Reuters Photo - Struggle ... a harp seal pup flounders.
Posted on 03/28/2007 2:06:42 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Reuters Photo - Struggle ... a harp seal pup flounders.
THE first stage of Canada's controversial annual harp seal hunt is likely to be scrapped because the ice floes where pups are born have broken up and many animals have drowned, officials and animal rights activists said.
The first part of the hunt, which was due to start today, occurs in the Gulf of St Lawrence to the south of the Magdalen Islands on the east coast. Hunters move across the ice floes, shooting and clubbing to death young seals.
Canada's federal fisheries ministry, which oversees the hunt, said the pups were born as usual this year but the ice floes had then been blown far out to sea and started to break up before the seals learned to swim.
"This is the first time I've ever seen this in 25 years," fisheries spokesman Roger Simon said from the Magdalen Islands.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said unusually warm weather meant the ice cover south of the Magdalen Islands was almost completely missing, and it feared thousands of harp seal pups had drowned. "The conditions this year are disastrous. I've surveyed this region for six years and I haven't seen anything like this," said a fund researcher, Sheryl Fink.
"There is wide open water and almost no seals. I only saw a handful of adult harp seals and even fewer pups, where normally we should be seeing thousands and thousands of seals."
Canada says the seal population is 5.5 million animals and the cull is needed to keep numbers under control.
Activists say the hunt is cruel and should stop.
The main hunt takes place in April off Newfoundland, where ice conditions are average, Mr Simon said.
Reuters
Note tight shot.
Such a quandry - evil hunters stymied or "global warming" hysteria.
Similar discussion here, yesterday : http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1807661/posts
No animal should be "clubbed" unless you can kill them with the first strike.
The Orka whales are loving this global warming thing. Fresh tender young seals floating around like chicken nuggets.
I searched for seals. I should have tried seal.
Well damnit I guess I'll put my club back in storage. There's nothing like a good seal clubbing.
Protest Organizer "I'm sorry folks, but the Seal Hunt Protesting has been cancelled this year, but feel free to hang around and switch gears to join our Global Warming Protest. Global Warming killed these seals before the hunters could. SUVs and factories are today's hakapiks."
All baby harp seals "flounder" regardles of climate conditions. This is akin to the polar bears "stranded" on ice a couple weeks back.
Is this the part where we run around like chickens with our heads cut off, moaning "GLOBAL WARMING!! THE END IS COMING!!"
quoting Algoracle?
I'm not beating on you, I'm just pointing it out! It's not a duplicate, anyway.
I always go up there to club the protesters.....guess I'll stay home.
I like "clubbing" with hot chicks!
So, assuming the animal rights activists believe in global warming, they will now consider it a good thing since the baby harp seal hunt will be spoiled?????
Now they can concentrate their efforts on killing that baby polar bear . . . this makes sense, doesn't it?
Honey, pass the fried chicken.
:')
Unbelievable - the hunters are upset because the seals are drowning before they can club them to death?!
I'm waiting for "Whacking Day".
Oh Whacking Day!
Oh Whacking Day!
Our hallowed snake skull-cracking day!
We'll break their backs!
Gouge out their eyes!
Their evil hearts we'll pulverize!
Oh Whacking Day!
Oh Whacking Day!
May God bestow his grace on thee...
"..but the ice floes had then been blown far out to sea and started to break up before the seals learned to swim.."
I'm not buying it. A new born HUMAN can swim. No way I'll believe a seal can't swim.
Paleeeeze. Like this is a normal part of nature?
Knut's fault!
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