Sealed with love: a humane way to kill
Photo by DAVID BOILY/AFP/Getty Images. A pup harp seal and mother keep close on the ice floes on March 3, 2008, off the coast of the Magdalen Islands, Quebec a few weeks before the annual seal hunt.
If seeing road kill makes you say “Awww, sad,” proceed with caution. Even if you don’t consider yourself a softie, eating lunch right now might not be the best idea.
Canada’s commercial seal hunt began in the 17th century, but only now has an independent group of veterinarians assembled by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans have implemented a humane way of killing the seals (in a convenient, three-step process!).
In previous years seals were shot or had their heads bashed in with a hakapik, a medieval torture device-like club with a hammer on one end and a hook on the other to drag the carcass away. Tens of thousands of seal pups managed to escape, but ultimately they succumbed to their injuries later on (and these deaths were not counted in the total allowable catch).
Step 1: This season’s hunt requires that vital signs are checked after the seal is shot or clubbed over the head —checking for the loss of corneal reflexes.
Step 2: Sealers then must cut a main artery to allow the seal to bleed to death, but only if the seal is unconscious. Veterinarians believe far too much pain and suffering would be caused otherwise. They urge sealers to view shooting and clubbing as a method of stunning only—not killing.
Step 3: Vets request that hunters allow sufficient time to let the seal die before any hooking or skinning is done. Vets also recommend a training program for sealers to learn which part of the head to hit so seals are rendered unconscious in only one blow (Clubbing 101, if you will).
Veterinarians hope the three steps will allow seals to die without enduring unnecessary pain. (You know, besides the initial clubbing or shooting). A study done in 2001 by independent veterinarians found that only 58 percent of the seals’ skulls were damaged enough so that they would be unconscious when dragged onto the boat by hook and dead before the skinning process began. That means 42 percent were skinned alive according to the post-mortem medical examinations.
Debating whether or not there should be a seal hunt isn’t really our MO (after all, it is a time-honored Canadian tradition—like hockey, or curling, or anything else that involves ice), but lately, it has been a hot-button issue: During the 2006 hunt, the Canadian government allowed fishermen to club and shoot more than 354,344 seals. The last time seals were killed at this rate was in the 1950s and ‘60s when the harp seal population declined by nearly two thirds.
Like our mama told us when we were first learning to put on makeup: More isn’t always better.
-Nicole Scarmeas
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Comments
Nicole,
I'm completely shocked. And not merely at the brutality of this event, but also by the sheer volume of damage done to the seal population! And for what?
Your report is a revealing piece on the horrific process of systematic slaughter and for which purpose? Posh handbags, wallets and fancy clothes? Such wanton abuse could only spring from senseless gluttony. Thank you for highlighting this issue.
Daniel
Posted by:lifes_an_ocean |April 3, 2008 4:58 PM
Tradition....ah, tradition. Kind of like "Merry Christmas to all" said in festive glee to anyone and everyon in the 80's? Or wearing orange and black in school for Halloween when you were a kid? Or even when you were a kid in class in the 70's and the teacher told you to "sit indian style and cross your legs". Oh but wait, those aren't "PC", but they were TRADITION. I think we should SAFELY knock out those people we "insult" and have a Dr. check to see if the "insulted ones" were passed out cold before we do away with them! Sounds like a plan. How awful - poor cute seals :(
Posted by:KP |April 3, 2008 5:51 PM
great article Nicole people should be aware of what happening in this world we live in .question why would anyone want to kill seal what have they done to deserve this they can.t even protect themselves .This world we live in is backwards nature is beautiful there nothing better than waking up to a good cup of coffee or tea to start your day and listen to nature .but the way this country is going we will be waking up to no sound if people don,t start to protect live it self
Posted by:junebug |April 5, 2008 7:56 AM
Nicole, WOW! You're on your way!! I'm really enjoying your writing and such good research to back up what you write about. Unfortunately, this is a real sad situation and shame on those who participate in this hobby!!
Keep up the good work. As your auntie once told you "You can do it"!!! Keep up the great work.
Posted by:AJinCA |April 6, 2008 12:29 AM
Well written Nicole. Your piece was informative and right to the point.It is what it is. I do believe in "tradition", but there has to be a better way. I hope your article will help towards the cause.
Posted by:donna |April 6, 2008 7:35 AM