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Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
March 23, 2004
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness (Charlottetown – March 23, 2004) Despite international condemnation, the commercial hunt for harp and hooded seal pups began in full force today across the ice floes of eastern Canada, and IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) is out on the ice to document the abuse. As many as 350,000 harp seal pups will be slaughtered over the next few weeks – the highest quota for harp seals in history. Seals may be killed once they begin to moult their fluffy white coats – at just 12 days old. Fully 95 percent of the seals killed in the hunt are under three months of age. IFAW representatives are documenting this year’s hunt, both from the air and on the ice itself. To date, IFAW has submitted video evidence of more than 660 probable violations of Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations – including the skinning of live seals - to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Not a single charge has been laid in response. Last year, IFAW collected video footage of unprecedented quality and detail. Sealers were filmed from close range, clubbing and skinning animals. In the footage, sealers were caught clubbing several animals, then returning to kill each one – a clear violation of the Marine Mammal Regulations. As the sealer would start to cut into the seal, it would begin to thrash around. The sealer, seeing the animal was still alive, would club it again. The seal would lie still, and the sealer would continue cutting into it. Again the seal would move. This process was repeated several times. Sealers are required by law to perform a simple blink reflex test to determine if the seal is dead before it can be skinned. In absence of this test, the sealer has no way to ensure he is not skinning the animal alive. But the sealers did not simple perform this test once – another clear violation of the regulations. IFAW submitted the footage to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans following the 2003 hunt as clear evidence of extreme cruelty to animals and gross infractions of the Marine Mammal Regulations. Just last month, the DFO informed IFAW they would not be pressing charges. “It is clear to me the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is not only unable, but also unwilling to enforce their own regulations,” campaigner Rebecca Aldworth said. “Allowing the very sealers caught on this tape to return to the hunt this year is an official endorsement from the Canadian government that illegal, cruel behavior is an accepted part of the commercial seal hunt.” To follow IFAW’s trek to the ice, go to www.canadasealhunt.ca. End For media-related inquiries, contact: Katy Heath-Eves (IFAW) – Canada Tel: 1 (902) 628-4615; Email: Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"KrakAttiK" wrote in message ... Cheerio I say! How are things in Merry Old England? Now **** off. Killing Seals is good fun and you know it. You're just jealous that you can't get in on it. smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Hey ****-wit. they dont kill baby harp seals. Eben the National Geographic
says so. I have seen you retards using those picture from the 70s still. I am going to Canada for skiing. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Hey ****-wit. they dont kill baby harp seals. Eben the National Geographic
says so. I have seen you retards using those picture from the 70s still. I am going to Canada for skiing. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the
people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"Daniel Audet" wrote in message
... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ... "Daniel Audet" wrote in message ... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! Most of the seals are shot, what? Do you think they're still being clubbed? Most of you get your information from the sensationalistic press which sells subscriptions by showing blood. Some of you are gullible fools. Boycott on, be our guests. Boycotts don't work. Never have and never will. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"Ködos" wrote in message ... "pearl" wrote in message Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! Most of the seals are shot, what? Do you think they're still being clubbed? Most of you get your information from the sensationalistic press which sells subscriptions by showing blood. Some of you are gullible fools. Boycott on, be our guests. The English can't read very well. The news media can only get them to look at newspapers by filling them with bare tits and sensationalistic gossip. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"Invective" wrote in message et.cable.rogers.com... | | "Ködos" wrote in message | ... | | "pearl" wrote in message | | Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , | and see the impact this is having on your country. People love | seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent | creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming | eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually | slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! | | Most of the seals are shot, what? Do you think they're still being | clubbed? | Most of you get your information from the sensationalistic press which | sells | subscriptions by showing blood. Some of you are gullible fools. Boycott | on, be our guests. | | The English can't read very well. The news media can only get them to look | at newspapers by filling them with bare tits and sensationalistic gossip. | Especially how Beckham bends it in Posh Spice |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 19:38:22 -0400, "Ködos" wrote:
"pearl" wrote in message ... "Daniel Audet" wrote in message ... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! Most of the seals are shot, what? Do you think they're still being clubbed? Most of you get your information from the sensationalistic press which sells subscriptions by showing blood. Some of you are gullible fools. Boycott on, be our guests. Are all cans as naive and gullible as you appear to be? it would explain an awful lot. Boycotts don't work. Never have and never will. Certainly do. I have saved over £300,000ukp in ten years by boycotting Canada, not to mention I would no longer be moving there on retirement. Which is a real big shame as we used to look upon Canada as the more civilized of the continent. NOT any more, people think of Canada today and what do they see, state sponsored animal abusers. Still, at least you're proud of it, me I'd prefer pride for something nice. .. Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Boycotts don't work. Never have and never will.
Certainly do. I have saved over £300,000ukp in ten years by boycotting Canada, not to mention I would no longer be moving there on retirement. Which is a real big shame as we used to look upon Canada as the more civilized of the continent. NOT any more, people think of Canada today and what do they see, state sponsored animal abusers. Still, at least you're proud of it, me I'd prefer pride for something nice. You must be so happy to have saved so much money! It's too bad that you will not be able to come to Canada and enjoy the feast of the delicious seal meat. It is so good! The money you saved, is it from donations? I see that you have asked for donations from the gullible English. Jim |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 10:50:24 GMT, "Jim Carter"
wrote: Boycotts don't work. Never have and never will. Certainly do. I have saved over £300,000ukp in ten years by boycotting Canada, not to mention I would no longer be moving there on retirement. Which is a real big shame as we used to look upon Canada as the more civilized of the continent. NOT any more, people think of Canada today and what do they see, state sponsored animal abusers. Still, at least you're proud of it, me I'd prefer pride for something nice. You must be so happy to have saved so much money! It's too bad that you will not be able to come to Canada and enjoy the feast of the delicious seal meat. It is so good! Canada was known for many things before, culinary delights were not one of them. The money you saved, is it from donations? I worked and owned property in Canada, visited three, four times per year on holiday and employed 17 Canadians. I now don't and yes save a fortune. I see that you have asked for donations from the gullible English. I have? Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Maybe you can try to get your Prime Minister to follow international law
and not go around invading other countries that are of no threat. Then maybe you can get your Prime Minister to stop buddying around with dictators like Ghadaffi. Then maybe you can complain about our country. pearl wrote: "Daniel Audet" wrote in message m... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Mmmmmm, fresh seal meat. I like it even better than I like fresh bald eagle
meat. -- I like the way Snrub thinks. "Jim Carter" wrote in message able.rogers.com... Boycotts don't work. Never have and never will. Certainly do. I have saved over £300,000ukp in ten years by boycotting Canada, not to mention I would no longer be moving there on retirement. Which is a real big shame as we used to look upon Canada as the more civilized of the continent. NOT any more, people think of Canada today and what do they see, state sponsored animal abusers. Still, at least you're proud of it, me I'd prefer pride for something nice. You must be so happy to have saved so much money! It's too bad that you will not be able to come to Canada and enjoy the feast of the delicious seal meat. It is so good! The money you saved, is it from donations? I see that you have asked for donations from the gullible English. Jim |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Agreed!, but two wrongs don't make a right you know. You've NO excuses, either.
"Tim" wrote in message ... Maybe you can try to get your Prime Minister to follow international law and not go around invading other countries that are of no threat. Then maybe you can get your Prime Minister to stop buddying around with dictators like Ghadaffi. Then maybe you can complain about our country. pearl wrote: "Daniel Audet" wrote in message ... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
So, would you be happy if they killed them the same way they kill cows?
pearl wrote: Agreed!, but two wrongs don't make a right you know. You've NO excuses, either. "Tim" wrote in message ... Maybe you can try to get your Prime Minister to follow international law and not go around invading other countries that are of no threat. Then maybe you can get your Prime Minister to stop buddying around with dictators like Ghadaffi. Then maybe you can complain about our country. pearl wrote: "Daniel Audet" wrote in message om... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
pearl wrote:
I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. To maim and kill each other? but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, No, it doesn't. It arises because you think "seals good, people bad." You pull the same **** for other creatures regardless of the method of culling, slaughtering, etc. which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. No, it isn't. If you ninnies had your way, we'd ban deer hunting on the same grounds. Then we'd have even more ****ing deer around here, and more people would be injured or killed from collisions with them. The seals need to be culled to take pressure off local fisheries. Humanity everywhere Speak for yourself. You don't speak for the rest of us. is objecting very strongly, I'm not. Kill the seals, give the meat to the hungry, and save fish populations for human use. and your refusal to listen harms you too. Bull****, Lesley. Nobody is harmed by seal hunts. People are benefitted by them, and so are cod populations. Remember all your boring threads about saving the damn cod? This is one of the necessary steps, dummy. ... |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 20:15:34 GMT, usual suspect
wrote: pearl wrote: I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. To maim and kill each other? but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, No, it doesn't. It arises because you think "seals good, people bad." You pull the same **** for other creatures regardless of the method of culling, slaughtering, etc. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. No, it isn't. If you ninnies had your way, we'd ban deer hunting on the same grounds. Then we'd have even more ****ing deer around here, and more people would be injured or killed from collisions with them. That's untrue jonny, if you and your deviant friends stopped slaughtering the deer the population would in fact fall. It's estimated deer numbers are 75% higher than they need to be in the USA simply because of the rebound effect in population, directly caused by hunters, who of course want high populations because it means they don't have to walk so far to satisfy their deviant tendencies. Still, if it wasn't deer it would be children or some other defenseless creatures eh jonny? The seals need to be culled to take pressure off local fisheries. Another myth Humanity everywhere Speak for yourself. You don't speak for the rest of us. Obviously you're not included in the term jonny. is objecting very strongly, I'm not. Kill the seals, give the meat to the hungry, and save fish populations for human use. and your refusal to listen harms you too. Bull****, Lesley. Nobody is harmed by seal hunts. People are benefitted by them, and so are cod populations. Remember all your boring threads about saving the damn cod? This is one of the necessary steps, dummy. The fact is it's not jonny. The decline in cod globally is down to over fishing, pure and simple, obviously not simple enough for you jonny, have a lot on your mind lately? lol Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"Tim" wrote in message ...
So, would you be happy if they killed them the same way they kill cows? No, indeed not. Most 'livestock' suffers considerably up to, and also at slaughter. As you can see, this has been addressed elsewhere.. Comment From Jim Harrington 4-15-4 http://rense.com/general51/slscmm.htm To those who have had their eyes and hearts opened by the seal hunt, as a volunteer for my local Humane Society, I just want to assure them that many, many people have worked on this issue over many years. There is a growing push in the media towards fur fashion again, and an expert on the fur issue reassures me that it is the gasping of a dying industry. However, for those who are truly sickened by this treatment of animals, there are many, many unseen atrocities being committed that are blacked out by the media. Most notably in the meat industry. Factory farming is one of the most horrifying practices that humanity has come up with in recent decades. This last week we in British Columbia have witnessed the slaughter of 19 million farm birds because a few have exhibited signs of the flu. Several humans came down with sore eyes and runny noses, and so 19 million birds were slaughtered. The birds must be replaced quickly, to meet consumer needs. Big opposition is occuring as no one wants the corpses disposed in 'their back yard'. As with the heaping charred bodies of cattle in Britain during the mad cow crisis (brought on by feeding cattle parts to cattle) I wondered, WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION to the 'cull'. The careless mass 'disposal' of another species made sick by our own farming practices. In Asia recently, these ill and healthy birds alike were violently grabbed and crammed mercilessly into bags to be buried alive en masse. Shown repeatedly on mainstream news. There are many websites available to educate ourselves on the inhuman treatment of animals. Factory farming is no less horrible than the seal hunt. If we are truly affected by the mindset of a person clubbing a seal to death with a pick, let us make each other aware that this issue is but a speck on the radar. That our barbeques and frying pans contain the results of no less brutal acts. ..' http://rense.com/general51/slscmm.htm I'll be happy when animals aren't killed at all, at least not avoidably, without really very good reason,- i.e. survival. Native Wisdom; 'The Circle of Life includes all plants, animals, fish, birds, insects, humans. The only aspect of the circle that is not essential to life is the human aspect "I mentioned the sacred circle of life. If you can imagine a circle, in that circle are the people, plants, animals, birds, fish, and insects. The Native belief is that if you damage anything within that sacred circle of life, eventually you damage yourself. If you take any one of those items, animals, out of the sacred circle of life--everything would die. If you take out the insects, eventually everything will die. If you take out the plants, eventually everything will die. If you take out the fish, eventually everything will die. What would happen if you take the humans out of the sacred circle of life? What would happen then? Nothing. We are the least important in that sacred circle of life. The ancient beliefs are that we were the last to come along. The animals, plants, fish, birds and insects didn't depend on us. Our lives depend on a harmonious relationship with everything within the sacred circle of life. That's the basis of Native spirituality. It's not a worship of animals. It is a relationship, a strong feeling with the natural world." Butch Phillips, Penobscot Indian Nation.' http://www.nativescience.org/assets/...PlanWRKSHP.pdf |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Harp seals and Cod
Questions and Answers IMMA Technical Briefing 99-02 D.M. Lavigne, S. Fink, D. Johnston, and P. Meisenheimer International Marine Mammal Association 1474 Gordon St. Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1L 1C8 This technical briefing addresses commonly asked questions about Northwest Atlantic harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and their relationship with Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua). 1. Did harp seals cause the collapse of cod stocks? No. At the time of the cod stock collapse off eastern Canada in 1992 it was popular to blame seals, European fishers and a variety of other factors. Although the occasional claim that seals were involved in the collapse is still heard, that view is not supported by any available scientific evidence. As early as 1994, two scientists then in the employ of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) concluded "that the collapse of northern cod can be attributed solely to overexploitation [by humans]¼."1 Most of the interest groups (including fishers, sealers, federal and provincial politicians, government scientists and independent scientists) now generally agree that seals did not cause the depletion and collapse of any East coast fish stocks. 2. Are harp seals impeding the recovery of depleted cod stocks? There is no scientific evidence to support the common contention that harp seals are impeding the recovery of cod stocks. In 1995, 97 scientists from 15 countries signed a petition, which read (in part): "All scientific efforts to find an effect of seal predation on Canadian groundfish stocks have failed to show any impact."2 While subsequent government 'fact sheets' posted on the World Wide Web have repeated the claim the seals are hindering the recovery of cod stocks,3,4 Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) seal specialist, Dr. Garry Stenson, has acknowledged (consistent with all available scientific advice) that "There is no scientific basis for this statement and we are getting a lot of flack because of it."4 A 1997 international scientific workshop on interactions between harp seals and fisheries - which included a number of DFO scientists - "accepted ¼ that it could not [on the basis of available information] assess the relative importance of predation by harp seals on the current status of the northern cod stock."5 Still, some government spokespersons persist in claiming that, despite the fact that harp seals rarely eat Atlantic cod, they are an important source of cod mortality. But even they have conceded that "The impact of seals on the 2J3KL cod stock [i.e. the northern cod stock]6 remains unclear."7 3. So, why are cod stocks not showing signs of recovery? Since the closure of the cod fishery in 1992, a number of cod stocks actually have begun to show promising signs of recovery. In southern Newfoundland, for example, a limited fishery was permitted in 1998. In the case of northern cod, however, no real signs of recovery yet have been observed. This is not surprising, given the slower growth rate and delayed reproduction of northern cod relative to more southern stocks.6 Even at the time of the moratorium, a number of biologists predicted the stock would take a decade or more to recover from its extremely depleted state.8 4. What has been the impact of the cod moratorium on the Newfoundland fishery? Much of the debate about seals and fisheries is predicated on the dramatic effect that the 1992 collapse of the cod fishery, and other traditional fisheries, has had on Newfoundland. In this context, it should be noted that cod fishers and others displaced by the collapse have been beneficiaries of the Northern Cod Adjustment and Recovery Program (NCARP) from 1992-1994 and a subsequent $1.9 billion federally funded compensation program known as The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS), which began in 1994 and expired in August 1998.9 In June 1998, it was announced that government had approved a new federal assistance program, which would provide an additional $550 million for East coast fishers after the TAGS program ended.10 Newfoundland Premier, the Hon. Brian Tobin, was publicly critical of that program and, following discussions with the Prime Minister, the Hon. Jean Chrétien, it was announced on 19 June 1998 that the East coast fishery assistance program had been increased to some $730 million.10 While the federal subsidy programs have always been well publicized, it seems to have gone largely unnoticed that the landed value of the entire Newfoundland fishery actually began to recover in 1993 and, by 1995, it exceeded pre-moratorium levels as some fishers, at least, switched their attention to other fishery resources, particularly shellfish.11 A great deal of misunderstanding remains about the importance of fishing to the economies of Canada and Newfoundland. Although fishing was Canada's first business12, it now contributes less than 1 per cent to the Canadian GDP.13 In Newfoundland, fishing contributed an average of only 1.4 per cent annually to the provincial GDP between 1993 and 1997, inclusive.14 5. Is the amount of fish consumed by seals a measure of impact on fisheries? Proponents of culling harp seals, ostensibly to benefit fisheries, invariably refer to estimates of the amount of fish purportedly consumed by seals annually to support their calls for an increased seal kill. Recently, they misleadingly cited a paper attributed to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization's (NAFO) Scientific Council as their authority, without mentioning that the paper in question was an unpublished manuscript co-authored by two Canadian government scientists.15 Regardless, while claims that seals are eating tens of thousands of tonnes of commercially important fish may seem to support the conclusion that they are having large impacts on fisheries, that conclusion may well be wrong. The figures themselves are derived by multiplying the estimated food consumption of an average seal by the estimated size of the population. If the estimate of population size is wrong - as may well be the case for Northwest Atlantic harp seals - then so too will be the estimate of its food consumption. The available calculations also make questionable assumptions about the availability of individual prey, including Atlantic cod. And, most importantly, there is the problem that estimates of food consumption tell us nothing about whether seal feeding behaviour is having direct or indirect effects on the abundance of various fish stocks, or on the catches of various commercial fisheries,16 including cod. The correct interpretation of the estimates of consumption by seals of commercially important prey can be found in the NAFO Council paper itself.15 The authors noted that such estimates are merely "one of the first steps in trying to understand the dynamics between seal predation and commercial fisheries." Toward that goal, they noted that "significant advances [toward understanding the relationship between seal predation and commercial fisheries] will not be achieved until more is known about the abundance of small fish and other sources of natural mortality."15 In conclusion, while estimates of prey consumption by seals may provide some measure of the potential for competition between seals and commercial fisheries, they alone tell us nothing about whether such competition is actually occurring. 16 6. Do harp seals selectively feed on the livers of cod? While such selective feeding has been observed in seabirds, it has never been documented in harp seals. For many years now, fishers in eastern Canada have claimed that harp seals selectively feed on the livers (or "stomachs") of cod and discard the rest of the body. They further claim that such partial consumption of prey would not be detected in routine stomach content analyses, the usual method for determining harp seal diets. This view of harp seal feeding resurfaced in March 1999, when John Efford, Newfoundland's Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, released a videotape showing large numbers of dead cod on the bottom of Bonavista Bay, many with their bellies gaping, "after a group of seals crowded codfish into a bay and started feasting."17 Harp seals are not shown on the video, however, crowding codfish into a bay; nor are they shown feasting (or even feeding). Nonetheless, the situation described is somewhat reminiscent of harp seals and seabirds feeding on aggregations of arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) -- a small energy-rich fish, which is not commercially exploited -- in the eastern Canadian arctic.18 Finley et al. noted that "the birds often consumed only the liver of the cod" whereas "many of the fish" in the stomach of one adult female harp seal examined "were still intact." Similar events involving harp seals and birds feeding on Atlantic cod have not, to our knowledge, been described in the literature and are not captured on Mr Efford's video. Nonetheless, the video, together with the available literature, usefully provide some alternative explanations for finding cod in Bonavista Bay with their bellies "ripped out." They also point the way to resolving the old conundrum: do harp seals, on occasion, exhibit this sort of feeding behaviour on Atlantic cod? Lacking documented evidence that harp seals partially consume their prey raises the question, how one would ever know if they do, on occasion, exhibit such behaviour? The first line of evidence would be expected to come from analyses of harp seal stomach contents and literally thousands have been examined over the past 50 years.19 Contrary to recent media reports, some quoting fishery scientists who obviously have never done stomach content analyses, the food in the stomach may range from undigested (the seal ate just prior to being killed) to fully digested (the seal was sampled long after its last meal). In the former instance, the prey items are fresh, entire, and easily identified. What one finds in such stomachs, generally, is whole fish, stacked like sardines in a can, or whole invertebrates, like shrimp or squid. In such instances, we are unaware of one documented scientific report of fish livers in harp seal stomachs. Absence of evidence, however, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Yet, when seals have been observed eating cod, scientists reported that "they swallowed them head first and whole,"20 consistent with the observations obtained from stomach content analysis. Nonetheless, anecdotal claims that harp seals do, on occasion, partially consume cod (and perhaps other fish) cannot be rejected out of hand by the available scientific evidence. But Mr Efford's video, and the fishers who appear in it, provide other possible explanations. Their comments remind us of a 1960's publication, by the late Wilfred Templeman, which describes mass mortalities of cod, such as the one depicted in the video.21 Templeman suggested that such events are triggered by cold temperatures and it is possible that the video actually captures one such event. The fishers in the video go on to explain how some of the fish (which may well be in a weakened condition) got trapped at low tide and were preyed upon by a variety of birds (crows, eagles, etc.). Indeed, some of the fish shown in the video have wounds that look more consistent with feeding by birds than with feeding by harp seals. Other fish shown in the video with their bellies open are reminiscent of fish that died and subsequently began to decompose. (Anyone who has removed rotting fish from a gill net will know that it is the belly region that rots first and it would be useful to conduct some forensic pathology to determine if this is what may have happened to some of the fish pictured in the video.) Mr Efford's video thus provides a useful starting point for further scientific investigations. In addition to necropsies on the dead cod, it might also be instructive to place some cod in intertidal waters, allowing some to be preyed upon by scavengers and others simply to begin decomposition. Such an experiment would provide documented evidence of the nature of the wounds left on fish as a result of predator feeding behaviour and the appearance of fish left simply to decompose. Video recordings could be used to document which predators (seals, birds, etc.) took advantage of the situation and the results (the fish remains) could be compared with those depicted in Mr Efford's video. Further, it would be very useful if future events, such as the one that recently took place in Bonavista Bay, could be studied (and extensively videotaped) to try to understand why the fish enter shallow bays, and to document the presence or absence of seals, seabirds, or other avian predators and their respective behaviours. Until such work is done, the question remains: does the video provide -- as Mr Efford claims -- the vital evidence to initiate a cull of harp seals to benefit the cod fishery? The scientific answer is, clearly, no. Even if Mr Efford were correct in assuming that seals were responsible for what is seen on the video, it would simply confirm that seals do eat cod, which as DFO seal biologist, Dr. Garry Stenson, has already noted, "isn't particularly new to us." The video, Stenson continued, still "doesn't tell us what the impact of seal predation is on the total population of cod, and that is what you need to know before you can draw any conclusions."22 7. Is a cull of the harp seal population justified on scientific grounds? Prof. W. Montevecchi, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland wrote, in 1995, that, "There is no scientific evidence that the culling of large marine predators has ever benefited a commercial fishery¼"23 In the specific case of Northwest Atlantic harp seals, the 1997 scientific workshop in St. Johns reiterated a conclusion first reached by NAFO scientists in 198124 and repeated by DFO seal specialist, Dr. W.D. Bowen, in 1992.25 It concluded, "It is not yet possible to predict the effects of an increase or a decrease in the size of the harp seal population on other ecosystem components, including commercially exploited fish populations, or on the yields obtained from them."5 In recent years, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Marine Mammal Action Plan has attempted to develop a scientific protocol outlining a methodology for evaluating proposals to cull marine mammal populations with a view to benefiting fisheries.26 Suffice it to say that the Canadian government has only just begun to do the sorts of analyses required to determine whether a cull of Northwest Atlantic harp seals is justified on scientific grounds. There is at this time no scientific grounds for culling the population.5,16,27 8. Would a reduced seal population benefit commercial fisheries? There is no scientific evidence that a seal cull would be beneficial to commercial fisheries. In fact, culling seal populations might well be detrimental to the interests of a commercial fishery. The simple minded, "common sense," view is that if seals eat fish, then, in theory, fewer seals would mean more fish for commercial fishers. Even if a reduced seal population resulted in an increased number of fish in the ocean, it must first be remembered that there are other predators in marine ecosystems, and any presumed increase in the size of a commercially important fish stock could well be eaten by those predators before being caught by fishers. An equally "common sense" argument tells us that if seals eat predators of commercially important fish, then fewer seals would mean fewer fish for fishers. 9. What will happen if harp seals are not culled? In the absence of an increased seal hunt or cull, harp seal numbers would be expected to stabilize. Indeed, the relatively poor "condition," slow growth rates, delayed maturity and reduced fecundity of harp seals in recent years are indicative of a population that has reached the limits of its food base.5,28 It is quite possible, in fact, that the Northwest Atlantic harp seal population already may have stabilized as a result of natural processes, and now may be declining because of the large and likely unsustainable hunts of the past three years.29 As for cod, given adequate protection and time, their numbers will likely recover over the next decade. Dr. R. Myers (formerly a DFO research scientist and now a professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax), for example, has stated, "Decimated fish populations like the northern cod will recover if fishing is cut down."30 This view was reiterated by 97 scientists who signed a 1995 petition on Canada's sealing policy. "If fishing closures continue," they said, "the evidence indicates that fish stocks will recover, and killing seals will not speed the process."2 10. Would reducing the seal population restore the "balance of the marine ecosystem?" Proponents of culling seal populations frequently argue that it is a necessary action to restore the "balance of nature," especially at times when a number of once abundant fish stocks are depleted. The fact of the matter is that the "balance of nature" is largely a myth. As early as 1930, renowned ecologist Charles Elton wrote, "The balance of nature does not exist, and perhaps has never existed."31 And, as Mangel et al. wrote in 1997, "the belief of the 1970s - that for management purposes one could assume that ecosystems were stable, closed, and internally regulated and behaved in a deterministic manner - has been replaced by recognition that ecosystems are open, in a constant state of flux, usually without long-term stability, and affected by many factors originating outside the system."32 In short, there is no preordained balance of nature and there is no "right" number of seals or other organisms in a natural system. Reducing the size of a seal population cannot restore something that did not exist in the first place. 11. Where the issue rests today. The scientific evidence and arguments summarized above will never convince those who believe that Northwest Atlantic harp seals "need" to be culled. John Efford, for example, made the following remarkable statement in Newfoundland's House of Assembly on 4 May 1998: ".I would like to see the 6 million seals, or whatever number is out there, killed and sold, or destroyed or burned. I do not care what happens to them.the more they kill the better I will love it."33 In March 1999, he called on the federal fisheries minister to increase the quota for harp seals from the current 275,000 to between 475,000 and 575,000, with a view to cutting the population in half.17 Contrast Mr Efford's views with a recent statement by the much respected Sierra Club of Canada in its sixth annual Rio report card on the government's performance on environmental matters. In a section entitled "Commitment to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Living Marine Resources," the Sierra Club states: "Given DFO's appalling record of over-estimating cod stocks, the government's willingness to accept exaggerated estimates of seal populations and unsubstantiated allegations of seals' impacts on commercial fisheries remains a cause for concern."34 Concluding Remarks. As the 1999 Canadian commercial seal hunt swings into full gear this month, there are two over-riding questions. The first, highlighted by the events of recent days, is whether a cull of harp seals is justified on scientific grounds. The scientific answer to this question is no and, for this reason, presumably, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans is not considering a cull at this time.35 As its 1999 Atlantic Seal Hunt Management Plan states: "More research is needed to determine the nature and extent of the impact of seal predation on the population dynamics of prey species." The second question relates to the sustainability of the harp seal hunt. In each of the last three years, the reported and estimated landed catches of Northwest Atlantic harp seals by Canada and Greenland have exceeded Canada's estimate of "replacement yield" -- the number of seals that can be removed without causing the population to decline. If the estimated replacement yield were correct, then the government has not been achieving its management objective of a sustainable harvest and the population should now be declining. Landed catches, however, only tell part of the story. When animals that are killed but not landed by sealers are accounted for, it now appears that somewhere between 400,000 and more than 500,000 harp seals have been killed in each of the past three years.36 Yet, despite the evidence that the population might be declining, Canada maintained the total allowable catch of harp seals for 1999 at 275,000,37 the highest permitted kill since the introduction of quota management in 1971. The question of the status of the Northwest Atlantic harp seal population and the sustainability of current levels of hunting will be revisited following an aerial survey of harp seal pup production in March 1999. Following the aerial survey, further work on population modeling to estimate total population size and trends will be required to investigate the implications of various management options regarding the future of Canada's annual seal hunt. Notes and Sources 1 Hutchings, J.A. and R.A. Myers. 1994. What can be learned from the collapse of a renewable resource? Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, of Newfoundland and Labrador. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51: 2126-2146. 2 Anon. 1995. Comment on Canada's Sealing Policy. A petition signed by 97 scientists from 15 countries, at the 11th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Orlando, Florida, 14-18 December 1995. 3 Anon. 1997. Understanding the Seal Fishery. Department of Fisheries and Oceans web page. http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/communic/seals...ta/utsf3_e.htm 4 Stenson, G. 1996. Email from Garry Stenson, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to Kate Sanderson, NAMMCO. (Obtained from DFO through Access to Information legislation). 5 Anon. 1997. Harp Seal-Fishery Interactions in the Northwest Atlantic: Toward Research & Management Actions. International Scientific Workshop, 24-27 February 1997. Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland. 41 pp. 6 For perspective, it must be remembered that a number of commercially important fish stocks off Canada's East coast collapsed in the early 1990s. The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stock of primary interest to Newfoundlanders and to the sealing question is the northern cod stock. It occurs in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) zones 2J, 3K and 3L (usually shortened to 2J3KL). This stock (or stocks, more probably) sustained fisheries off the coast of Labrador and the East coast of Newfoundland for centuries. Considered to be the richest of the eastern Canadian stocks, it is also the most northern of the commercially important Northwest Atlantic stocks. Its growth rate is slow and its age at maturity old, relative to other stocks. 7 Anon. 1998. Stock status report - DFO Science. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. http://www.nwafc.nf.ca/english/ssr/ssr97/2J3klcod.html. 8 Myers, R.A., G. Mertz and P.S. Fowlow. 1997. Maximum population growth rates and recovery times for Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua. Fish. Bull. 95:762-772. 9 Schrank, W.E. nd. The Newfoundland Fishery: Past, Present, and Future. pp. 35-70. In. Subsidies and depletion of world fisheries. Case Studies. WWF Endangered Seas Campaign. Anderssen, E. 1998. Despair greets loss of TAGS money. The Globe and Mail. 9 May 1998. p A3 10 Greenspon, E. 1998. Ottawa approves new aid for fishery. East, West Coasts get $925 million. The Globe and Mail. 12 June 1998. p. A1. Ayed, N. 1998. Post-TAGS plan lacking if figures are true: MPs. The Canadian Press. St. John's Evening Telegram. 13 June. p. 5. Gherson, G. 1998. Pressure sparks new fishery crisis fund. Ottawa Citizen. 13 June. p. A4. Greenspon, E., E. Anderssen, C. McInnes, and R. Howard. 1998. Ottawa sweetens aid for fisheries. The Globe and Mail. 19 June 1998. pp. A1, A5. Walker, W. 1998. Tobin may have gone too far in fishery bailout fight. Analysis. The Toronto Star. 20 June. p. A12. Canadian Press. 1998. Canadian fisheries to get $1.1 billion. The Toronto Star. 20 June. p. A12. Anderssen, E. Fishery package spurs resentment. Ministers escorted out as angry Newfoundlanders accuse them of 'destroying our lives.' The Globe and Mail. 20 June. p. A4. Anon. 1998. Fishing for solutions. Editorial. The Toronto Star. 21 June 1998. p. F2. Anon. 1998. Ottawa's fishery" an expensive flounder. Editorial. The Globe and Mail. 22 June. p. A16. 11 Department of Fisheries and Oceans. nd. Atlantic Coast Landed Values, by Region. DFO Web Site. Http://www. ncr.dfo.ca/communic/statistics/landings. 12 Bliss, M. 1987. Northern Enterprise. Five centuries of Canadian Business. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto. 640 pp. 13 Statistics Canada. nd. Gross domestic product at factor cost, primary industries. CANSIM Matrix 4677. http://WWW. StatCan.CA/english/Pgdb/Economy/Primary/prim03.htm. 14 Statistics Canada. 1997. Gross Domestic Product at Factor cost by Industry in Millions of Dollars. Newfoundland - Terre Neuve. 1984-1996. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 15-203 XPB. p. 9. Statistics Canada. 1997. Provincial Gross Domestic Product by Industry 1984-1997. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 15-203 XPB. p. 5. 15 Hammill, M. and G.B. Stenson. 1997. Estimated prey consumption by harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in the Northwest Atlantic. NAFO SCR Doc. 97/40. 37 pp. 16 Lavigne, D.M. 1996. Ecological interactions between marine mammals, commercial fisheries, and their prey: unravelling the tangled web. Studies of high-latitude seabirds. 4. Trophic relationships and energetics of endotherms in cold ocean systems. Canadian Wildlife Service. Occasional paper 91: 59-71. 17 Hamilton, G. 1999. Nfld. Video casts seals as villains in 'killing fields' of northern cod: Minister steals a tactic. National Post, 9 March 1999. P. A1. 18 Finley, K.J., Bradstreet, M.S.W., and G.W. Miller. 1990. Summer feeding ecology of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) in relation to Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Canadian high Arctic. Polar Biology, 10. 609-618. 19 Wallace, S.D., and D.M. Lavigne. 1992. A review of stomach contents of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) from the Northwest Atlantic. IMMA Technical Report No. 92-03 (Revised). 20 Pemberton D., Merdsoy, B., Gales, R., and Renouf, D. 1994. The interaction between offshore cod trawlers and harp (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded (Cystophora cristata) seals off Newfoundland, Canada. Biological Conservation 68, 123-127. 21 Templeman, W. 1965. Mass mortalities of marine fishes in the Newfoundland area presumably due to low temperature. International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, Special Publication No. 6. ICNAF Environmental Symposium, Rome 1964. Pp 137-147. 22 Stenson, G. 1999. VOCM-AM News. St. John's. 10 March 1999. 23 Montevecchi, W.A. 1996. Introduction. Studies of high-latitude seabirds. 4. Trophic relationships and energetics of endotherms in cold ocean systems. Canadian Wildlife Service. Occasional paper 91: 7-9. 24 Anon. 1981. Report on Special Meetings of Scientific Council, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. 23-26 November 1981. Dartmouth, Canada. NAFO SCS Doc. 81/XI/29. pp. 14-15. 25 Bowen, W.D. 1992. Book Review. Marine Mammal Science, 8: 94-95. 26 Anon. 1995. Tobin Looks at Ways of Expanding the Seal Harvest. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. News Release NR-HQ-95-07E. January 26, 1995. Here, a distinction must be made between a hunt, the sustainable "harvest" of a natural resource that, by definition is meant to remove some or all of the so-called surplus production for direct economic benefit, while maintaining the exploited population at some predetermined level in perpetuity, and a cull, which is designed to reduce a population from its current level in order to achieve some other, indirect management objective, such as reducing perceived conflicts between seals and commercial fisheries. While the objective of the Canadian seal hunt is often said to be a sustainable harvest, it is also claimed to have the objective of benefiting recovering fish stocks. As such the current Canadian seal hunt is also a cull. For additional information and discussion, see Meisenheimer, P. Marine mammal culls as fisheries management: insights from Canada's harp seal hunt. Unpublished ms. Anon. 1992. Marine Mammal/Fishery Interactions: Analysis of Cull Proposals. Report of the Meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Marine Mammal Action Plan. United Nations Environment Programme. 27 November - 1 December 1992. Liege, Belgium. 30 pp. Anon. 1995. Marine Mammal /Fishery Interactions: Analysis of Cull Proposals. Third Meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Marine Mammal Action Plan. 24-27 August 1994. Crowborough, England. UNEP(OCA)/MM.SAC.3.1. 10 May 1995. 28 pp. 27 Anderson, D. 1998. Letter to Ms. Debra Probert. 19 May 1998. Note: In this letter, Mr Anderson claims that "A number of mainstream environmental groups, such as World Wildlife Fund, agree that a controlled and responsible harvest of the seal herd is appropriate." In response, Monte Hummel, President of World Wildlife Fund Canada, wrote to Mr Anderson on 2 June 1998, clarifying WWF's position. Hummel wrote: ".we have always disagreed with any claim or conclusion that reductions in numbers of seals assist with recovery or conservation of marine ecosystems, or components such as cod stocks.I would be grateful if you would ensure that all staff in your department fully appreciate the WWF concern that predator control is not at present a scientifically justifiable action for the recovery of fish stocks, and further that DFO no longer suggests that WWF supports this argument." 28 Sjare, B., G.B. Stenson, and W.G. Warren. 1995. Summary of female harp seal reproductive parameters in the Northwest Atlantic. NAFO SCR Doc. 95/37. 9 pp. 29 Lavigne, D.M. 1999. Cull quota puts seals in the red. BBC Wildlife, March 1999. Pp. 20-21. 30 Then DFO scientist, R.A. Myers, quoted in Strauss, S. 1995. Decimated stocks will recover if fishing stopped, study finds. East coast decline in cod resulted from overfishing, not seals. The Globe and Mail. 25 August 1995. 31 Elton, C. 1930. Animal Ecology and Evolution. Oxford University Press, New York. 32 Mangel, M., et al. 1996. Principles for the conservation of wild living resources. Ecological Applications 6: 338-362. 33 Efford, J. 1998. House of Assembly Proceedings, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. 4 May. Vol XLIII. No. 18. 34 Sierra Club of/du Canada. 1998. The Sixth Annual Rio Report, 1998. Grading the Government of Canada and the Provinces on their Environmental Commitments. 18 June 1998. Sierra Club of Canada. Ottawa, Canada. 35 Department of Fisheries and Oceans. 1999. Atlantic Seal Hunt 1999 Management Plan. DFO Web site. http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/COMMUNIC/seals/eng/sealENG.htm 36 Lavigne, D.M. 1999. Estimating Total Kill of Northwest Atlantic Harp Seals, 1994-1998. Marine Mammal Science, in press. 37 Anon. 1999. Anderson Announces 1999 Atlantic Seal Management Measures. Department of Fisheries and Oceans News Release. NR-HQ-99-1E. January 6, 1999. D.M. Lavigne, S. Fink, D. Johnston, and P. Meisenheimer. IMMA Technical Briefing 99-02 16 March 1999 http://www.imma.org/codvideo/harpcod_QA.html |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ... "Tim" wrote in message ... So, would you be happy if they killed them the same way they kill cows? No, indeed not. Most 'livestock' suffers considerably up to, and also at slaughter. As you can see, this has been addressed elsewhere.. So stop eating, you dumb limey. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers Oh spare us your bull****. Five millions seals don't have an effect on fish stocks? What do you think they eat, seaweed? A full grown seal can swallow 30 pounds of fish every day. How much fish do you think 150 MILLION pounds a day is? Oh, but the fish aren't cute, and don't have big brown eyes, and aren' furry and cuuuuuuutte. Bloody phony British animal lovers. You've hunted every single animal bigger than a badger to extermination and now *you're* trying to lecture *us* on taking care of animals? |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 20:42:22 GMT, "Invective"
wrote: "pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers Oh spare us your bull****. Five millions seals don't have an effect on fish stocks? What do you think they eat, seaweed? A full grown seal can swallow 30 pounds of fish every day. How much fish do you think 150 MILLION pounds a day is? Shame your simple mind doesn't connect over fishing with the decline. Then you are clearly a buttwipe so go figure. Oh, but the fish aren't cute, and don't have big brown eyes, and aren' furry and cuuuuuuutte. I don't know I think they are. Bloody phony British animal lovers. You've hunted every single animal bigger than a badger to extermination and now *you're* trying to lecture *us* on taking care of animals? Because you're too stupid to understand compassion. Do you live in the woods, when was the last time you met another human, have you ever? And anyway people like you just need a kick up the arse. Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
pearl wrote:
"Tim" wrote in message ... So, would you be happy if they killed them the same way they kill cows? No, indeed not. Most 'livestock' suffers considerably up to, and also at slaughter. As you can see, this has been addressed elsewhere.. So then we should be boycotting every nation that slaughters cows as well? Comment From Jim Harrington 4-15-4 http://rense.com/general51/slscmm.htm To those who have had their eyes and hearts opened by the seal hunt, as a volunteer for my local Humane Society, I just want to assure them that many, many people have worked on this issue over many years. There is a growing push in the media towards fur fashion again, and an expert on the fur issue reassures me that it is the gasping of a dying industry. However, for those who are truly sickened by this treatment of animals, there are many, many unseen atrocities being committed that are blacked out by the media. Most notably in the meat industry. Factory farming is one of the most horrifying practices that humanity has come up with in recent decades. This last week we in British Columbia have witnessed the slaughter of 19 million farm birds because a few have exhibited signs of the flu. Several humans came down with sore eyes and runny noses, and so 19 million birds were slaughtered. The birds must be replaced quickly, to meet consumer needs. Big opposition is occuring as no one wants the corpses disposed in 'their back yard'. As with the heaping charred bodies of cattle in Britain during the mad cow crisis (brought on by feeding cattle parts to cattle) I wondered, WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION to the 'cull'. The careless mass 'disposal' of another species made sick by our own farming practices. In Asia recently, these ill and healthy birds alike were violently grabbed and crammed mercilessly into bags to be buried alive en masse. Shown repeatedly on mainstream news. There are many websites available to educate ourselves on the inhuman treatment of animals. Factory farming is no less horrible than the seal hunt. If we are truly affected by the mindset of a person clubbing a seal to death with a pick, let us make each other aware that this issue is but a speck on the radar. That our barbeques and frying pans contain the results of no less brutal acts. ..' http://rense.com/general51/slscmm.htm I'll be happy when animals aren't killed at all, at least not avoidably, without really very good reason,- i.e. survival. Native Wisdom; 'The Circle of Life includes all plants, animals, fish, birds, insects, humans. The only aspect of the circle that is not essential to life is the human aspect "I mentioned the sacred circle of life. If you can imagine a circle, in that circle are the people, plants, animals, birds, fish, and insects. The Native belief is that if you damage anything within that sacred circle of life, eventually you damage yourself. If you take any one of those items, animals, out of the sacred circle of life--everything would die. If you take out the insects, eventually everything will die. If you take out the plants, eventually everything will die. If you take out the fish, eventually everything will die. What would happen if you take the humans out of the sacred circle of life? What would happen then? Nothing. We are the least important in that sacred circle of life. The ancient beliefs are that we were the last to come along. The animals, plants, fish, birds and insects didn't depend on us. Our lives depend on a harmonious relationship with everything within the sacred circle of life. That's the basis of Native spirituality. It's not a worship of animals. It is a relationship, a strong feeling with the natural world." Butch Phillips, Penobscot Indian Nation.' http://www.nativescience.org/assets/...PlanWRKSHP.pdf |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"Tim" wrote in message .. .
pearl wrote: "Tim" wrote in message ... So, would you be happy if they killed them the same way they kill cows? No, indeed not. Most 'livestock' suffers considerably up to, and also at slaughter. As you can see, this has been addressed elsewhere.. So then we should be boycotting every nation that slaughters cows as well? The massive reaction against the seal killing is mostly because it is _extremely_ cruel-, and carried out on a massive scale too. Many seals suffer in indescribably awful ways, and such scenes have been put into full public view this year. Faced with images of extreme cruelty, people have been badly shocked and then outraged, and that is, understandably, directed at the country that carries out this horror. Were the realities of 'meat production' made public in a similar manner, I think that most people would be similarly compelled to oppose that, and would be boycotting the meat industry by abstaining from meat - especially when properly informed with the facts about nutrition- that we're not a naturally carnivorous species anyway.. (clue: we're primates). .. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
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Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
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Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 21:31:12 -0400, Olaf Timandahaff
wrote: The game never ends, when, KrakAttiK 's whole world depends, on the turn of a friendly card: On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 20:42:22 GMT, "Invective" wrote: "pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers Oh spare us your bull****. Five millions seals don't have an effect on fish stocks? What do you think they eat, seaweed? A full grown seal can swallow 30 pounds of fish every day. How much fish do you think 150 MILLION pounds a day is? Shame your simple mind doesn't connect over fishing with the decline. Then you are clearly a buttwipe so go figure. See what happens? You loutish Europeans sucked up all our cod with your factory ships. Nothing but seal left to eat now. Nothing to do with eating seal, it's about beating the crap out of them. Anyway it's the frogs and spanish who are sucking the oceans dry, we just stand by and let them do it! Oh, but the fish aren't cute, and don't have big brown eyes, and aren' furry and cuuuuuuutte. I don't know I think they are. I like to suck trout brains out through the eye socket, I think that's cute. Not very hard though. Now if you tried it on me that would be another story. Bloody phony British animal lovers. You've hunted every single animal bigger than a badger to extermination and now *you're* trying to lecture *us* on taking care of animals? Because you're too stupid to understand compassion. Do you live in the woods, when was the last time you met another human, have you ever? You really are a Crackhead! They were simple questions. Do you have a gun? We _all_ live in the forest and never see other humans. [except when it catches fire] No actually. I live in the city of London, M'am comes to tea every week. And anyway people like you just need a kick up the arse. Let us know when you start, tough guy! Like today? go on I'll even pretend to be a defenseless cub seal, come and try to club me....oik, oik. Cheerio ? Ah, go have a wank ya radge. Ouch you beast. Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:17:59 -0500, "Jeff T"
wrote: I got something to say to you ignorant, arrogant Brits, Shut it or we'll take our continent back. and others about the seal hunt. Clean up your own back yards before complaining about ours! How many fox hunts happen each year, eh? Oh, let me guess, it is considered "humane" to hunt down a fox with 20 baying dogs and then kill it for the fur. During the seal hunt, damn near every part of the animal is used... And further, man is the ONLY natural prediator these creatures have, as the others have been hunted to near extinction decades ago. What on earth gives you the impression we support fox hunting? in fact the perverts who enjoy fox hunting would also enjoy beating the brains out of a seal pup. Don't worry though, we'll soon have fox hunting banned in England, it already is in Scot land. lol So I say, take your pompous ass up out of here. When the fox hunt, and other regional hunts in other countries has been put to a stop, then, and only then would I not think of you as a bunch of bitchy little hypocrites worthy of nthing more then the toilet paper I wipe my ass with. I doubt you wipe it anyhow. Cheerio -- To avoid grizzlies, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game advises hikers to wear noisy little bells on clothes and carry pepper spray. Also watch for signs of activity: Black bear scat is smaller and contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
I got something to say to you ignorant, arrogant Brits, and others about the
seal hunt. Clean up your own back yards before complaining about ours! How many fox hunts happen each year, eh? Oh, let me guess, it is considered "humane" to hunt down a fox with 20 baying dogs and then kill it for the fur. During the seal hunt, damn near every part of the animal is used... And further, man is the ONLY natural prediator these creatures have, as the others have been hunted to near extinction decades ago. So I say, take your pompous ass up out of here. When the fox hunt, and other regional hunts in other countries has been put to a stop, then, and only then would I not think of you as a bunch of bitchy little hypocrites worthy of nthing more then the toilet paper I wipe my ass with. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
The game never ends, when, KrakAttiK 's
whole world depends, on the turn of a friendly card: On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 21:31:12 -0400, Olaf Timandahaff wrote: The game never ends, when, KrakAttiK 's whole world depends, on the turn of a friendly card: On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 20:42:22 GMT, "Invective" wrote: "pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers Oh spare us your bull****. Five millions seals don't have an effect on fish stocks? What do you think they eat, seaweed? A full grown seal can swallow 30 pounds of fish every day. How much fish do you think 150 MILLION pounds a day is? Shame your simple mind doesn't connect over fishing with the decline. Then you are clearly a buttwipe so go figure. See what happens? You loutish Europeans sucked up all our cod with your factory ships. Nothing but seal left to eat now. Nothing to do with eating seal, it's about beating the crap out of them. The tenderizing part of the process? Anyway it's the frogs and spanish who are sucking the oceans dry, we just stand by and let them do it! Well that's true enough, they were trying to eat all our Turbot, but the Tobinater fixed them with his Turbot fingernail rhetoric. Oh, but the fish aren't cute, and don't have big brown eyes, and aren' furry and cuuuuuuutte. I don't know I think they are. I like to suck trout brains out through the eye socket, I think that's cute. Not very hard though. Now if you tried it on me that would be another story. Don't worry about it, I'm an omnivore, not a cannibal. Your brain is safe! Bloody phony British animal lovers. You've hunted every single animal bigger than a badger to extermination and now *you're* trying to lecture *us* on taking care of animals? Because you're too stupid to understand compassion. Do you live in the woods, when was the last time you met another human, have you ever? You really are a Crackhead! They were simple questions. Do you have a gun? Me? No, I make do with cleverly disguised pits and snares. We _all_ live in the forest and never see other humans. [except when it catches fire] No actually. I live in the city of London, M'am comes to tea every week. Those Corgi's look kind of appetizing, see if you can snag one for us? And anyway people like you just need a kick up the arse. Let us know when you start, tough guy! Like today? go on I'll even pretend to be a defenseless cub seal, come and try to club me....oik, oik. I gotta go to work so maybe another time. "oik, oik"? Is that you Mark Knopfler? Cheerio ? Ah, go have a wank ya radge. Ouch you beast. I knew that one would drive you into a frenzy! I gotta go, my house is literally melting. Dam this Hothouse Effect! "She's Too Much For My Mirror" Don Van Vliet |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ...
Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers SNIP Answers to questions posed by those who've done no research and would like to pretend Canada is 'scapegoating' the seal Impact of Seal Predation on Cod The 2001 Report of the Eminent Panel on Seal Management concluded that seals consume large amounts of fish throughout Atlantic Canada, but there is much less evidence that this predation is having a major impact on the recovery of most commercial fish stocks. The findings of the report were not conclusive and many uncertainties were acknowledged in providing realistic predictions. The Panel acknowledged that gaining an understanding of the real impact of seals on the recovery of cod is extremely complex and requires an in-depth understanding of the marine ecosystem as well as additional research. Findings highlighted in the report include: The consumption of cod, and some other commercial species, by seals in Divisions 2J3KL and 4RS3Pn is so large that a reduction in seal predation could reasonably be expected to have a substantial effect on the size of these stocks. However, the extent of this reduction would have to be large in order for an impact to be observed. There is not a simple, straight-line relationship between seal predation and the state of fish populations. The interaction between seals, groundfish and other species is complex and variable. For instance, seals eat cod, but seals also eat other fish that prey on cod. Moreover, other factors such as environmental changes and fishing levels must be considered in trying to determine why cod stocks have not yet recovered. The harp seal population has grown to the highest level recorded. Coupled with the fact that the annual TAC has rarely been taken in full, the panel expects a gradual increase in seal numbers if the current management approach is maintained. The current scientific knowledge is insufficient to determine the impact of a seal cull on cod fisheries in the short, medium or long term. Science and resource managers question the value of a cull in a fishery driven by economic market conditions. More importantly, there is no way of knowing how other predators and prey might respond to a decrease in the seal population. Current estimates of cod consumption by seals vary greatly from less than one per cent to more than 20 per cent of diet, depending on the type of seal researched, the time of year and location of the studies. The panel concluded that more comprehensive research needs to be done to more accurately estimate the amount of cod that seals are consuming. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ...
Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers SNIP Answers to questions posed by those who've done no research and would like to pretend Canada is 'scapegoating' the seal http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/backg...hq-ac01b_e.htm __________________________________________________ ________ Impact of Seal Predation on Cod The 2001 Report of the Eminent Panel on Seal Management concluded that seals consume large amounts of fish throughout Atlantic Canada, but there is much less evidence that this predation is having a major impact on the recovery of most commercial fish stocks. The findings of the report were not conclusive and many uncertainties were acknowledged in providing realistic predictions. The Panel acknowledged that gaining an understanding of the real impact of seals on the recovery of cod is extremely complex and requires an in-depth understanding of the marine ecosystem as well as additional research. Findings highlighted in the report include: The consumption of cod, and some other commercial species, by seals in Divisions 2J3KL and 4RS3Pn is so large that a reduction in seal predation could reasonably be expected to have a substantial effect on the size of these stocks. However, the extent of this reduction would have to be large in order for an impact to be observed. There is not a simple, straight-line relationship between seal predation and the state of fish populations. The interaction between seals, groundfish and other species is complex and variable. For instance, seals eat cod, but seals also eat other fish that prey on cod. Moreover, other factors such as environmental changes and fishing levels must be considered in trying to determine why cod stocks have not yet recovered. The harp seal population has grown to the highest level recorded. Coupled with the fact that the annual TAC has rarely been taken in full, the panel expects a gradual increase in seal numbers if the current management approach is maintained. The current scientific knowledge is insufficient to determine the impact of a seal cull on cod fisheries in the short, medium or long term. Science and resource managers question the value of a cull in a fishery driven by economic market conditions. More importantly, there is no way of knowing how other predators and prey might respond to a decrease in the seal population. Current estimates of cod consumption by seals vary greatly from less than one per cent to more than 20 per cent of diet, depending on the type of seal researched, the time of year and location of the studies. The panel concluded that more comprehensive research needs to be done to more accurately estimate the amount of cod that seals are consuming. __________________________________________________ ________ I see no scapegoating. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
This crap against seal harvesting is obviously posted by
professional agitators employed to erode Canadian sovereignty. It is all emotive argument and propaganda, with no basis in reality. Seals are part of the food chain. Humans eat seals. Seals eat fish. Seals carry the worm that kills codfish and others. They are predators in competition with humans, and need to be harvested in reasonable proportion to the fish we harvest to eat, if the natural balance is to be restored. European draggers are killing the fish and spoiling the breeding grounds for fish near the North American shelf. The bycatch is wasted in appalling quantity. It amounts to an undermining of the Canadian food chain, akin to the slaughter of the buffalo perpetrated by newly arrived europeans hundreds of years ago. This economic war we suffer from in so many areas (oil, wood, potatoes, cattle, wheat, water, electricity, etc., etc.) is conducted by wily, rich europeans who want to ruin the Canadian economy so they can buy Canada at a discount and then exploit it as they have exploited europe. They want to make Canada as devoid of nature as western europe has become. They do not like that Canadians are about the last nation on earth where people are still somewhat free from overbearing governmental control exercised on behalf of gigantic conscienceless corporations who do not respect the sovereignty of free men, but are geared to dominate and enslave all free men for only profit. It is far more merciful to kill seals quickly, with a gun or club than it is to let them eventually starve, having eaten all of our fish, suffer disease, or be torn apart as playthings by voracious dolphins, sharks and killer whales, with no benefit to native peoples, who have been subsisting on the seal and what fish remains for millennia, as is their natural right. Sealskin makes excellent leather. Seal meat is excellent not only for pet and working dogs' food, but also for people who have the opportunity to enjoy it. Seal oil is superior to mineral oil for many uses, and may soon become economically more profitable than escalating oil in an artificially manipulated market. Canadians spend more tourist dollars in europe than europeans spend in Canada. We should stop going there. Terry K pearl wrote: Agreed!, but two wrongs don't make a right you know. You've NO excuses, either. "Tim" wrote in message ... Maybe you can try to get your Prime Minister to follow international law and not go around invading other countries that are of no threat. Then maybe you can get your Prime Minister to stop buddying around with dictators like Ghadaffi. Then maybe you can complain about our country. pearl wrote: "Daniel Audet" wrote in message om... I find it funny that the group based out of England/ Ireland cannot get the people of ireland to stop fighting each other, maiming and killing humans, We're at least trying. but are willing to try dammaging the way of life for some Canadians. They do this by stating Canada isn't following European law. Maybe he should look up where Canada is on a map. The objection arises because of the cruelty, which is an obvious serious breaching of humane conduct. Humanity everywhere is objecting very strongly, and your refusal to listen harms you too. Here's a hint. It's part of North America, not Europe. These people who struggle to make a living in a repressed economy are not subjects of England, not subject to European law and well within their rights to perform their harvesting. Work toward saving people from harm before destroying the livelyhoods of others. Dan. 'In 2001 UK tourists spent the equivalent of 1.026 billion Canadian dollars - this is a massive source of income to Canada. Whereas the seal hunt, by contrast, is a volatile industry and although accurate figures are hard to come by it is estimated to be worth approximately only Can $6 million. The hunt is actually heavily subsidised by the Canadian Government and when the subsidies are taken into account it is worth closer to just Can $3 million. ' http://www.boycott-canada.com/ - Boycott is a predictable enough reaction. Observe http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236982184 , and see the impact this is having on your country. People love seals- they are regarded as inquisitive, friendly and intelligent creatures. I'm sure you could earn a little extra cash welcoming eco-friendly tourism in the area. - Just think- you are actually slaughtering one of your area's best tourist $$$s earner assets! |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
t.cable.rogers.com... This crap against seal harvesting is obviously posted by professional agitators employed to erode Canadian sovereignty. It is all emotive argument and propaganda, with no basis in reality. _That's_ emotive argument and propaganda, with no basis in reality. Seals are part of the food chain. Not ours. And besides, this slaughter is for fur, not food. Humans eat seals. If it's truly essential for survival, that's another matter. Seals eat fish. Human's want to eat fish. Humans trawl, humans take too much. Seals carry the worm that kills codfish and others. If that's true, how do the cod catch it from seals? They are predators in competition with humans, No, humans have decided that they are predators, and take from true predators. and need to be harvested in reasonable proportion to the fish we harvest to eat, Humans need to eat from our own natural dietary niche- raw fruits, succulent fruit-like vegetables, roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Then we can leave the rest of the animal kingdom in peace, as we ourselves would wish to be. if the natural balance is to be restored. It will be- when we realise what sort of animal we are. http://www.iol.ie/~creature/BiologicalAdaptations.htm snip |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"I R Canuck" wrote in message
news:SjSgc.34826$mn3.9966@clgrps13... "pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers SNIP Answers to questions posed by those who've done no research and would like to pretend Canada is 'scapegoating' the seal http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/backg...hq-ac01b_e.htm __________________________________________________ ________ Impact of Seal Predation on Cod The 2001 Report of the Eminent Panel on Seal Management concluded that seals consume large amounts of fish throughout Atlantic Canada, but there is much less evidence that this predation is having a major impact on the recovery of most commercial fish stocks. The findings of the report were not conclusive and many uncertainties were acknowledged in providing realistic predictions. The Panel acknowledged that gaining an understanding of the real impact of seals on the recovery of cod is extremely complex and requires an in-depth understanding of the marine ecosystem as well as additional research. Findings highlighted in the report include: The consumption of cod, and some other commercial species, by seals in Divisions 2J3KL and 4RS3Pn is so large that a reduction in seal predation could reasonably be expected to have a substantial effect on the size of these stocks. However, the extent of this reduction would have to be large in order for an impact to be observed. There is not a simple, straight-line relationship between seal predation and the state of fish populations. The interaction between seals, groundfish and other species is complex and variable. For instance, seals eat cod, but seals also eat other fish that prey on cod. Moreover, other factors such as environmental changes and fishing levels must be considered in trying to determine why cod stocks have not yet recovered. The harp seal population has grown to the highest level recorded. Coupled with the fact that the annual TAC has rarely been taken in full, the panel expects a gradual increase in seal numbers if the current management approach is maintained. The current scientific knowledge is insufficient to determine the impact of a seal cull on cod fisheries in the short, medium or long term. Science and resource managers question the value of a cull in a fishery driven by economic market conditions. More importantly, there is no way of knowing how other predators and prey might respond to a decrease in the seal population. Current estimates of cod consumption by seals vary greatly from less than one per cent to more than 20 per cent of diet, depending on the type of seal researched, the time of year and location of the studies. The panel concluded that more comprehensive research needs to be done to more accurately estimate the amount of cod that seals are consuming. __________________________________________________ ________ I see no scapegoating. 'Canadian Natural Resources Minister John Efford said many claims about the hunt were simply wrong. He argued that the seal population was exploding - with an estimated 5.2 million harp seals in the North Atlantic at present – and commercial fish stocks were vanishing. ' http://www.indolink.com/displayArtic...d=041304105510 |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ...
"I R Canuck" wrote in message news:SjSgc.34826$mn3.9966@clgrps13... "pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers SNIP Answers to questions posed by those who've done no research and would like to pretend Canada is 'scapegoating' the seal http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/backg...hq-ac01b_e.htm __________________________________________________ ________ Impact of Seal Predation on Cod The 2001 Report of the Eminent Panel on Seal Management concluded that seals consume large amounts of fish throughout Atlantic Canada, but there is much less evidence that this predation is having a major impact on the recovery of most commercial fish stocks. The findings of the report were not conclusive and many uncertainties were acknowledged in providing realistic predictions. The Panel acknowledged that gaining an understanding of the real impact of seals on the recovery of cod is extremely complex and requires an in-depth understanding of the marine ecosystem as well as additional research. Findings highlighted in the report include: The consumption of cod, and some other commercial species, by seals in Divisions 2J3KL and 4RS3Pn is so large that a reduction in seal predation could reasonably be expected to have a substantial effect on the size of these stocks. However, the extent of this reduction would have to be large in order for an impact to be observed. There is not a simple, straight-line relationship between seal predation and the state of fish populations. The interaction between seals, groundfish and other species is complex and variable. For instance, seals eat cod, but seals also eat other fish that prey on cod. Moreover, other factors such as environmental changes and fishing levels must be considered in trying to determine why cod stocks have not yet recovered. The harp seal population has grown to the highest level recorded. Coupled with the fact that the annual TAC has rarely been taken in full, the panel expects a gradual increase in seal numbers if the current management approach is maintained. The current scientific knowledge is insufficient to determine the impact of a seal cull on cod fisheries in the short, medium or long term. Science and resource managers question the value of a cull in a fishery driven by economic market conditions. More importantly, there is no way of knowing how other predators and prey might respond to a decrease in the seal population. Current estimates of cod consumption by seals vary greatly from less than one per cent to more than 20 per cent of diet, depending on the type of seal researched, the time of year and location of the studies. The panel concluded that more comprehensive research needs to be done to more accurately estimate the amount of cod that seals are consuming. __________________________________________________ ________ I see no scapegoating. 'Canadian Natural Resources Minister John Efford said many claims about the hunt were simply wrong. He argued that the seal population was exploding - with an estimated 5.2 million harp seals in the North Atlantic at present – and commercial fish stocks were vanishing. ' http://www.indolink.com/displayArtic...d=041304105510 So, let me get this straight. When looking for Canadian Goverment opinions, one should look to 'indolink' an indian news site (Even considering they don't provide a quote) as opposed to say . . . the Canadian Government. Face it pearl, the Canadian Government has been falsely accused of 'scapegoating' seals as the cause of the decline in fish stocks. As far as John Efford goes. Even in the 'indolink' news story, he didn't accuse the seal of being the cause for the decline in cod populations. He simply noted that: 1. The seal population has reached a record high (since recording began). 2. The commercial fish stock is vanishing. Both of which are true. It's not up to you to put words into his (or anyone elses) mouth, like you do so often. |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
Invective wrote:
"pearl" wrote in message ... Harp seals and Cod Questions and Answers Oh spare us your bull****. Five millions seals don't have an effect on fish stocks? What do you think they eat, seaweed? A full grown seal can swallow 30 pounds of fish every day. How much fish do you think 150 MILLION pounds a day is? Oh, but the fish aren't cute, and don't have big brown eyes, and aren' furry and cuuuuuuutte. Bloody phony British animal lovers. You've hunted every single animal bigger than a badger to extermination and now *you're* trying to lecture *us* on taking care of animals? Bloody right. Or, pawns of EU, which wants competition for their overfishing eliminated? How many fish left in EU, if they gotta come dragging over here? Terry K |
Seal hunt begins; IFAW bears witness
"pearl" wrote in message ... "Tim" wrote in message .. . pearl wrote: The massive reaction against the seal killing is mostly because it is _extremely_ cruel-, Bull****. It's no more cruel than any other kind of hunt, no more cruel than how we kill horses or cattle or chickens. The reaction is because they're cuuuuuuuuuuuuutttteeeee. and carried out on a massive scale too. A miniscule fraction of the scale of fish killed, or cattle, or sheep, or chickens |
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