Paul and the Seal Hunt.

[Soutine]

[MAKE TRADE FAIR="2 of 3"]Up to this point, I've stayed out of this.....but until I see Macca and the missus, hanging out in a field of potential lamb chops and getting his picture taken with a cute little furry grass eater, or down in Texas going after the veal industry, then I can't go along with this whole debate. Death is Death...there's no good way or better way, to kill something. It's still dead. Seal or any other animal. Going after the Seal hunt is good press I guess, but if anyone thinks there is a difference between killing these seals for profit as apposed to any other animal...then guess what...you are mistaken. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally against this practice...but I can not for the life of me fiqure out why someone would think killing seals is somehow different than killing anything else. Until Paul shows up on Larry King saying Texas should stop killing cattle, or New Zealand/Australia should stop killing lamb or....well, you get my drift.
I wonder how many people were watching the news of this story, saying how "terrible the seal hunt is" while eating a hamburger? Lot's I'll bet. :roll:[/quote]

I hate like hell to get involved in this again, I already had my bad little boy warning, but I just had to say I admire your having an open mind on this issue & seeing the full picture. I too see no difference in killing a seal for profit as opposed to any other animal. What annoys me is the way the animal rights groups have used the media in flogging this issue because they know that pulling on heart strings means people will in turn be pulling on their purse strings. If these guys wanted an end put to this, they could come up with the $$'s to buy out these sealers, all they'd have to do is put out the word. But if it ceased what would they use then to draw the $'s into their own pockets. In reality the seal is being used more by the Animal Rights Activists then it is by the sealers.

[2 of 3]

The whole issue is pretty confusing really. For what you get out of hunting seals, it does seem like a terrible waste. It's not like they're Inuit and living off the animals(or maybe in some cases it is?) I shouldn't be talking about this really, since I'm out to lunch on the topic...but if you see all that is written for and against, it makes your head spin. I saw one site that says it's the worlds largest slaughter of marine animals. Then you read another site that says 300,000 dolphins, whales and porposes die every year in fishing nets. Last time I looked, they were mammals too.
I don't know....I'm partial to veggie burgers these days. That's my way of protesting I guess.

[ANGRY]

some very good thoughtful posts by all...glad to see this issue become a real debate...only by talking things through and working together on our differences..and finding a suitable compromise, will there ever be true justice or good answers...this, like so many other issues, is not all black and white

[chris]

Oh no...Are we becoming...civilized?

[ANGRY]

civilized...moi ?!?

have i ever mentioned that your avatar is a great reproduction of your high school photo, chris, you never looked so good !

too bad you've gone downhill since...

[chris]

Thanks, just got my hair cut. I'm gellin'

[Genuine_Indian_Guru]

I'm watching the Juno Awards (Canada's Music Awards) Hosted By Pamala
Anderson and the first thing she said to the crowd and viewers watching from home was Seal couldn't make it to the show tonight...in fear that he'd get clubbed to death!.

It got mixed reception....I thought it was very funny!

[Mike]

P.E.I. fishermen open to offer from U.S. businesswoman to stop hunting seals



MURRAY RIVER, P.E.I. (CP) - Some Prince Edward Island sealers say they're open to an offer from the head of a U.S.-based beauty products firm to stop hunting seals.

Cathy Kangas, CEO and founder of PRAI Beauty, has offered the federal government $16 million to stop the controversial slaughter off Canada's East Coast.

The federal Fisheries Department said Ottawa would not be taking Kangas up on her offer, but some Island sealers say they're willing to consider it.

"I talked to quite a few of the license holders here in P.E.I. and everyone is willing to give this a try," said Kenneth MacLeod, a sealer from Murray River.

MacLeod said Island fishermen can earn up to $10,000 a year from the seal hunt, but he said a buyout would need to cover future earnings as well.

MacLeod said Island fishermen have been talking to Kangas, who plans on visiting the province for face-to-face meetings soon.

Kangas is a member of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and an adviser to the Humane Society of the United States. Both organizations are opposed to the seal hunt.

MacLeod said sealers will consider the offer it its fair.

"We're like to explore the alternatives," he said. "It's the 21st century."

The Gulf of St. Lawrence hunt ended last week after sealers reached their quota of 91,000 animals. The larger hunt off Newfoundland and Labrador, on an area known as the Front, opened Wednesday with a quota of 230,000 seals.