So what's wrong with clubbing seals?

The Telegraph ^ | 15/04/2004 | Boris Johnson

[-YYZ-]

This work is done by Newfoundlanders. They're pretty far north by most people's standards, but not in the far north. These people have traditionally made a living from the sea, fishing and sealing. Newfoundland has little industry, it's not suitable for farming, and employment prospects for many are dim. They've been in really hard shape since the northen cod moratorium went into effect, over 10 years ago now, as that was the major fishery there. They are most definitely not doing this for fun or for sport.

[-YYZ-]

They don't brutalize it, they kill it. Killing things is not pretty. Do you feel the same way about lambs? They're pretty cute and adorable.

[NathanR]

So she was probably instrumental for making people club seals instead of shooting them. Clubbing is considered WAY more humane. A shot seal will often quickly go under the ice and slowly smother itself.

[elbucko]

Cheers comrade.

Uff'da.

[rintense]

Seriously doubt that. The focus of the bill back then was farm animals.

[Feiny]

Are lambs clubbed in the head?
This behavior cannot be justified no matter how hard you try. And why would you want to defend those actions? Are you Mark Geragos?

[-YYZ-]

I have no idea who that is, and I don't care. Do you know for a fact that clubbing seal pups in the head is inhumane? I'll admit that it looks pretty brutal, but then killing usually does.

Are you saying that this would be OK with you if the seals were killed in a manner that you consider humane?

[NathanR]

My point, was that clubbing is considered a humane way to kill seals, which was worked out between people like your great aunt and the seal hunters. It is not considered cruel, except by people who romanticize Nature.

Then NGOs like Greenpeace found that they were extremely 'Cute' and used their bloody images to influence clueless urban fools to give them money.

People who gave no thought to where their shoe leather, steaks, lamb chops and so on actually came from.

At least Vegans are consistent now.

[NathanR]

Are lambs clubbed in the head?

Probably.

Clubbing (stunning) then slitting the throat is considered more humane than simply slitting the throat.

[Eurotwit]

Uff'da indeed.

I just did some research and discovered that Norway actually imports seal pelts from Canada.

Apparently we are not killing enough seals on our own to meet the demand.

[Feiny]

Mark Geragos is a slimebag attorney who will defend anyone with money. You seem content to defend this behavior for free. I guess that just makes you cheap.....and cruel.

[elbucko]

Apparently we are not killing enough seals on our own to meet the demand.

See. Socialism and free Bubble-up are making you soft. Time to go back to the Long Boats.

[Feiny]

Nope, not saying it would be OK to "humanely kill" the pups as the only reason for killing them in the first place is for their pelts (and seal penis for the Chinese market).

I am also a big fan of the shark so more seals mean more food for the shark. Nature has a way of working things out on her own. Sometimes when Man gets involved with the cycle, we help out (like with thinning the deer population to keep them from starving to death) other times....we screw it all up (like clubbing baby seals).

[elbucko]

"The fate of a civilization can be determined by its treatment of animals.

Funny that the Chinese came up with that one. They are one of the worst offenders of animal cruelty.

Yes, and look at their history and their position in the world today. They are still not considered "First World". China still treats human beings as cattle.

As I watched the "Passion" for the second time with my daughter, I was once again a surrogate witness to the gratuitous brutality that man is capable of doing to other men. We all saw it on Sept. 11th. The excuses of the terrorists were all the same, lame, reasons that have been posted to excuse the gratuitous brutality to the seals, to slavery, to the Jews, to the American Patriots by the British. The reason is never a moral justification, but the nihilism of Nietzsche; the seals are beaten and skinned, because the men can. Blacks were made slaves, because other men could enslave them, Jews murdered, because the Nazi's could murder them. Christ crucified because the Romans could do it.

How one treats those that are weak and innocent is a measure of their own humanity and their own personal courage and intellect. It is very easy to go with the crowd and encourage the seal hunt. It was just as easy for Arabs to cheer the images of 9/11. No, seals are not on the level of human beings, that's not what offends the sensibilities. What is offensive is its gratuity and its scale. It is unjustifiable mass killing that demeans the humans that take part in it. It's what it does to the soul. These same men could bludgeon human beings and justify their acts as necessary.

[-YYZ-]

And I guess I could say your irrational opposition to this harvest of natural resources makes you stupid, but I generally don't resort to name calling on this board.

I don't actually care for the hunt (or any hunting) all that much myself, but unless there is proven undue cruelty (which there isn't, as far as I'm concerned) or a serious risk to their populations (just the opposite, from what I understand), I can't see why it shouldn't be done.

[Feiny]

You don't consider that undue cruelty?
We have nothing further to discuss.

[rintense]

Excellent post.

[rintense]

I'm sorry, but I disagree with you. Show me documentation- objective documentation- that clubbing seals is humane. If it were so humane, then why do we not do the same to farm animals? Why do we not do the same when euthanizing domestic animals like dogs and cats? You won't find one vet anywhere that would condone such actions and call it humane.

[NathanR]

I am apparently wrong. I thought that cows were stunned by a large hammer before slaughter, but apparently they use something like the "Humane Killer" used by knackers.
The below article goes into it quite well.

http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/magazineArticle.cfm?ARTICLEID=1511

However, clubbing seals is still more humane than other methods, including shooting them with a rifle. (Since rifles often hit, yet only wound.)