Flogger

Why is it more morally dubious, than fishing? Should we ban that?

Many fish BTW, like the bluefin tuna are being fished to the edge of extinction, so as to fill the demands of sushi resturants in cities such as Vancouver. Surely our efforts would be better focused there?

johnh009

Especially the Peking variety.

dbd33

The hunt here goes after foxes and, failing that, coyotes. It's very much about hunting something down and shredding it.

Atlantic Xpat

It's not a cull, it's a hunt or harvest. The main seal hunt is an economic harvest in the same manner as fishing. Primary markets are for pelts although some (not all) of the meat is used. The smaller Innu hunts are for cultural/historical reasons. They are not the events that PETA/Sea Shepherd etc protest about.

The factor that will lead to the demise of the hunt on any scale is the collapse of markets for pelts. Already, no market exists in North America (outside a few seaskin coats in NL and beyond and the EU is no longer a market. So it's only Asia and Russia that are mainstream markets. If consumer tastes/economic conditions/any other factor reduces demand significantly, then there will be no economic reason to hunt seals. Sure there might be a few hundred caught for seal flipper pie but that'll be it.

The irony here is that arguably a sealskin coat is a much more environmentally friendly garment than your gortex, thinsulate North Face collection of petrochemicals.

On the seals eating cod thing, it's likely true that they do eat cod and that can impact the cod population. But it's not the reason for the collapse in Altantic cod - lay that at the feet of mismanagement at the federal and provincial level, the industrialisation of fishing, predatory harvesting from certain, EU states (Portugal for example) and yes, years of exploitation by the fisherman of Atlantic Canada.

So using cod numbers as an excuse for the seal hunt is a bit silly. The acceptable reason is that it is an economic harvest, carried out as humanely as possible. No other justification should be required. It is the same justification as farming (factory or otherwise), fishing and any other hunt for food or pelts. But it's more visible, more visceral when televised and more open to public scrutiny.

It's also a subject that unfortunately defies rational debate. Which is a shame.

dbd33

This assumes a moral absolute, either one uses animals or one does not. I don't think that's valid, it seems to me perfectly reasonable to, for example, wear leather but to draw the line at eating veal or foie gras. After all, vegans are just fruitarians who lack the courage of their convictions, we're all compromised to some degree.

Oakvillian

I am happy to agree to disagree on this - except to say that, to a large extent, what you're suggesting is exactly how most hunts now operate (although instead of a peasant it's normally some cross-country running enthusiast dragging a smelly sock behind him.....).

There are many, many arguments and counterarguments about the need to control fox populations, the preservation of the "traditional English countryside" with all its coppices and spinneys, the increasing predation of livestock, etc etc etc, but this probably isn't the time or the place - we're supposed to be talking about fluffy baby seals, after all

Bali2010

Yes, I have no problem with ducks.
I (being in a farming community) have no problem eating cute sheep or cows, even those I have known personally - no consistency at all - no point pretending that there is

Alan2005

Foie gras isn't as (or at least doesn't have to be as) cruel as some would have you believe. Not that I care one way or the other - it's just too tasty for morality to stop me eating it.

Novocastrian

God, this is the most tedious BE thread for years.

el_richo

Either wearing leather or eating veal results in the death of an animal and one would assume the choice to not eat a meat would be because of such a death. My point is, people can be very selective of what they vehemently detest and what they are comfortable with when it comes to the use of animals for human gain.

It's the hypocrisy i find interesting when people are arguing the toss.

I also agree with Alan. Foie Gras, with fig jam and posh bread, is too tasty to give a damn about the duck or goose. Stuff 'em.....

el_richo

Surely it's more exciting than a thread on aliens, which airlines people use to travel back and forth with, or one of my favourites, how are dogs perceived in Canada.

Actually......you may have a point.

Novocastrian

Certainly, it's a minor step up from hair curler power issues. But only very, very minor.

I think I'll kill myself.

<humanely of course>

Tangram

Here.... take my club.

el_richo

That comment just made me think. My nephew is really into a kids online area with a rather apt (ish) name.

Novocastrian

and I was just getting to like you.