PETA – the Seal Hunt
Well, the know-nothing crazies are at it again. They’re all in a tizzy over the annual Canadian seal hunt. The McCartney duo and Brigitte Bardot have added their names to those who wish a photo-op to keep them before the public’s eye, along with all the assorted nuts who will go to any lengths to turn you into a vegetarian. Some true facts for those who don’t know them:
Species: Almost all hunting is directed at harp seals.
Population: Estimated at six million, almost triple what it was in the 1970s.
Hunters: In 2004, there were 15,468 licences issued to seal hunters, but only about half of them actually took part. The industry was valued at $16 million a year.
Quotas: During 2003-2005, the catch limit for harp seals was set at 975,000. The limit for 2006 in 325,000.
Harvest: In the early 1990s, the hunt took about 60,000 animals annually. But the numbers have risen steadily since the mid-1990s as demand increased from Europe’s fashion houses.(Why can’t the McCartney’s and Bardot’s protest in Europe to save the seals? Some simple math: No demand, no supply. Pretty easy concept, eh?)
Rules: The youngest harp seals, known as whitecoats, cannot be killed until they loose their white fur.
Please note that the population has grown to triple what it was in the ’70’s when all this nonsense first came to light. Please note that harvest quotas have grown to meet European demand. Please note that the cute, little whitecoats these idiots pose beside can’t be killed. Please note that no matter how cute they may be, these are animals, not human beings. Bardot’s crying before a picture showing a seal clubbing a human baby is pathetic, even for a passed-the-expiry-date actress.
The Humane Society of the United States claimed that its year-long campaign to boycott
Canadian seafood is having a big effect. First of all, what gives the US Humane Society a right to stick its nose into our business? Isn’t our Humane Society good enough for them? Probably not, as our society found little wrong with the hunt or how the seals were killed. Though hunters in the Gulf often use clubs called hakapiks, about 90 per cent of hunters in Newfoundland use rifles.
Second point: The group (USHS) released a list of more than 50 American restaurants and companies that have reportedly joined the boycott designed to put an end to the seal hunt. Disclaimer: Nearly two thirds of the businesses that the society said were boycotting Canadian fish products were unaware of the fact they were on the list. As well, 78 per cent said that either they were still serving Canadian seafood, or that they had never offered the products to their customers before the boycott. What this is really all about is a ton of money. The Humane Society last year had revenues of about $87 million. This is a huge business.
Instead of trying to take money away from Canadians who want to earn a little more than what pogey pays, and food out of some people’s mouths, let these fools concentrate on important issues, like the sex lives of flying squirrels.
In the meantime, let’s boycott McCartney songs and see how he and his Humane Society like it.
