Anger, helplessness and sadness. These are the strong emotions I feel when I think about what is currently happening to young, defenseless seals on the Canadian ice floes. One wonders how on earth this is possible in our modern world. But what is even worse is that some large conservation organizations are suggesting – even to children – that this is normal practice. I have seen wording such as: “it would only be unacceptable if it leads to a long term decline in the number of seals”. We are lead to believe that “death is an inevitable part of an animals life”, that the seal population is healthy and that the “seal population can sustain the ‘harvesting’”.
These fallacies are used to allow society to close its eyes to the reality. Even the World Wide Fund for Nature – which uses young animals that happily frolic around on the television screen as a fundraising tool – hides behind these fallacies and by doing so supports the Canadian policies. If WWF would say: “Stop!” and follow up with action, the hunt would soon be over. But they will not do it because the seals involved are not of an endangered species. “Animal welfare (...) is not our angle. Our focus and expertise are in conservation.” So far the WWF.
Scores of signatures, events and protests…nothing has convinced the Canadian government to change its policies. We have to find another way to stop this de-humanizing seal hunt.
So, what to do?
My proposal is to establish a worldwide “Seals Wildlife Fund”, jointly with Canadian animal protection people (who definitely do exist). Proceeds from the fund should go to Canadian fishermen, who only earn a pittance from this terrible hunt. The Canadian government has deserted these fishermen and the failing fishery policies have caused a catastrophe. The Canadian seas are empty and the struggling fishermen are allowed to kill seals for a couple of months as compensation. Their anger and frustration is expressed in every blow they deliver to the sculls of the defenseless baby seals. The argument that the seals are solely responsible for the depleted fish stocks has long been acknowledged as not viable. Even the Canadian government has admitted that much.
Together we should make funds available for fishermen that do not hunt. Just like a non-use premium that is currently provided to some European farmers. The revenue from the seal kill is only a small part of a fisherman’s income. According to the Canadian government, the total income from the seal kill is only 12 million euro annually (2005). If we deduct the subsidies and other expenses, it is even less. If we support the Canadian fishermen in their bad situation, we can make them feel that the world is not against them. Maybe we can even convince them that a live seal is worth more that a dead one. And for the Canadian government it will be embarrassing if the rest of the world takes care of the victims of its own failed fishery policies.
Something has to be done. If everybody who ever signed a petition against the Canadian seal hunt donates a few euros, we can buy the survival of all the seals. In our society everything revolves around money. The Canadian government deems money more important that ethics. Let’s beat them at their own game.
If we start tomorrow, we will buy out the seal hunt next year. Going politely through Ambassadors, government officials, boycotts, etc. has shown limited success. We have to start at the foundation: acknowledge the difficult position of the Canadian fishermen who are being used to cover up the failed policies of their own government.
Lenie ’t Hart.
31-03-2005 Source: SRRC
