Ingrid Newlirk and PETA are to the animal welfare movement what Osama bin Laden and Al Qaida are to the Islamic religion. They do more harm than good and most sensible peole realize that the world would be a better place without them. .
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hmm it is wuite stupid and ignorant (and I quote "that’s BS") to say that humans need not interfere with wild animals populations when the human population demands more space and resources from the wild. Unless youa rewilling to give up you ample living space, the ever increasing human population and migration demands that wild animals be "controlled" so as to keep a healthy and continuing population. Animal extinction was not caused by hunting in most cases, they were caused by human settlement intrusion whcih caused habitat loss which in turn caused mass starvation. Try reading outside the pro vegetarian/animal rights propaganda litereature lest you end up sounding such an indignant but ignorant fool.

I’m from Newfoundland and I don’t mind people being anti- seal hunt but they should know the facts first. The seal hunt is blown way out of proportion. The way the facts are abused really upsets me. What makes it worse is when PETA and other groups make up information or use misinformation they make it harder for environmental groups trying to protect habitats and promote habitat stewardship. People lump groups I have worked with that try to protect habitat in with the extreme propaganda.

What’s worse is it’s hurting seals. some people take their frustrations out on seals which is wrong.

I am so annoyed when I read online posts praising the EU ban on seal products as ending the seal hunt.

The ban is only on products not killing seals.

Parts of the EU cull and hunt seals.

And if the seal hunt as it is now ends there will be a cull. I wish people wouldn’t ignore that fact. The population of harp seals is over 5.5 million even though the hunt has commercially gone on for over a hundred years. What really bothers me is the possibility that these animals will still be killed but not used at all. I’m sure even you would say that culling an animal and not using it at all is worse than killing an animal and using the meat, fur, and oil.
I don’t want to see Canada culling seals the way Europe does. When animals are commercially hunted there are regulations and tight rules because the humane treatment is important. But when you cull animals these rules sometimes fall by the way side because the animals are not being used just killed.

Please do not allow the seal hunt to become a cull.

Edit: Of course nature can deal with these issues of over population. But why are you kidding yourselves to think that the seals will be left alone to thin the heard as nature sees fit?
This sadly is not a magical la la land. Seal culls are happening all over the globe. The same thing happened in BC they closed the commercial hunt and a short time after seals were sunk to the bottom after being killed.

You can sing the praises of the EU, you can bury your head in the sand and call on mother nature to find the solution. However I think all of you realize in your heart of hearts that the day the Atlantic Harp seal heard is not being hunted for the products it will be killed in a cull. Not even pro-seal hunt people like myself want it to come to that.

I do eat traditional seal meat along with other traditional North Atlantic meals. In the past I had seal fur winter clothing.
Our winters can be very wet and cold and synthetics wear out easily. When I can afford one I will be getting a traditionally made Innu or Inuit coat because I support First Nations crafts people and they last longer.

I consider myself very lucky that I was able to get much of my seal hunt education though scientists, fishermen, sealers, and First Nations communities.
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Second you say clubbing is not allowed. Clubbing is one of the means used to kill seals along with shooting them. The club and the hakapik are the "primary weapons" used in the Gulf. Both clubs and rifles are used in all areas. The rifle is used as the primary weapon at the Front since they shoot them in the water. I do not know who told you they do not use clubs, but I would say who ever told you really stretched the truth more then PETA ever has and has out right lied.. You are also aware the EU just voted to no longer import seal and their main reason is the Brutality used in killing the seals. If you think it is anything less then a barbaric massacre you are fooling yourself. So please do not defend seal hunting and if you want watch a video not made by PETA ..but by many groups who videotape the hunt every year.

If you are upset that PETA uses footage of animal farming at it’s worst. One of the reasons for that is they go undercover to expose the Bad Farms…which today there are many Bad Farms. At 80 percent factory farms what would you expect? If they video tape KFC throwing chickens at walls and other Farms Severely abusing Turkeys by sitting on them and dislocated their limbs …remember that in order to be able to make a living killing animals the way they do, slaughter house workers have to make that animal like an inanimate object. That also makes it easy to abuse animals! Why doesn’t the meat and dairy industry show videos of humane factory farms?

I am not saying you are stupid, but someone sold you a bunch of goods……and lied to suit their purpose. The best way to know the truth is to READ the governments specifications on methods permitted for killing, ages of animals as seals etc ..then as I have you will know the truth. I have read the Government regulations and requirements here in the US on what is permitted for the treatment and killing of farm animals. You would be disgusted by what is allowed and considered acceptable. I have also read about seal hunting and what is permissible by the Canadian government. It is not any better. Please recheck your facts.

Vegan Forever
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EDIT: Hummm Shelly huh…. Without Human involvement the animal kingdom balances itself. It does need need man to interfere and save it by killing ! That is BS… The seal Hunt is inhumane by any decent standards and you can try to make it sound like it is doing seals a favor. The Truth is as I have stated..It is barbaric and Yes I am in favor of the EU vote..and so is every animal rights group! It is not the total solution, but it is a start. I do not worry about nature balancing itself without us, I worry about us interfering with nature and screwing it up.

EDIT 2: The facts are actually from the Canadian Government. They have statistics and allowable methods for all hunts. I am sorry that this barbaric brutal killing of seals is what some people have come to make them money from. You can say that about any bad treatment of animals, Puppy Mills, Dog Fights, Bull fights, Mink Farms etc etc.. You say you are not justifying the hunt, but you are. You have spoken to a few of your local seal killers? And they told you what? They kill the seals Pain free?.. they don’t kill " babies"
I am not naive, and what would you expect people to say. The Videos are Done yearly by many groups to document exactly what goes on. A picture is worth a thousand words.
If you chose to ignore this and defend their living on this brutality I do not know what to say. I will not defend them or any furriers, or any animal experimenters, or anyone who abuses animals. Yes this is black and white. I am sorry you feel your country is being picked on, But MOST of the world disagrees with the hunt. I guess None of them know the truth either. Sorry..No excuse is acceptable

Shelly has no problem with wearing the seal fur coats either..do you?

EDIT3: To exsft..Since I know you are speaking to me. You just like to kill. You think without Man nature does not balance itself? It surely does. You took that and twisted it to mean if Man " interferes " by taking over their land, then we need to "interfere" to fix the problem. That is different then what I said of No interference.You want to kill to fix the problem, you like to kill, but there are lots of alternatives to population control. Example..We had vets here who volunteered to fix enough Male Deer so that they would not reproduce and not overpopulate. This would have been a somewhat permanent solution. They would have controlled the population without killing since less would be born..and Guess who Objected even though It would have cost the taxpayers Nothing?..The Hunters! Because this way it gives them an excuse to kill the Deer…and then claim to be saving them from starving.. Hummm maybe we should do that with humans who are starving …there are Millions starving in the world..Only Ignorant people use Violence to solve problems!! Only Ignorant People would use killing to solve overpopulation. I guess that is the ONLY Solution a tiny brain can think of.
Do you ever read statistics put out by Governments? Do you ever read on the current devastation of sea life in many regions? Studies done by the United Nations? and Scientists? I am certain I have read more about our environment then you will in your lifetime:One example:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6256445.ece

This whole question is a Deja vu :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApTrw_64_rbzR6frf.BnaJTty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090318190740AA6srlR&show=7#profile-info-cuTGkot1aa

TO briacass:
One Last thing since you have not read your own Governments website here’s a quote and the link"

The Marine Mammal Regulations stipulate that only high-powered rifles, shotguns firing slugs, clubs or hakapiks may be used in the seal hunt.Sealers in the Magdelen Islands, the Quebec North Shore and in Western Newfoundland, where about 30 per cent of the hunt occurs, use both rifles and hakapiks (or clubs). Sealers on the ice floes on the Front (in the waters east of Newfoundland), where 70 per cent of the hunt occurs, primarily use rifles. A hakapik is an efficient tool designed to kill the animal quickly and humanely. Changes in 2009 to the Marine Mammal Regulations prohibit the use of the hakapik as the instrument for the initial strike of seals over the age of one year.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/seal-phoque/faq-eng.htm#q6

You might also want to read that Most Canadians do not believe the Seals are responsible for the reduction of fish. They blame it on overfishing and foreign fishing. Your Own Government Does Not balme the seals for the Reduction. Read your Governments web site. Also before the truth is twisted and in a basic poll done of Canadians 60 percent Oppose the hunt. Only 10 percent strongly favor it..Guess who?
Last it is not until they use the same semantics I spoke of and then resurvey the same people saying if we told you that we kill them humanely (because we all know clubs are humane) and No nursing seals would you then agree..only then under the IF did more then 1/2 agree.. You know how many loops holes are in that HUMANE part? It is sad people are fooled and even you did not know clubs are allowed by law and used!

EVEN though many of us on here do not see eye to eye or even have heated debates and totally opposing views.. MOST of us are aboveboard and state their position honestly..after reading some of your other questions..

You are Not who you claim to be..PETA is your bible? and you are a vegetarian? or is a vegan? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aru1wwf.CW614hC.tacCnf_ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090510023307AA8rIkt&show=7#profile-info-DEAKckYeaa

Seals are hunted mainly for there fur and skins, I worked in Newfoundland Canada and they do salt and dry the flippers for a food consumption, moose and wild deer are not plentiful enough to hunt for commercial purposes, some animals and fish can be farmed and raised for food, but other take 3-8 year to mature, that is why you do not see farmed lobsters or truffle something cannot be raised out of the wild.

Edit, I am not actually from Newfoundland, I worked at the Hotel Newfoundland in St Johns now run by Fairmount, it was a CP Hotel (12 weeks) then, and I did try the "Flipper" pie and in Iqualuit I had whale meat and blubber, I myself now would not consume them and with the seal hunt, I know it is disturbing but in some ways a necessary evil, as they would kill what is left of the fishery and the cod stocks would never come back, and they are like rabbits when it comes to breeding. I have cooked moose and other wild game in Canada, Kangaroo, Yak and Water Buffalo in Singapore and while I would not eat them now, it is food in some countrys.
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vegan

I hate PETA.

They do more to paint vegetarianism, veganism, and the people who live their lives as such in a negative light than any fat jerk-off with a radio talk show who hates liberals, tofu, environmentalism, and conservationism ever could, because they give those people ammo by spewing hateful bile, spreading lies, and resorting to juvenile smear tactics.
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