Clubbing Baby Seals
Yet another sign we're moving in reverse these days. A few scattered paragraphs from the front-page story in today's New York Times:

Commercial hunting of baby seals is back and even bigger than when it stirred a global outcry two decades ago.

That trend is making an extraordinary jump this year, when the (Canadian) federal government will allow the killing of up to 350,000 baby harp seals, or more than one in three of all those born, largely for their valuable fur.

Meanwhile, tougher hunting rules, including stiffer regulations to avert skinning the seals alive, have muted the effort to stop the hunt and eased the consciences of Canadians.

Seal products remain banned in the United States, and they find only limited acceptance in most of Western Europe. But new markets have emerged in Russia, Ukraine and Poland, with a fashion trend for sealskin hats and accessories. Fur experts expect the Chinese market to grow, perhaps raising prices higher.

Seal hunting is worth about $30 million annually to the Newfoundland economy, which has been hurt by the collapse of the cod fishery. About 5,000 hunters and 350 workers who process skins rely on the industry. Hundreds more hunting jobs are created in Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Arguing that hunting seals is no worse than "people taking the heads off chickens, butchering cows and butchering pigs," he added, "People are just trying to make a living."

- posted by Amy @ 4/05/2004 11:46:00 AM