Tough Putin gets on side of seals

[gibb]

Tough Putin gets on side of seals
Posted By PETER WORTHINGTON
Leave it to Russia's Vladimir Putin to do the unexpected.

The wily former KGB officer, who resigned to head Russia's domestic intelligence and counterespionage service (the FSB) before becoming president, specializes in puzzling western critics.

After twice being elected president of Russia, he dodged the mandatory retirement law and maintained political power by appointing himself prime minister -- a role he held under the late Boris Yeltsin. He wanted Dimitry Medvedev as prez, so Russians voted on cue.

Putin defies easy categorization.

He's revived Russia's sagging economy yet allowed corruption to flourish. He crushes internal dissent, ignores human rights, threatens Ukraine, invades Georgia, and has savaged Chechnya. He's been accused of assassinating journalists and certain political defectors, but remains as popular in Russia as, well, as Barack Obama in the U. S.

Putin's most recent gambit is moving to ban the killing of baby seals, which he piously calls

a bloody industry." Russia's Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnyev promptly declared the seal hunt as one of the most inhumane types of hunting in the world."

Putin has a reputation as an animal lover, and says killing seals, should have been banned a long time ago." With Russia's history of cruelty and oppression of its own people, it raises an eyebrow to have Putin ruminating over the inhumanity of the seal hunt. Most of Europe echoes Putin's concerns for baby seals, and Canada is the target for its killing of seals.

Calling the annual harvesting" of baby seals a hunt" is grotesque distortion. It's anything but a hunt." It's slaughter, and has little economic

value.

There are an estimated 200,000 harp seals in

Russia's White Sea sealing grounds -- down by 90% from when they were first counted 80 years ago. Some 35,000 baby seals are killed each year when they are about six weeks old and their coats a dazzling white.

Rather than shrinking, Canada's seal population is thriving, with a population exceeding five million. Still, the annual hunt" is subject of controversy in and outside Canada, replete with emotion. Critics and supporters are mostly inflexible.

I'm one who thinks killing baby seals demeans those who do it. Although it looks horrid, the seals die quickly, and it can be argued that a quick death is a merciful death. Since we've overfished the cod into near extinction, we blame seals for cod depletion, ignoring that in olden days the Grand Banks teemed with cod -- and seals.

Seals are not an endangered species. In fact, their numbers are increasing. Nor, probably, is our polar bear endangered. The Canadian polar bear population has hovered at 25,000 for decades. Yet common sense and decency dictates that there should be a ban on the sport-killing of these unique and magnificent creatures -- the world's largest carnivore.

Despite criticisms of Putin, he has given momentum to the anti-seal hunt campaign. It's fair to say the annual slaughter is now in its death throes.

If killing baby seals is too grisly for Russian stomachs, what does it say about those Canadians who not only support the annual kill, but look forward to it?

Personally, I suspect the appeal of the hunt" is that it's a chance for the lads to break the monotony of winter and get together for a couple of weeks of camaraderie on the ice floes, and make a bit of money on the side.

All that may ending. The irony is that it wasn't bleeding hearts or Greenpeace that tipped the scales against killing baby seals, but a hard man with no reputation for compassion, mercy or sensitivity.
Copyright © 2009 The North Bay Nugget

[NFTrapper]

You know, its funny how the past can come back to bit an industry. Yes, 25years ago (the length of time may be wrong), white coat (baby) seals where harvested off the shores of Newfoundland. But this practice was discontinued YEARS AGO. If a guy is caught with a white coat pelt in his boat, he could lose everything. It is illegal to kill "Baby Seals" and this fact seems to elude all of the headlines.

As all hunters will know, when an animal is cleaned, it creates a bloody mess, but when it happens several hundred times in close proximity on SNOW WHITE ICE PANS, you hear the term "Killing grounds". These animals are cleaned on the ice as there is ample room to do so, and since the seal population is growing, one boat could harvest up to 10 seals on one ice pan. But it has to be stated again, these are not "BABY SEALS".

Once again this is an example of a person who is so far removed from the life of an outport community, and has no understanding of how a "few extra dollars" can help ones family.

This is something for all hunters to watch for. The seal hunt has been a target of the anti-hunting community for many years. If they get their way, and the seal hunt is stopped, what will they turn on next. The power of bloody images of a dead animal and a few pretty celeb's with tears in their eyes crying for this animal, can really sway puplic opinion. Just something to keep in mind.

We (Newfoundlanders) have been dealing with this longer then I have been alive (29 years) and will continue to fight the fight until the world knows the truth about the seal hunt.

Thanks for reading my rant...

[marlin1]

thanks for the update . I tried to explain the seal hunt to my daughter but I did not know that baby seals are no longer harvested. one question for you is do they still use clubs and why not a 22 or something ?

[NFTrapper]

Clubs are not allowed to be used these days (as far as I know), but since only adult and Juvenile seals are allowed to be harvested, the use of a club would be useless. Since both adults and juveniles can swim, they would disappear into the water long before you get close to them. The white coats (baby) seals could not swim, hence the use of a club. They would not enter the water which made them easy to harvest and their white pelts were profitable. Today this is not the case. There is no market for "baby" seal pelts in today's market.

It is law to use a rifle to shot seals. I think a 223 is the smallest gun you can use. I know that the use of a 22 or a 12 guage is illegal.

I hope this helps.

[Okotokian]

Putin is a great humanitarian. He thinks that only people should be killed. Someone send him a PETA membership application, quick. I bet you the *&#* would fill it out and send it in! Great PR for our side.

Originally Posted by marlin1

thanks for the update . I tried to explain the seal hunt to my daughter but I did not know that baby seals are no longer harvested. one question for you is do they still use clubs and why not a 22 or something ?

"The world continues to use animal-based food and clothing. Canada works to ensure its animals are killed quickly and humanely by implementing strict regulations. In the case of seals, Canada has researched the methods used - guns and hakapiks, which originated in the traditions of First Nations and Inuit peoples - to ensure that methods used compare favourably with those used to kill any other wild or domestic animal.

Canada requires a clear determination of death (blinking eye reflex test) before seals can be processed. A study by independent members of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association found that virtually all seals taken during the hunt are in fact killed in a humane manner."

From here, some more info if you would like. Good on ya for sitting down and talking with your daughter!!!

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/seal-...tsheet-eng.htm

[gibb]

www.sealsandsealing.net

[marlin1]

thanks for the good info and links . I filled her in on the REAL story unlike the anti-sealing literature she was led to believe. I am amazed the stuff that still circulates around the world and sways people who don't bother to get the facts.

[gibb]

http://www.northbaynugget.com/Articl...aspx?e=1486410

Wrote a letter to the editor in response to the story.
Cheers Jim

[Nomad]

It's official, he's banned it.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business...649/story.html

[NFTrapper]

Well I guess the Canadian seal hunt is safe since "Baby" seals are no longer hunted... It amazing that when there is so much information about the truths of the seal hunt, it is only the lies and propaganda that make it to the paper headlines...