How does seal hunting affect the environment?
They are also prey to some of the most important apex predators out there, like orca whales. A decline in the seal population could very well cause a ripple effect through the ecosystem that would hurt other species as well, like the many fish populations that are kept in check by these predators.
Why the seal hunt is good?
Seals are a sustainable resource and are in abundance. Speaking of sustainability, seals are part of the reason why fish stocks are very low (although overfishing is also a big issue) and the seal hunt not only provides jobs and resources for the hunters, but also allows the fish populations to regenerate (a bit.)
Is seal hunting cruel?
The sealer is then required to ensure that the animal is dead and to sever its arteries before skinning it. But animal welfare groups claim that the killings are inhumane, with hunters impaling pups in their face or eyes and shooting seals from moving boats. Hunters generally target pups for their soft coat.
Should we ban seal hunting?
Humans will survive just fine without seal fur and products. Once seals are hunted, their meat is usually left to rot, because only the fur is really valuable, money-wise. Many people bring up the issue of indigenous people hunting seals for food, making it seem as if seal hunting is actually very necessary.
What are seals slaughtered for?
What products are made from seals? Seals are killed primarily for their fur, which is used to produce fashion garments and other items. There is a small market for seal oil (both for industrial purposes and for human consumption) and seal penises have been sold in Asian markets as an aphrodisiac.
Can you eat seal meat?
Seal meat is the flesh, including the blubber and organs, of seals used as food for humans or other animals. It is prepared in numerous ways, often being hung and dried before consumption. Historically, it has been eaten in many parts of the world, both as a part of a normal diet, and as sustenance.
Why should seal hunting be banned?
What happens if a seal bites you?
Because seals are not aggressive, their bites would often serve as a threat or warning and would rarely intend to hurt or injure you. Seal bites are not fatal or gravely dangerous either, but they can cause infections.
What is the Canadian seal hunt?
About the Canadian seal hunt Canada’s annual commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on the planet. Facing harsh criticism the world over because of the hunt’s cruelty and unsustainability, the Canadian government and fishing industry have spread much misinformation. Here are the basic facts about the hunt.
Why is the commercial seal hunt inhumane?
A 2007 review by Dr. Mary Richardson, a Canadian veterinary expert in humane slaughter methods, concluded that the commercial seal hunt is inherently inhumane because of the environment in which it operates and the speed at which the killing must be conducted.
How many seals are killed in the commercial seal hunt?
In recent years, hundreds of thousands of seals have been killed annually in the commercial seal hunt. More than one million seals have been slaughtered in the past five years alone.
What happened to the harp seal hunt?
In the early 1980s, the European Union banned the import of whitecoat seal skins, effectively removing the principal market for the hunt at the time. For the next decade, the numbers of seals killed in the hunt dramatically declined and the harp seal population began to recover.