I know it's a Friday night and what am I doing home but did anyone catch Larry King Live tonight? Sir Paul, his wife, and the premier of NFLD Danny Williams were on. They were discussing the seal hunt. It was quite a lively debate.
Out of interest, what is the general publics view on the culling, and the methods employed?
I volunteer with an organisation that saves marine mammals in the UK (whale in the Thames? That was us) which includes a lot of seals. Obviously this organisation is very much opposed to the killing, but I am interested to hear what the Canadian public think about it..
Cheers
D
The culling is one thing, but the methods are brutal. Can't these guys just take a harpoon out there instead of that club. Good lord, makes my stomach turn every time I think about it. Does it make them feel good beating in the skull of those poor defenseless animals?
I have mixed feelings on this, on one hand its a way of life and an income, but on the other hand, do those seals really need to be killed? I dont have all the facts, maybe some Easteners on the board here could maybe enlighten me. Is the seal hunt really necessary? And I did watch LKL last nite, and credit to Dany, he didn't back down at all. I tend to side with the McCartney's on this issue, but like I said I dont have all the facts. I will say this, young seals dont need to have there heads bashed in if its not 100% necessary, it does seem cruel to me. I heard they dont like to shoot them because it ruins the pelts and they get less money for them. If thats the case, I say leave them alone.
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hsus.org">www.hsus.org</a><!-- w -->
I can't speak for the entire country but I'm pretty confident that if a referendum was held on this issue, the majority of people would vote against killing the seals. Of course, I'm on PEI and fishing is one of the main industries here and I'm quite certain most of the fisherman have no problem with it, even the ones who don't go out on the ice and club the seals. I'm not sure I believe that 90% of the seals are killed by shooting, as Mr. Williams stated. I'm kind of with you LizardKing in the sense that I'd have to sit down and get all the facts from both sides. I'm not talking about just for an hour either. I'd have to meet with both sides for hours to see both points of view. As it stands, I don't know how anyone could endorse the actions shown last night on the clips provided by the US Humane Society. I noticed that by the end of the debate Sir Paul said it doesn't matter how they are killed, the main thing is to stop killing these seals in the first 20 days of their lives.
i think humans by nature are just pricks...it's a disgusting practice that has no right to continue....what was that bumper sticker? the more people i meet, the more i like my cat...
Just out of curiosity, how many of you are vegetarians? Ever been in an abbatoir? (That's not a place where they mercifully kill Swedish pop quartets.)
It's a hot-button issue, for sure, made hotter by the fact that the seals are so cute. But Canadians are entirely happy to eat meat and enjoy a happy ignorance of what goes into making it. What makes it okay to kill a calf, but not a seal? What makes it okay to kill a cow? Etc.
Honestly, I don't much care about the seal hunt. And I think nitwits like Sir Paul could do more good by directing their attention to important issues, such as, say, Darfur.
skippy the wonder dog Wrote:Just out of curiosity, how many of you are vegetarians? Ever been in an abbatoir? (That's not a place where they mercifully kill Swedish pop quartets.)
It's a hot-button issue, for sure, made hotter by the fact that the seals are so cute. But Canadians are entirely happy to eat meat and enjoy a happy ignorance of what goes into making it. What makes it okay to kill a calf, but not a seal? What makes it okay to kill a cow? Etc.
Honestly, I don't much care about the seal hunt. And I think nitwits like Sir Paul could do more good by directing their attention to important issues, such as, say, Darfur.
The NFLD premier brought that same point up on the show about killing cows and chicken, etc..... The thing is, from what I've heard, the seals are killed for their skin to be used in the fashion industry and not to be eaten. I'm sure some are killed because some fishermen believe they affect their lobster catch and reduce the cod catch also.
Well, that's fair enough, but a seal or a cow would view that argument as entirely academic, wouldn't it?
Given that most North Americans eat more meat than they really need to, from a dietician's standpoint, and more than they should from a health standpoint, it's difficult to argue necessity here.
As long as people buy fur, animals are going to get killed for it.
I simply don't think the debate is very important. When you consider the number of people getting killed or dying of starvation each year, the spectacle of mega-celebrities flouncing around in survival suits hugging seal pups is pretty silly.
Environmental issues are critically important, too -- but this isn't an environmental issue. Habitat loss, that's an environmental issue.
skippy the wonder dog Wrote:Well, that's fair enough, but a seal or a cow would view that argument as entirely academic, wouldn't it?
Given that most North Americans eat more meat than they really need to, from a dietician's standpoint, and more than they should from a health standpoint, it's difficult to argue necessity here.
As long as people buy fur, animals are going to get killed for it.
I simply don't think the debate is very important. When you consider the number of people getting killed or dying of starvation each year, the spectacle of mega-celebrities flouncing around in survival suits hugging seal pups is pretty silly.
Environmental issues are critically important, too -- but this isn't an environmental issue. Habitat loss, that's an environmental issue.
All very good points.
As far as the issue itself, I still don't know because Danny Williams really didn't get to finish a thought or sentence once during that fiasco of a "debate" & I was looking forward to getting the NFLD point of view on the issue.
I would like to think that Newfoundlanders aren't out for quick/easy $ or malicious evil people who get off on killing these animals but Mrs McCartney certainly wasn't allowing for any other point or opinion other than her own & that said she certainly didn't win any points in my book.
I found her behaviour & debating skills sad & almost childish & so that said I'm still on the side of the fence that NFLD, & all other fishermen/sea folk, have good reason for killings. Do remember that the seal hunt was stopped before & the results weren't good for the seals.
Sorry gotta go the evil local "rock" radio stn is playing a Nickelback two-fer - gotta make it stop!
crewgirl Wrote:Sorry gotta go the evil local "rock" radio stn is playing a Nickelback two-fer - gotta make it stop!
Would that be Q104? EWWW,, Im so glad I dont have to listen to that station anymore!
Lynette
PRINCESS Wrote:crewgirl Wrote:Sorry gotta go the evil local "rock" radio stn is playing a Nickelback two-fer - gotta make it stop!
Would that be Q104? EWWW,, Im so glad I dont have to listen to that station anymore!
Lynette
Yep! I get tired of Kool 96.5 so I'll try the others but Kool usually my base - actually heard Blue Rodeo there the other day - still waiting to hear the Hip though
