]

4. Ok look like the Capt got some personal coherence,

but he is not talking explicitly to the vegetarians. And even if I agree about the fact that our meat consumption could be a problem (poor energetic effectivity...), I think that the Capt is using the lowest argument of all: Poor little cute seal...so white on the red blood and he suffer so much. But the seal is really not in danger of extinction. And the canadian are not doing that only for the fur.

And it's not murdering for me and for every body who appreciate the fine quality of the seal meat.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. OMIGAWD!!!!! This is something that has to be spelled out...

The Canadian government is also now demanding that the sealers ensure that they kill the seals before skinning them;

I think they should ban this disgusting baby seal hunt ....period...end it.
These are the least graphic of the sickening images of what happens to these babies.

[Sandrine for you]

5. I really like the baby seal meat, it's absolutely delicious,

And if I can, I will send you some pictures on the way we kill the porks and the chickens, or the way , In Morocco, they sacrifice their lambs.