Photos from the Canadian Seal Slaughter

The sealer in this picture likely acted with considerable restraint considering the harassment he and the others have been subjected to at the hands of misguided and misinformed protestors. Passions are running high and I beleive that the protestors provoke these confrontations for the photo opportunities. I have spoken with people who know this man (the sealer) and he is described as a mild mannered, easy going fellow. Harrassment is against the law. Go away.

its a bloody mess alright. Go to any slaughter house adn you will see the same thing, only its behind closed doors and the animals aren't as cute.

You aren't indigenous people, you don't need these animals for bare surbsistence and what you are doing in many people's eyes amounts to killing golden retriever puppies in the most brutal fashion possible. Deal with it. OK, pardon my ignorance. Please explain in a reasonable manner why this hunt is absolutely necessary for your survival. Really. We all want to know.

To reply to dastafak's comment:

Yes, the Canadian Vets have shown in 2002 that suposedly 98% of the seals killed are done so humanely. Even if they are correct.....let's see, 2% of 975K = 19,500 seals that are inhumanely killed over the course of about 12-18 months in a 3 year timespan. So, in your theory comparing to the doctor, is it acceptable for the medical establishment to make 19,500 mistakes over the course of 12-18 months, whereby horrible pain and suffering occur? I think not. Your argument comparing to medical mistakes is not an argument at all.

In addition, the Canadian veterinarians that did the assessment were announced in advance when observing. It's like telling someone that they will be watched while working that day and expect them to act as they normally do - do you really think the hunters would be practicing the same technique during observation that they normally do? NOT. The independent veterinarians, sent to observe without a pre-announced visit, observed that ~42% of the killing is done inhumanely and the law was not being followed in the killing process. 42% of 975K = 409,500 inhumane killings. How can this be acceptable to any human being, tell me?

There's more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes, but "alive" would have to be the stupidest. Difficult, slow, dangerous to the skinner. The same would go for harp seals and golden retrievers.

As for the "you're not indigenous, you don't need to do this" argument, try telling that to the fishermen who depend on secondary "fisheries" like the seal hunt in order to make a liveable income for their families. Do you think they do it for fun??

And what's so great about doing it for "bare subsistance," as you say the indigenous people are entitled to do. Who made you the #@%#$% judge? If the indigenous people did it in a way that went beyond "bare subsistence" I'm sure you'd protest that too? I recall the nasty and often racist protest against the Makah indians of Washington state when they tried to hunt a whale for traditional ceremonial purposes. Respect for indigenous culture is an article of convenience with ecowarriors and animal lovers, easily turned into its opposite when the noble savage decides to act on his own behalf.

See....
http://www.darknightpress.org/index.php?i=news&c=recent&view=18

I've heard arguments from both sides of the story here. Anyone ever heard of global warming? Yeah. If you research it, you will find out that polar bear numbers are increasing and their lives are becoming harder. They have longer winters and shorter summers to do everything. Food is scarce for them. That same thing is going to start affecting the seals. It probably already has had some effects. If the seals are continually hunted, who would like to tell little kids, "I'm sorry. We killed all the seals," because it isn't the fault of most people. And the inhumanity doesn't even matter. It's still going to hurt them physically for that split second before they die.

People already protest slaughterhouses that kill animals "behind closed doors." People have seen the horrors and are trying to stop it. Just because we haven't been able to stop it yet doesn't mean that we don't care.

This isn't right. We need to stop this NEEDLESS slaughter.

This whole seal hunt disturbs me beyond words. After reading numerous articles on the seal hunt I have never been more disgusted with the human race. This is terrible act of animal cruelty. I cannot believe that any civil person could do this and go on living with themselves. No one has to do this to survive (skinning seals alive, using ice picks, and clubbing them). These seal murderers should be ashamed.