2008 Commercial Seal Hunt Quota Protects Sealers, Not Seals
Humane Society International/Canada and The Humane Society of the United States today condemned the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans following its announcement of the 2008 commercial seal hunt quota of 275,000 harp seals. The high quota flies in the face of recommendations made by independent scientists, who have recommended the quota be substantially reduced. Instead of following that advice, the DFO increased this year's quota by 5,000 from last year.
"Announcing unsustainable quotas in an effort to appease commercial fishing interests is standard operating procedure at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans," stated Rebecca Aldworth, director of animal programs for Humane Society International/Canada. "This reckless quota is the Canadian government's attempt to kowtow to industry and is in total disregard to conservation."
Animal protection groups argue the seal hunt is needless and inherently cruel. The pups are killed for their fur, the bulk of which is exported to Europe for sale in fashion markets, while the carcasses are generally left to rot on the ice floes. Veterinary panels, which have studied the commercial seal hunt in recent years, have concluded the slaughter results in "considerable and unacceptable suffering," noting that sealers often fail to comply with regulations and the Canadian government is unable to effectively monitor the killing.
Today's kill levels meet and even exceed those of a half century ago, when the harp seal population was quickly reduced by as much as two thirds. Independent scientists warn the Canadian government seal hunt management plan poses a threat to the survival of seal populations, particularly as harp seals now face the added threat of global warming, which is fast destroying their ice habitat. In 2007, hundreds of thousands of seal pups died before the commercial seal hunt had even begun when the ice floes melted before the pups were old enough to survive in open water. In some key whelping regions, the Canadian government predicted more than 90 percent mortality for harp seal pups.
In recent years, a number of European nations have either banned seal product trade or announced their intentions to do so. A boycott of Canadian seafood launched by animal protection groups in 2005, which will continue until the seal hunt is ended for good, has attracted the support more than 3,500 businesses and half a million people.
"By continuing its expensive and irrational campaign to continue the commercial seal hunt, the federal government is putting legitimate Canadian business, our international reputation, and seal populations at risk. It is time this needless slaughter was ended for good," stated Aldworth.
FACTS:
- Canada's commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on earth, with hundreds of thousands of seals killed annually.
- In Canada, more than 95 percent of the seals killed each year are less than 3 months old. At the time of slaughter, many have yet to eat their first solid meal or take their first swim, and they are utterly defenseless against the hunters.
- The seals are killed for their fur, which is sold in fashion markets in Asia, Europe and Russia.
- In Canada, sealers are commercial fishermen, who earn only a small fraction of their annual incomes from killing seals.
- A 2007 study by a panel of veterinary and zoology experts who studied the Canadian commercial seal hunt found a widespread disregard for the Marine Mammal Regulations by sealers, a failure to monitor the hunt by authorities, high wounding rates in seals that were shot or clubbed, wounded seals left to suffer for protracted periods of time and sealers failing to ensure animals were dead in 66 percent of cases. The report concluded that both clubbing and shooting of seals should be considered unacceptable.
- A recent scientific opinion by the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare requested by the European Commission concluded, "When seals are hit or shot, but are not dead, they may have to be hit or shot again or may be moved or skinned whilst conscious, resulting in avoidable pain, distress, fear and other forms of suffering" and "seals should be protected from acts that cause them avoidable pain, distress, fear and other forms of suffering."
- Nations around the world have taken action to end their trade in seal products or announced their intention to do so, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Slovenia and the United States.
- The HSUS launched its ProtectSeals boycott of Canadian seafood in March 2005.
- Restaurants, seafood distributors and grocers participating in the ProtectSeals campaign pledge to avoid Canadian snow crab, or all seafood from Eastern Canada, or seafood from all of Canada until the hunt ends for good.
- Nearly two-thirds of Canadian seafood is exported to the U.S. producing $2.5 billion annually for the Canadian economy.
- Canadian government trade statistics reveal that Canadian exports of snow crabs — the chief export product from Canada's sealing provinces — to the U.S. have dropped by nearly $500 million in the two and a half years since the campaign was launched. In contrast, the landed value of the Canadian seal hunt in 2007 was approximately $12 million.
- Canada's seal hunt is expected to begin in a few weeks despite the threat of global warming, which caused hundreds of thousands of seal pups to die in 2007 when sea ice melted before they were old enough to survive in open water.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
