Bill Maher wrote to interim Liberal leader Bob Rae expecting the Liberals to do better than the Conservatives in their blind support of Canada's commercial seal hunt. Sadly, the response was typical of what's usually seen from politicians: excuses and sad attempts to deflect from the issues at hand.
The seal hunt is an unnecessary, outdated practice with little economic value. Willfully ignoring this fact, the majority of Canadian politicians continue to support the hunt in attempt to garner favour in Atlantic Canada, as Maher points out. But when the leader of a political party justifies the reputation-staining, taxpayer-supported slaughter of tens of thousands of seals with arguments of "culture and tradition," accompanied by weak lamentations that the practice is "being singled out unfairly" -- accepting such an excuse would prevent action against any atrocity to humans or animals -- it is time for Canadians to sit up and ask what kind of Kool Aid they are drinking up in Ottawa.
Despite decades of political posturing and tens of millions in wasted tax dollars, government support of the seal hunt has failed. There are 33 countries that now ban the trade in seal products, most notably the 27 member states of the EU, Russia (which reportedly represented approximately 90 per cent of the export market for Canada's seal fur) and the U.S. An agreement between Canada and China to allow edible seal products to be exported to China has not been ratified, and there are reports of China considering banning seal products as well. Frankly, it seems unlikely that the 2012 hunt would have occurred at all without a $3.6 million bailout from the government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The political excuses for continuing this unnecessary slaughter are getting noticeably thin on the ground. "Tradition" does not justify the slaughter of newly weaned animals so that their skins can be stockpiled. There are plenty of traditions that are no longer justified or socially acceptable today, and the killing of seal pups in attempt to encourage the international wildlife trade should join this list. The sooner the better, for seals, the few remaining sealers, and for Canadians of all political stripes.
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Mark Jones: Canadian Government Continues to Support Cruel, Bloody and Pointless Seal Slaughter
Harp seals are not endangered but informed opinion surely is.
FAQs: The Atlantic seal hunt
Even the language is chosen carefully. Hunt or slaughter. Sea mammals or baby seals. Cherished tradition or economic disaster. Cod-eating nuisance or adorable innocent.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/05/05/f-seal-hunt.html
There is PLENTY of propaganda from the animal rights groups who are in the business of raising CASH. Why do they continue to use pics of white seals on all their fundraising materials?
snip snip: Whitecoats are newborn harp seals. Most Canadians can recall pictures of whitecoated seal pups being clubbed. The images were so inflammatory that Canada banned all hunting of whitecoats and bluebacks (otherwise known as hooded seals) in 1987.
You'd never know that from some of the anti-sealing groups that still prominently display pictures of whitecoats on their websites and in fundraising materials. One site even features a downloadable video of people hugging whitecoats. The reality is that whitecoats can't be hunted anymore.
It's also true young harp seals lose their white coats (and their protection) at about 12 to 14 days of age. After that, they're fair game for hunters, although they're usually about 25 days old before they're hunted. Most harp seals taken are under the age of three months.
Young yes, whitecoats no.
You demand honesty in Government for providing data on the hunt now please just reciprocate.
Thanks.