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Dolls N DreamsJust before dawn this morning, the annual hunt for baby seals began in Canada. 
Over the next few weeks, 275,000 harp seals will be brutally clubbed or shot for their fur. Incredibly, though, many people believe that Canada ended this hunt in the 1980s. But it's still happening!
I can't believe this is allowed, what kind of cruel barbaric person would do such a thing for money! I hope and pray someday this will stop. Sorry but I just had to vent!
Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by fishers from Canada's East Coast. They earn a small fraction of their incomes from sealing—primarily from the sale of seal pelts to European fashion markets. But the vast majority of the sealers' incomes are from commercial fisheries. Canadian seafood exports to the United States contribute $2.5 billion annually to the Canadian economy—dwarfing the few million dollars provided by the seal hunt. The connection between the commercial fishing industry and the seal hunt in Canada gives consumers all over the world the power to end this cruel and brutal slaughter
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsI'm with you there Tami!
It's completely WRONG and makes me so cross and upset at the same time......I can't even describe what I'd do to the hunters if I came across one.
I think it's a cruel world we live in.
FenBeary FolkOMG, I remember designing a poster in primary school back in the late 70's to Save Our Seals
I was so upset, I think it was the first time I question what kind of a world we live in and to find that 30+ years later this is still happening
It is disgusting 
LuxembearsI'm with you too Tami. 
Did you know that Harp Seal products are illegal in the USA. It's an attempt to dissuade this barbaric hunt. I could understand it if this was done for human survival....but it's not.
Waggle BearsI don't understand it either. They're such beautiful little creatures.
Dolls N DreamsI'm with you too Tami.
Harp Seal products are illegal in the us, mexico and other places, BUT it runs in a full circle, the same people killing the seals also
sell seafood to the US chains like Red Lobster.
Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by fishers from Canada's East Coast. They earn a small fraction of their incomes from sealing—primarily from the sale of seal pelts to European fashion markets. But the vast majority of the sealers' incomes are from commercial fisheries. Canadian seafood exports to the United States contribute $2.5 billion annually to the Canadian economy—dwarfing the few million dollars provided by the seal hunt. The connection between the commercial fishing industry and the seal hunt in Canada gives consumers all over the world the power to end this cruel and brutal slaughter
DoodlebearsI've signed T,ami...they ask what country so I put UK but couldn't answer the state, for obvious reasons so I just joined the armed forces for a while whilst my submission went through. That is a mistake on the form for sure!
Hugs, Jane. : :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Dolls N DreamsThanks for the reminder Tami. I signed it and sent it to a bunch of others on my email list. The whole thing makes me cringe with disgust. Poor sweet babies. If the persons who wear or purchase these skins would have to watch them being killed, do you think they would?
In a semi-related way, I was a vegetarian for over 15 years and reverted back for a time but recently went back. I feel so much better not only mentally, emotionally but physically for the decision.
Thanks so much for signing!!!
I'm a vegetarian also, and I know what you mean, it makes you feel 100% better in every way!
Hugz
I must confess that when Sky news showed this I had to not look- as it was too upsetting. Seems like a big debates is going on with this.
Here in Africa it is Rhino's and elephant tusks that get taken. Most of it is banned, yet you do get the snipers that come in.
I will go and sign the petition and will have to also be in the armed forces like Jane, I hope they get our votes.
Lynette
Remem-bear Artist BearsHiya
I've just signed too, I'm in the UK and had the same problem as Jane, but I now live in Yukon!! (Don't know where it is, but it was the very bottom of the list whilst I was looking for a non US Citizen button, lol).
Things like this really shouldn't still be happening, just look at the whaling that's been going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs
Tina
BruinwerksAlthough I certainly don't support the seal hunt, the issue is a complex one that also involves culture. It is easy to look at this from only one perspective but I doubt any of the many countries TT represents could stand up to scrutiny where our treatment of animals or people are concerned.
Again, I think the seal hunt is barbaric, but simply boycotting Canadian imports isn't the answer.
No offense is intended, just the viewpoint of someone from Canada.
PS The Yukon is an incredibly beautiful territory in Northern Canada near Alaska.
Cheryl 
Dolls N DreamsAgain, I think the seal hunt is barbaric, but simply boycotting Canadian imports isn't the answer.
Cheryl
I dont' know what the answer is , I can't believe that it has been going on as long as it has been, You would think the threat to stop buying the seafood from them IF they don't stop killing the seals would wake them up because nothing in the past has.
Little Bear GuyI have to agree with Cheryl, this is a very complex issue.
Tami you quoted before some information from the United States Humane Society web page about how the seal hunt only makes up a very small fraction of the income for the fisherman in Newfoundland. I do believe that their information is yrs outdated, this use to be the case when there was fish to catch, and why is there no fish to catch now? To answer that you have to go back several yrs ago when the Government did a sort of ban on sealing. They stopped sealing for a few yrs and POOF the seal population exploaded and seal eat fish, so with millions of seals (yes that number is correct almost six million seals around Newfoundland at the present time) and they ate a lot of the fish (Cod). There were other factors involved as well, but needless to say the fish stocks declined and so did the fishing quota's. Therefore many fisherman didn't have an income or it was severely reduced, their wives lost their jobs as there was no longer a need for the fish processing plants. Then the government needed to do something about the large population of seals, they use to do an annual culling, they would hire people to go out and kill the seals. They were not allowed to take the fur or the meat, so it was jut left on the iceflow to rot, well if your going to be killing these animals anyway you might as well use the fur and meat.
You may find the seal hunt barbaric, but as a Canadian I take offense to people calling the hunters barbaric. What they are trying to do is make a living. They have a family to feed and support, mortgage payments to make, bills that have to be looked after. A majority of these people live in small towns not large cities, there are not a lot of jobs available. The seal hunt does support a large majority of people, you may find it cruel and barbaric but just remember this snipit of information. The annual seal hunt in Canada is the largest single campaign that the US Humane Society runs, without this money they would be unable to do a lot of the good work that they do. They bring in millions and millions and millions of dollars every yr, more than any other campaign that they run.
So if there wasn't a seal hunt then a lot of families would have to live on welfare or from assistance from the government. The hunt is basically a culling of the herd, the number of seals is tracked by the Fisheries and Oceans department to protect the number of seals that are allowed to be killed. They keep track of numbers of the seal populations, this way if the numbers do get low then the hunt is stopped.
This culling is really no different than other parts of the world where they do an annual culling of other animals, like coyotes. I believe Texas a few yrs ago did a culling of coyotes, there were some other states that did that as well. They didn't keep track of the numbers very well and in some area's they killed off all of the coyotes, that affected the food chain and then deer and rabbits became a problem I believe one of the National Parks killed off all of the coyotes and the US Government then came to the Canadian Government so they could provide them with Coyotes to restock some areas.
No one has to agree with the hunt, but it does provide income for people, it's part of Canadian Culture and trust me a lot of Canadians don't agree with the hunt. But please don't just read the information provided from Green Peace and the US Humane Society, educate yourself on both sides of the story so you get the full story and not half truths or half a story and as tough as it is you do need to keep our emotions in check. This is an emotional issue and I'm not trying to stir up any trouble I am just trying to shed some light on the other side of the story.
Tami I truly wish there was a quick and easy solution to this problem, it has been discussed for yrs as to what to do if the hunt was halted. So many people want the hunt halted but no one can come up with any solutions as to how to replace the lost income for the fisherman.
Big hugs
Shane
Dolls N DreamsHi Shane, thanks for your input on the matter, but about the culling because there were to many seals, then why are they only killing the adorable baby seals to sell the fur? Me myself, I would find any other way to make money, I could never arm myself with a baseball bat and beat a baby seal to death.
Ciderantiques and Old Soul BearsHi TT'ers
I will offer my two cents on this sensitive subject. I did my University Thesis on "International Law of the Sea and The Tragedy of the Commons" some twenty years ago. Sorry to say the issue has not changed a lot since then.
The Tragedy of the Commons means there is no incentive to conserve a resource (eg. fish/Cod) that is commonly owned . . . . . because someone else (i.e, fisherman from another country) will just go and take what remains, even if you do not. How to conserve the salmon stocks that cross the Canada/US border has the same challenge.
Yes, there are 200 mile limits near shorelines but the majority of the ocean is common. The over-exploitation of common fish resources in the sea is an on-going issue. I agree with the view that human exploitation and mis-management of the Cod stocks is the primary reason the stock is low. Our politicians just like to blame the seals. Culling the herd may very well help the Cod stock in the short term, but I do not believe the seals are the original problem. Humans are.
~ Karen
Little Bear GuyHi Karen, I do agree with what you say and I did also did mention that the seals were not fully to blame, there was a lot of over fishing done in that area by other countries as well as our own people. I know seals eat a lot but they can't eat that much fish.
Tami, again you talk about using a baseball bat, you seem to be under the impression that the only way they kill seals is with a baseball bat, it is with a Hackapick (Club). Again this information comes from Green peace and the Humane Society, please note that maybe less than 5% of the seals are killed this way. Also note that the really cute little white baby seals are not the ones being killed, those are called" white coats" and it has been illegal since 1983 to kill them.
The ones that are killed are still young, they are not as mobile as fully grown seals therefore easier to hunt that's why the are hunted . ( I think every seal is adorable not just baby ones)
It is very easy to sit and read the newspaper or watch the hype on the news about the hunt, but again put yourself in the shoes of the people who live there. Again this is a livelihood for these people, isn't it strange that we have people who are trapping animals both in Canada and the US and there never is as much of an uproar over them hunting and shooting bears, deer, wolves, fox, rabbits, as there is over the seal hunt. That's because you don't see it going on, but the seal hunt is out on pristine white snow and you bet it's going to look like a battle ground. That's what makes it look 10 times as bad as it really is, don't get me wrong I don't necessarily agree with it but I was raised differently then most people I guess. I grew up on the East Coast of Canada, my next door neighbours were hunters and trappers, it is a part of life and how people make a living. It is very easy to sit there and say "you would find any other way to make money" it's just sooo easy to say that, but much more difficult in reality when you live in isolated area's or an area that has high unemployment.
Again not attempting to pick a fight , just wanted to show both sides of it. One side had been represented I just wanted to show the other side. We don't need to agree with one another :hug: I'm just trying to show it from the side of these families who make a living from the hunt.
hugs
Shane
Dolls N DreamsHi Shane, I know we don't have to agree with one another, I feel you think I'm picking on hunters in Canada, just to let you know I don't approve of any type of hunting, seal, bear, deer etc....I live in Colorado and I hate how the hunters hit here every year and kill tons of deer and elk and everything else that moves.
I had a good laugh today about a story of a bunch of deer hunters getting lead poisioning from eating the deer they had shot full of bullets.
I also don't believe in the slaughter of cows for human consumption, I don't eat meat and I never will. That is a choice I made in my life. I just don't believe in having to kill something for food or money, that is me , and that is the way I feel.
hugz
Tami
Little Bear GuyI must apologize Tami, I was not insinuating at all that you were picking on hunters in Canada, I was only using the comparisons between Canada and the US as we are neighbours. I do realize that you are a vegetarian, but there are not of people who aren't, so it's good that we each see this from a different perspective. That's why it's so great to be able to have discussions like this and not have them get out of control or become angry, I do my best to look at things with my eyes wide open and like to hear both sides of a story and that's all I was attempting to do here.
hugs
Shane
Dolls N DreamsHi Shane, no need, everything is fine on my end.....That is all I was doing here was stating my end on things......I like being a voice for the animals when I think they need one!
hugz
Chaska, MinnesotaOh, I can't agree more about hating this time of year. Nothing seems to work in stopping this despicable hunt. Apparently it still gives enough money to somebody to keep doing this practice. All this slaughter because the seals are eating the fish. We humans are over harvesting the sea and so the seals suffer. Imagine that!!
I get the point of Shane on these people killing the seals to earn a living. Truly, I do. I think though, Canada is a wealthy country and should offer training programs in skills that put them (the fisherman) in a position to find other jobs that will support their income. The thing is, the culture in those fishing communities is very entrenched. They most likely will not want the training.... How sad really....
Have any of you heard of Easter Island? Well hundreds of years (maybe a thousand) ago, this island had lush trees and vegetation. The people there got along and worked well together. As the population grew, more trees were cut down to build houses and for fire wood. After hundreds of years of existence, they realized the trees were disappearing and were a hot commodity. They began fighting over who were going to get the trees to support their tribes and families. There was a blood bath of war and most people died as well as the wild life. For the trees were the source of shelter and food for many animals. The lack of trees leads to less animals for food. Well, sadly, very few survived and eventually went extinct. And those beautiful statues lining the island that are toppled. Well that was a result of the tribes trying to destroy the other tribes religious symbols....That is how modern man found them....Centuries later, people from other islands came to Easter Island to settle. Their descendants are the people that are the local residents there today
So I'm getting to my point, we need to work together to ensure all of us, animals and man survive in a way that is humane....Sadly, I think the human race is a narcissistic bunch and of course it is like putting a fox in the hen house. Do you honestly think we will do the right thing?
Waggle BearsDid anyone read the comics this morning? The Mutts strip was about the killing of the baby seals.
Dolls N DreamsNo I didnt see it, what did it say................
Waggle BearsThe little dog is hiding under the covers on the bed and sobbing in the first box.
He's still under the covers in the second box.
His sad little face is peaking out of the covers in the third box and he says "They're still hunting baby seals."
I love Mutts. Sometimes it's just a cartoon strip and sometimes it breaks your heart. He often has strips about shelter dogs that just about make me cry...until they find someone to adopt them.
Tami: If you'd like this strip, I'll be glad to send it to you.
Dolls N DreamsTami: If you'd like this strip, I'll be glad to send it to you.
Yes I would thanks!!!! 
Waggle BearsDone, Tami.
