Response to the article by Bob Hepburn in “The Star”

Understanding why the market for seal related products has imploded is very simple. Groups such as PETA, HSUS, IFAW or Sea Shepherd claim to be defending animal rights and use seals to generate insane amounts of donations. This money serves to destabilize the sealing industry. By obtaining the closure of the European market, they themselves are causing the problem.

Mr. Hepburn believes that rural Canadians live the Toronto lifestyle; they wake up, get some coffee at Starbucks, work in a skyscraper, come home and put a frozen meal in the microwave for dinner. But they can’t just put on a suit and a tie and become a banker, they do a job that has been perfected over hundreds of years and no one can deny them the right to earn a living through the sustainable harvesting of animal resources like seals.

The role of the senate is to protect the interests of minorities and regions. Mr. Hepburn’s argument that seal hunting represents only 0.05% of Newfoundland’s economy is irrelevant. 15 000 people earn a living from seal hunting and this activity represents up to 35% of their family income.

Animal rights groups are the real slaughterers, they single handedly sabotaged an entire industry.

In 2009, I presided a group of scientists to draft a Universal Declaration on the Ethical Harvest of Seals. Supported by the Governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Québec it balances animal welfare while protecting the wellbeing of communities.

 Why would we be embarrassed by hard working Canadians who follow the law and take extraordinary measures to follow stringent standards set by veterinarians who actively promote animal welfare?

Next week when my colleagues and I will eat seal meat in the parliamentary restaurant we will not be doing this as a “gimmick” like Mr. Hepburn says; but as a testament to the solidarity of parliamentarians who support Canadians who fully contribute to the prosperity and diversity of this country.

******************************

OTHER RESPONSE

Dear Editor,

Following the arguments of Bob Hepburn against the seal hunt (Opinion, 03/04), one would figure that he should be supporting efforts to promote seal products.  If seal hunting “makes little economic sense”, then why should we shun Senator Payette’s attempt to remedy the matter?

Many activists against sealing have an odd way of creating the problems they in turn complain about.  It is absolutely despicable the way these anti-animal-use groups are telling sealers and their families that their livelihoods just aren’t worth “enough” to allow them to continue - this after a forty year history of unfounded public degradation at the hands of the same groups.

I wonder how many other industries make up “only” 0.05 percent of their provincial economies, or amount to less than $15 million dollars in yearly revenue.  Canada’s bison meat exports last year were about $11 million - should we scrap that industry?  

Sure, their meat is tasty, but it doesn’t stand up to some of the seal I’ve eaten.

Sincerely,

David Barry
Seals and Sealing Network