Alas and alack, the season has begun. No, not the football season, not the cricket or rugby season, nor that of any other acceptable sport. In fact, the season now open is for one of the most hideous pastimes ever invented.
Ladies and Gentlemen, children and pets, roll up, roll up! It is now ‘club a baby seal to death’ season.
The coming of spring marked the start of yet another merciless bloodbath, or the annual commercial seal hunt as it is more often referred to. Every year, in Eastern Canada, fishermen are allowed to take up clubs and set about the heads of baby seals, pounding away at them until they have extinguished their lives. Others favour the gun.
This year the death target is 325,000 seals, but just for good measure, a further 10,000 harp seals have been added to the quota to cover the aboriginal allowance. Both figures are always exceeded.
As heartbreaking goes, this rates a 10 on a scale of 1 – 10.
As unacceptable, it rates a further 10.
The value of the lives of these animals, however, cannot be rated. Life, by the very virtue of the fact it is life, is too precious to put a price on.
The barbaric way in which these innocent little creatures are being slaughtered is indefensible and unforgivable. Some are even skinned alive. Most are less than four weeks old.
It must be very easy to approach a docile and unsuspecting, possibly even trusting, baby seal. This is all incomprehensibly cruel. It is time for everyone who cares, to act.
Over a four year period over one million baby harp seals have been killed, for profit, by Eastern Canadian fishermen. Profits from the slaughter come mostly from the sale of luxury items. The financial return on this activity is very low. Ironically, the fishermen are able to make far more money from exporting seafood to the United States, their largest market.
Where is the justification for all of this! There is none. It must end. Not just for a season, but permanently.
You can help! We all can!
Listed below are some very worthy sites where YOU can make your mark and help these otherwise helpless animals.
Steal yourself and help to save a life!
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/seal_hunt/tips/boycott_highlights.html
http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/what-you-can-do.html
Carte Blanche by Amelia Curzon 