Seals and the Seal Hunt in the News in 2007
Seal on thin ice (c) HSUS 2007 |
In 2007, the seals had a miserable year - not only due to sealers, but also to global warming and the now unreliable sea ice. Harp seals rely on sturdy, thick ice floes to rear their young, who do not begin to learn to swim until about 2 - 3 weeks of age. In 2007, tens of thousands of seal pups drowned due to the lack of ice.
Protests against the seal hunt received worldwide media attention and included street theater and naked Peta activists. The U.S. Congress also passed a resolution condemning the seal hunt.
Seal pelt prices dropped dramatically from the previous year, when they were remarkably (and unrealistically) high.
The Canadian government stepped up efforts to counter the anti-seal hunt protests and Canadian seafood boycott. These efforts represent subsidies for the seal hunt that must be added to the efforts of the Canadian Coast Guard in breaking ice for sealing boats and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 'managing' the hunt.
Articles can be found at the pages linked below:
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