Harp Seals and the Canadian Harp Seal

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Harp Seals and the Canadian Harp Seal Hunt
Ecological and Humane Implications

• Harpseals.org
• All volunteer, non profit organization with one
  goal
• To permanently end the annual Canadian harp seal
  slaughter

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What is a Harp Seal?
Sub order Pinnipedia 3 Families of Pinnipeds
Eared Seals (Otariidae)
True Seals (Phocidae)
Walruses (Odobenidae)
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Harp Seal Life Cycle
Whitecoat
Ragged Jacket
Beater
Adult
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3 Harp Seal Populations
White Sea
West Ice
Newfoundland Labrador
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Migration and Whelping Areas
(Northwest Atlantic Population)
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HARP SEAL DIET

• DO SEALS EAT NORTH ATLANTIC COD?
• STAPLES FOR THE SEALS capelin, Arctic cod, polar
  cod and herring
• SEALS ALSO EAT halibut, shrimp, small crabs,
  squid
• Only a few of their diet is N. Atlantic cod

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Canadas Killing Fields
The Front
The Gulf
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Harp Seals Killed in Canada Over the Years
Year Killed Year Killed Year Killed Year Killed
1965 234,253 1978 161,723 1991 52,588 2004 365,971
1966 323,139 1979 160,541 1992 68,668 2005 329,829
1967 334,356 1980 169,526 1992 27,003 2006 354,867
1968 192,696 1981 202,169 1994 61,379 2007 224,745
1969 288,812 1982 166,739 1995 65,767 2008 217,636
1970 257,495 1983 57,889 1996 242,906 2009 74,581
1971 23,966 1984 31,544 1997 264,210 2010 67,327
1972 129,883 1985 19,035 1998 282,624 2011 37,609
1973 123,832 1986 25,934 1999 244,603 2012 69,175
1974 147,635 1987 46,796 2000 92,068 2013 90,318
1975 174,363 1988 94,046 2001 226,493
1976 165,002 1989 65,304 2002 312,367
1977 155,143 1990 60,162 2003 289,512
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Canadas Harp Seal Slaughter

• In most years since 2000, this has been the
  largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world
• Current quotas are as high as kill rates prior to
  1971 when the population nearly collapsed and
  quotas were first established
• Over 2.65 million baby seals were killed between
  2000 and 2012
• Official numbers do not include 'struck and lost'
  seals - those who were shot but slipped away to
  die later
• Seals are killed primarily for skins. Revenues
  from the blubber, which is made into omega-3
  fatty acid supplements, are lower.

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Seals Cod A History of the Controversy

• 1497 John Cabot discovered abundant fishing
  grounds
• 1500s Basques and Bretons killed large numbers
  of walruses on the Magdalen Islands
• 1661 Francois Bissot granted fishing and sealing
  rights over Gulf of St. Lawrence
• 1700s Sealing became an established activity
  among Canadiens and later, in Newfoundland
• 1800s English and Irish immigrants arrived and
  established cod fishery
• 1949 Newfoundland Labrador joined Canada
• 1950s Fishing fleets modernized--draggers and
  trawlers
• 1977-80s Exclusive Economic Zone established in
  Canadian waters
• 1983 Europe banned whitecoat seal products
• 1992 Atlantic cod fishery collapsed. DFO began
  blaming seals.
• 1995 Scientists said there was no evidence for
  harp seals role in cod collapse
• 1995-2000 Seal hunt revived, subsidized by
  Canadian government. Killing increased. DFO
  continued to blame seals for cod population
  collapse.
• Today Newfoundland economy based on oil,
  seafood, newsprint, iron ore, electricity.
  Sealing lt 0.02 of provincial economy

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Cruel Massacre

• 95 of the slaughtered seals are pups 3-12 weeks
  old.
• Defenseless in the Gulf, they havent learned
  to swim yet and cant escape.
• Sealers are allowed to club or shoot multiple
  seal pups before ensuring that each seal is dead.
• Sealers aim at seals heads and usually dont
  kill with the 1st bullet. Sealers shoot again or
  club them to death.
• Sealers hook and drag seals while they are still
  conscious.
• 2001 veterinary study found up to 42 of seals
  were skinned alive. Current regulations to
  prevent this are not always followed and
  violations are documented each year.

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Reduction in Sea Ice Coverage in Gulf of St.
Lawrence
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Effects of Lack of Sea Ice on Seal Pups
Mother and whitecoat pup on small ice pan
Seal pup on broken sea ice
Mike Hammill, DFO, 2007
HSUS 2007
Whitecoat pup struggles to get back on ice
Seal pup on Tignish Shore, PEI
Photo Darlene Morrissey, 2011
Reuters 2010
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Canadian Government Position

• Sustainable 5.8 million seals. Almost triple
  what it was in the 1970s. Managed on
  socio-economic considerations until 70
  population level is reached. Managed with a
  precautionary approach.
• Viable economically viable and not subsidized
  by the Fisheries and Oceans
• Humane Royal Commission on Seals Sealing said
  that the killing is comparable to hunting any
  other wildlife. An independent group of
  veterinarians reported that 98 are killed in an
  acceptably humane manner.

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Europe Takes Action

• European Union banned imports of all seal
  products (exception seal skins obtained by
  Inuit) in 2009
• In 2011, Russia banned imports of seal products
• Russia was the destination for 95 of the seal
  pelts
• These bans essentially wiped out the market for
  seal skins

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Why Does the Killing Continue?

• No longer officially to help the cod population
  recover or reduce a seal population that is too
  large
• But fishing industry promotes seal hunt
• Officially a MARKET-based hunt
• Extra income for fishermen (about 5)
• Now that markets have dried up, NL is funding
  hunt 100
• Newfoundland Politics
• DFO minister usually comes from NL
• Tradition Sealers Pride

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Canadian Seafood Boycott
Strategy to Stop the Slaughter

• Objective Force the Canadian fishing industry
  to stop the killing by making them pay a severe
  financial penalty
• The Canadian seafood industry generates 5
  billion dollars annually for the Canadian economy
• 65-70 of their seafood is exported to the United
  States
• Seal pelts typically generate 1-7 million
  dollars annually however, in 2012, NL taxpayers
  footed the bill
• Over 6,000 businesses and 750,000 individuals
  have pledged to avoid some or all Canadian
  seafood. This includes Legal Sea Foods, Whole
  Foods Markets, Trader Joes and many others

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Main Opposition Groups

• HARPSEALS.ORG (only group focused on harp seal
  slaughter)
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
• Animal Alliance of Canada
• Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

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How YOU Can Help

• Support the Canadian Seafood Boycott
• Start or join a group of activists and organize
  public awareness events. Spread the word.
• Join Harpseals.org Sign up for e-newsletters
  and join us on Facebook
• Organize fundraisers
• Donate (for billboards, radio spots, TV spots,
  etc)
• Write letters to the Canadian Government and
  Darden Corp. (Red Lobster Restaurants). Visit our
  Letters Emails web page

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Take Action - Join Us!
Harpseals.org
Thank You