Sadly, it seems, this gentle nature also plays a part in the animal's demise as the harp seals have the unfortunate status of ANNUALLY SUFFERING THE LARGEST SLAUGHTER OF ANY MARINE MAMMAL SPECIES ON THE PLANET. Read more about the harp seals and why this slaughter still continues...

Every spring, great numbers of harp seals gather together on the stark ice floes off the Canadian Atlantic coastline of Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec to give birth to their babies.

Commonly referred to as "whitecoats", these famous babies are indescribably astounding in their innocence, individuality, and beauty. Their images have been captured in a thousand ways and distributed around the world to become one of the world's most recognizable and well known symbols of "cuteness" and innocent beauty.

It is ironic and sad to note that all this recognition does nothing to help their plight or future as these babies are the victims of a brutal annual massacre of their species by a politically driven, propaganda spewing government.

Every year, when the time is "right" (as soon as the ice conditions permit and the seal pups start shedding their fuzzy white coats), a small group of caucasian "hunters" find their way to the floes and proceed to club, bludgeon, shoot, and skin, and dismember hundreds of thousands of mostly young harp seals in a brutal manner of which most people can hardly imagine. These seal pups are almost all 3 weeks to 4 months of age when they are killed. About 1/3 of the pups born in a given year are killed.

As many as 42% of the animals are skinned alive.

Although much less common since the advent of Viagra, some adult males are also killed and dismembered for their penis bone alone. ("Illegal" by the ridiculously unenforced set of "government standards and rules overseeing the hunt").

Moreover, independent observers have noted that many "targeted" seals slip away wounded into the ice holes and sea leads to be uncounted, unnoted, and unused in any way, shape, or form.

This annual killing of the innocents is not only unbelievably cruel and brutal but also makes no economic sense.
See an economic examination to learn how and why the seal hunt is a yearly financial loser for the economy of Canada.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MEAT:
Only small amounts of the seal's meat is processed and utilized in any manner. (DFO regulations state that "either the pelt OR the meat must be used for each animal.") It is rarely eaten by non indigenous peoples for food due to its relatively heavy fatty and oily composition. Small amounts are used for the pet food trade or fur farms, while the rest is simply left to rot on the ice.

IT'S NOT ABOUT "SUBSISTENCE":
Few natives or indigenous peoples are involved in killing the seals in the commercial "hunt."Learn more.

AND IT'S NOT ABOUT SEAL OIL PRODUCTS:
Buyers from around the world continue to shun many seal oil products produced by pro-hunt businesses. This makes perfect sense as many of these oil products are produced for the vanity and health markets and it seems most consumers can't get excited about using a face cream or "healthy" skin supplement made from horrifically murdered baby seals.

Though the industry tries to hide the fact that their omega-3 oil supplements come from young seals by calling them "marine oils," many consumers are savvy enough to read the fine print and purchase flax seed or hemp seed oil instead.

SO WHY DOES THE HUNT CONTINUE?
Although the complete answer as to why the massacre still continues year after year without the support of the Canadian public is complex, the main reasons are:
1) the continuing (and rising) price for SEAL PELTS (see explanatory paragraph below), and,

2) the government SUBSIDIES that artificially prop up the market value of the seal "hunt" .

3) The way the government rationalizes these subsidies to their people and the rest of the world is through the use of an extensive and continuous (at taxpayers expense) PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN that seeks to blame the seals for the decline of the cod fishery and distracts the public from their failures at managing the oceans in their domain. Although the DFO claims that they no longer spread this false propaganda, and their web site denies that this is the reason for the slaughter, the intense propaganda in the Maritimes over the years has led to the brainwashing of the people in these sealing areas. The DFO has not attempted to "reeducate" these Canadians.


SO WHAT ABOUT THE PELTS?
Although the past has always seen fluctuations in the world demand for seal pelts, today's modern times indicate there is a CURRENT GROWING MARKET for baby and adult Harp and hooded seal pelts in some parts of the world.

Keep in mind: SEAL PELTS ARE OUTLAWED IN THE UNITED STATES and WHITECOAT PELTS ARE ILLEGAL IN EUROPE... (although non-whitecoat seal pelts are still legal)

Although it is a fact that certain individuals and corporations do profit from harp seal pelts, it is also true that the pelt business is NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE as the actual market value of the pelts (when factored in with all the expenses that go along with hunting seals), is not sustainable on its own.

Learn more information and details about the seal pelt industry.