by Adam Sprott

Created on: July 06, 2008

The Canadian Government should not outlaw the seal hunt. To do so would severely escalate the problem, not solve it. Seals are not as endangered as many people are lead to believe; there are far more seals now than there have been in previous years. Seals are not hunted excessively, and the seal hunt helps control the population. If seals were not hunted, the seal population would increase exponentially, causing many problems for both the seals and for humans. If the seal population increases, the fish populations that seals hunt decrease and this makes it harder for fishermen to catch fish and make a living. Also, as there will be fewer fish and many more seals, the seals themselves will start dying of hunger as only a few of them will be able to catch the food they need to survive. Not only will this affect the seals, but everything else that eats those fish will suffer, and in a chain effect the entire ecosystem is affected.

The seal hunt cannot be compared to other endangered species of which hunting is outlawed, such as of the elephant. In those cases the elephant is endangered, but with the seal hunt it is actually the fish the seals hunt that need protecting and to protect the fish the seals have to be hunted.

The seal hunt is nowhere near as bad as it is portrayed. The seal hunt and the seal hunters are vilified only because these animals are cute and cuddly. As a result many people feel it is not right to kill these cute creatures. However, the fish stocks that seals hunt are largely depleted. Are fish not creatures as well? Can they not feel pain? For some reason I don't see anyone protesting to protect the fish. I guess they just are not cute enough. Sorry fish, as ironic as it may seem we are still going to allow the seals to eradicate you.

Banning the seal hunt will only create a poaching industry. Right now there is a demand for seal products, and as long as there is a demand there will be someone who tries to meet that demand. With the Canadian seal hunt, the hunt is far more controlled. The seal population is kept in balance with its environment, and the methods by which the seals are killed are also restricted to more humane ways. If the hunt was outlawed, this control would be lost and the seals that are killed would suffer far more.

As it is, the methods used in the hunt are humane. It may seem cruel to club the seals to death, but at least the body is recovered. Quite often the bodies of seals and other marine animals that are hunted are lost

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