Should Seals be hunted?
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Underwater Ogre
Contributor
I think almost everyone that replied to this thread has to agree that controlled harvesting of a healthy population is not a bad thing.
Yes there are some instances of abuse, but we all contribute to environmental degradation in some ways. Not one of us is perfect.
I tell my kids when they leave their bedroom lights "your killing the Polar bears". Hopefully I instill core values that will carry on when they are adults to make "wise decisions".
As far as a controlled seal hunt on a healthy population, I don't have a problem with it.
U/O
Yes there are some instances of abuse, but we all contribute to environmental degradation in some ways. Not one of us is perfect.
I tell my kids when they leave their bedroom lights "your killing the Polar bears". Hopefully I instill core values that will carry on when they are adults to make "wise decisions".
As far as a controlled seal hunt on a healthy population, I don't have a problem with it.
U/O
nereas
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KOMPRESSOR
Contributor
I actually DONT have seal fur boots myself.. But yeah, id say theres more challenging prey to hunt for. I think you might be giving yourself a BIT low odds on the grizzly though, unless youre a REAL bad shot
Are you kidding me??! You should know better, living around here... Ha ha!
Anyways, seal hunting is a 2"x2" moving target at maybe 3-400 feet... Go ahead! No challenge??!
KOMPRESSOR
Contributor
Well, I see no need, other than for Norweigian seal boots!
Well, we could all just eat corn, couldn't we? If they ALSO use the hide for boots, that's good I suppose. I am not into commercial "catching" up in the pack ice. But I am going seal hunting (with a rifle) for the first time this winter on the west coast. My major reason for this is that the population needs to be controlled (to many), and I also combine it with diving and cooking since the meat is quite allright treated in the right way. I just got my permits from the Norw. Fishery Dept.
I also hunt deer almost from my back yard. I don't see much difference to seal hunting.
widget
Contributor
If you are talking about plain recreational hunting where the hunter needs a permit, can only hunt in certain months, has a limited quota etc, I guess it wont impact much on most of the general seal population world wide. However I personally cant see much sport in shooting a dozing seal on the beach.
Reminds me a bit of canned lion hunting.! Dont get me started on that one.!
If you are talking about commercial hunting where the seal is killed and used to produce goods which can be sold for money, we have a differant scenario.
Seals have been hunted ruthlessly for food, clothing and by products (pet food) for the last 400 years, there are few seal populations which would have survived without protection and laws which have controlled their harvesting and allowed the numbers to increase.
I just need to think of the local Cape Fur Seal where uncontrolled exploitation of the species continued into the middle 20 th century and resulted in a drastic decline in numbers. Only after protection (1950) did their numbers begin to increase and now stands at roughly 1.5 million which incidentally is still regarded as low, as this seal is found only off the Cape Coast.
Man is the seals biggest threat, there is a huge lucrative Eastern market for Bull Seal Genitilia to be used as an aphrodisiac, baby seals are killed for their fur, mature seals are harvested for their coats for the manufacture of handbags, purses and coats, seal oil is in huge demand as is the carcass meat, although the populations may be healthy now, the scale is easily tipped the other way.
Bottom line, without laws to protect them, they are doomed like many other species now fighting for their very survival.
Personally, I am against any form of hunting, I accept it as something which will never go away, but I can never condone it, I dread the day when we will only be able to show our kids these magnificient animals in a zoo or worse a book.!
Reminds me a bit of canned lion hunting.! Dont get me started on that one.!
If you are talking about commercial hunting where the seal is killed and used to produce goods which can be sold for money, we have a differant scenario.
Seals have been hunted ruthlessly for food, clothing and by products (pet food) for the last 400 years, there are few seal populations which would have survived without protection and laws which have controlled their harvesting and allowed the numbers to increase.
I just need to think of the local Cape Fur Seal where uncontrolled exploitation of the species continued into the middle 20 th century and resulted in a drastic decline in numbers. Only after protection (1950) did their numbers begin to increase and now stands at roughly 1.5 million which incidentally is still regarded as low, as this seal is found only off the Cape Coast.
Man is the seals biggest threat, there is a huge lucrative Eastern market for Bull Seal Genitilia to be used as an aphrodisiac, baby seals are killed for their fur, mature seals are harvested for their coats for the manufacture of handbags, purses and coats, seal oil is in huge demand as is the carcass meat, although the populations may be healthy now, the scale is easily tipped the other way.
Bottom line, without laws to protect them, they are doomed like many other species now fighting for their very survival.
Personally, I am against any form of hunting, I accept it as something which will never go away, but I can never condone it, I dread the day when we will only be able to show our kids these magnificient animals in a zoo or worse a book.!
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KOMPRESSOR
Contributor
If you are talking about plain recreational hunting where the hunter needs a permit, can only hunt in certain months, has a limited quota etc, I guess it wont impact much on most of the general seal population world wide. However I personally cant see much sport in shooting a dozing seal on the beach.
Reminds me a bit of canned lion hunting.! Dont get me started on that one.!
Well, neither can I. And it doesn't work that way either. Recreational hunting for seals in my country means head shots when the seal is in the water. I suppose you could shoot it on shore also, but it still has to be a head shot. Any attempt to do an ordinary through the lungs shot, as is common on land mammals, would likely loose you the seal, and cause a lot of pain to the animal as it will survive for a rather longh time under water on the oxygene it has stored in the blood and muscles.
As most recreational hunters practice around here, all meat is taken care of. Some even take the extra work to do something about the skin too, but that takes a lot of experience. The hunt is regulated in both numbers, periods and type of weapons. You have to pass a 40 hour hunting class with an exam, and you have to do a yearly shooting test.
True. But local variety in populations should of course affect the attitude towards establishing both recreational hunting and commercial catching.
I have no reason to doubt you are correct about your local conditions!
superstition hasn't brought man or animals much good. However, seal oil is rich with Omega3-acids. I even have it for sale in my shop, in the dogs dept... It's just as good for people too, but somehow it doesn't seem to have the appeal to sell much for this purpose.
So is our fishing industry if we can't regulate the seal population. We have chosen to harvest from the seas, and I don't see any reasons why we shouldn't. But the fisheries has to have stright and enforced regulations, or else we will have "Russian Conditions" in the business...
PEOPLE! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM HERE!!!
no hunting in any form??
Thats not gonna work as we've killed off all the natural predators in most of North America that used to keep herds in check.
Seal hunting is just hunting, if they are not endangered seals, then I have no problem with it
Thats not gonna work as we've killed off all the natural predators in most of North America that used to keep herds in check.
Seal hunting is just hunting, if they are not endangered seals, then I have no problem with it
widget
Contributor
No Real problem Kompressor, its a personal view, I know lots of hunters, and like you, they take their hunt very seriously, they spend enormous amounts of time energy and money getting the right permits, the right equipment, knowing the animal, getting good trackers, ensuring the animal is never left to suffer and they only take what they can use themselves, no needless killing.
However, there is the flip side of the coin, those that hunt lions (and other animals) in cages (canned), here its all about money, greed and the trophy, they have no idea about tracking an animal,the vital areas to kill it instantly, their equipment is top of the range, but their skills in its use are non-existant, they could care two hoots about "sustainable population" they pay the money and want the trophy, if they injure the animal, they get back in the car and its killed by the owner anyway, it matters little, they still get the trophy.
I said early on hunting within permisable boundaries is fine, I dont like it, but its acceptable and dos no harm to the population in general, however, animals are big money, a lion costs $15000.00 to shoot in a cage, what chance dos the lion have?? - as we both agree, seal oil, genatilia, the carcass meat and the pelts are in huge demand commercially do you not think there will be those who will exploit the situation for money?
Here, seal culling is strictly controlled, but every year hundreds if not thousands of baby seals are clubbed to death illegally to fuel the black market fur trade, these animals live in remote areas, its nigh impossible to patrol everywhere, so the illegal killing gos on. Much the same can be said about the abalone along our coast, its nearly poached to extinction, recreational taking of abalone is limited to 8 per day (with a permit), just recently a poacher was caught with almost a ton, money has a way of making people forget their morals.
I agree seals are a threat to the fishing industry, but plastic bags, drift nets and plastic rings are a bigger threat to seals, in general most animal species today have to be regulated to a degree, that includes deep water fish, seals and the predators who live off them.
.....but in general I agree with your sentiments, actually they pretty much echo my own - except the hunting bit.!
However, there is the flip side of the coin, those that hunt lions (and other animals) in cages (canned), here its all about money, greed and the trophy, they have no idea about tracking an animal,the vital areas to kill it instantly, their equipment is top of the range, but their skills in its use are non-existant, they could care two hoots about "sustainable population" they pay the money and want the trophy, if they injure the animal, they get back in the car and its killed by the owner anyway, it matters little, they still get the trophy.
I said early on hunting within permisable boundaries is fine, I dont like it, but its acceptable and dos no harm to the population in general, however, animals are big money, a lion costs $15000.00 to shoot in a cage, what chance dos the lion have?? - as we both agree, seal oil, genatilia, the carcass meat and the pelts are in huge demand commercially do you not think there will be those who will exploit the situation for money?
Here, seal culling is strictly controlled, but every year hundreds if not thousands of baby seals are clubbed to death illegally to fuel the black market fur trade, these animals live in remote areas, its nigh impossible to patrol everywhere, so the illegal killing gos on. Much the same can be said about the abalone along our coast, its nearly poached to extinction, recreational taking of abalone is limited to 8 per day (with a permit), just recently a poacher was caught with almost a ton, money has a way of making people forget their morals.
I agree seals are a threat to the fishing industry, but plastic bags, drift nets and plastic rings are a bigger threat to seals, in general most animal species today have to be regulated to a degree, that includes deep water fish, seals and the predators who live off them.
.....but in general I agree with your sentiments, actually they pretty much echo my own - except the hunting bit.!
good post Widget
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