Nova Scotia Comes Alive in 2011!

Canadian Tourism and the Seal Hunt

This is a touchy subject around here but it affects a segment of Canada’s tourism industry. Because every since the 1970′s, when Greenpeace began stalking seal hunters on the ice flows off Newfoundland, Canadian tourism operators have nightmares of cute little white-coated pups bearing signs that say, “I’m going to be clubbed.”

First and foremost the seal hunt originated with the aboriginal people and became a Newfoundland staple around 1800, second only to cod fishing. Today, those who are opposed to the seal hunt do so because of the cruelty involved and a “live and let live” philosophy. They also object skinning animals when there are so many “faux fur” products on the market.

Those who agree with the hunt say it is a renewable resource and that fur is a warm and endurable product. Synthetic fur is is a petroleum based product which calls for an “nonrenewable resource” and the process releases toxins into the atmosphere.

To counter the “cute white pup” theory (a little guy who snapped at Heather Mills when she and Sir Paul McCartney crawled in the ice just before they split the sheets) it is to be said that white coats are no longer hunted. There is an age limit to the seal cull. And although that doesn’t take away form the fact that clubbing an animal to death to horrific it does take ammunition away from the anti-seal hunt proponent.

My only view on this is that thousands of Newfoundlanders make their living from the seal hunt, either directly or otherwise. If a small portion of the money spent on helicopters, professional film crews and prime television spots was spent on helping these communities to build up a natural tourism product then the seal hunt would cease to exist. Because sealing is cold, dangerous and hard work for the money. Let the wealth of the animal rights movement (Greenpeace, etc.) help out hard-working, honest humans instead of hiring high-priced ad firms on Madison Avenue.

As for Canada as a tour destination being tainted by the seal hunt I can only offer this: almost every country in the world has its foibles: Japan hunts whales and everything else that swims and almost half the travel destinations these days are countries accused of human rights violations. That’s just a start. But travelers rarely alter their plans because of these items.

What makes me laugh is Belgium leading the to Europe banning seal imports from Greenland (another place that needs employment). A lot of the problems in Africa today (Rawanda, Burundi, etc) can be traced back to Belgium’s position as a cruel colonial master. Belgium shouldn’t throw rocks because it definitely has glass borders.

But the lingering images of men clubbing seal pups is more chilling than prisoners being beaten so the world will always have this to see every spring.

Photo from CBC