« Baby Seals - God's Natural Photo op! | Main
March 30, 2006
Re: Carol Grosse (Baby Seals - God's Natural Photo op!)
From Carol Grosse:
Your facts and my facts differ greatly.
Veterinarians have stated that the seal hunt is not humane - many seals are skinned alive and dragged alive across the ice with the ice picks.
The seals are hunted to supply Europeans with fur - and that is a sad fact. The hunt is inhumane, very little (approx. $1000/annually) is the income to each hunter and the animals suffer greatly. (Yes, there is other suffering in the world but this should not be an excuse to condone this suffering.)
What a barbaric way to suppport an industry. Shame on Stephen Harper and shame on the rest of Canadians for turning a blind eye to this inhumane barbaric practice. Mr. Harper, you do not speak for me - my votes and other votes will speak for me.:
Carol,
I appreciate the fact that you took time out of your day to read my seemingly barbaric ramblings on my little corner of the web. I researched my facts again because of your comment just to make sure that I wasn’t falling prey to the huge propaganda push associated with this hunt and I came to the realization that you have no idea what you're talking about. I actually laughed when I read your comments because you obviously got your information from the latest celebrity protester, Pamela Anderson, or the environment zealots at PETA.
1. Veterinarians have agreed that hunt is human. The skulls of baby seals are egg shell thin at the time they are clubbed and death is just about instant for them when hit. They do not feel any pain, they do not suffer, they just die. It is a humane way for a baby seal to die but don’t get this confused with the hunt as a whole. Any hunt, seals, moose, ducks, chickens, turkeys, etc.. isn’t humane by definition as we are not treating the animals with kindness :)
2. Many seals are skinned alive you say? Death occurs with the cessation of electrical activity in the whole brain and not just the neo-cortex. With that said I find it hard to believe that baby seals are still legally alive with their skulls crushed or a bullet through their heads. If a chicken runs around with its head cut off does that mean it's still feeling pain? These "alive" seals you're talking about are nothing more than an involuntary muscle twitch which is a natural, albeit startling, process of death. Amusingly enough clubbing a seal with a hakapik is more humane than shooting a seal with a gun.
3. Hunted to supply Europeans with fur? This is a half truth because the seals are hunted for their meat and oils, the hunt isn't solely for the pelts.
4. $1000 annually? I would love to see how you calculated this number! To date many hunters have stated that their income from sealing represents between 25-35 per cent of their total annual income. With your math the annual income of a seal hunter just over $4000, we have a discrepancy somewhere! I know the cost of living in Newfoundland is low but come on.
6. The rest of Canada isn't turning a blind eye to this hunt as many have taken the time to read the facts and realize that this hunt is a part of our heritage and it is humane. I guess you're the exception to the rule.
7. From the sounds of your vote it will probably end up for someone in the Green Party, which is your choice. The Liberals, NDP, and Conservatives will all support the seal hunt so it's your only real choice. Don't worry, no one will miss your vote.
I'm now left to wonder if you even got your name or e-mail address right when you posted this comment!
Posted by Daryl Martin at March 30, 2006 06:44 PM
Comments
Daryl,
Great job supporting the Seal Hunt. I agree 100% with your comments and disagree totally with those of Carol. Being from an outport community myself I realize first hand the importance of the annual Seal Hunt. I really wish that those opposing the Hunt could have that same understanding but I guess that would be too much to ask from someone who's never even been to our province, or even seen a seal for that matter.
With regards to the whole "fur" thing... I personally don't like to wear fur. I do wear a leather coat but since I eat beef that's ok because at least the animals aren't being killed just for their skin. But hold on a minute... I've also eaten Seal. Actually, I've eaten Seal on several occasions. It's quite good. So I wonder if anybody would mind if I ate a Seal and then donned it's furry exterior? I wonder...
Anyway. That's all for me. Maybe I'll go eat a rabbit too and get a nice pair of gloves to go with my coat.
Hayward
Posted by: Hayward Welcher at April 7, 2006 02:28 PM