This dude is part of a traditional Canadian family of seal hunters. Q & A after the jump.
How do you feel about seal hunting & why?
I feel that seal hunting is a way of life for many Newfoundlanders. The seal hunt each year is an essential part of a fishermen's yearly income. I do not view the seal hunt any differently than other animal killings, it is just that this hunt isn't behind closed doors, it's out there for everybody to see. If the hunt was behind closed doors where nobody could see it (ex: chicken slaughter houses) there wouldn't be nearly as big of a fuss from the animal protection groups.
PETA and the others have exaggerated about almost every detail about the hunt. The seal hunt is heavily regulated and very humane.
How do you hunt them? Can you give a detailed description of your average seal hunt? Do you use rifles with scopes? Shotguns?
PETA and the others have exaggerated about almost every detail about the hunt. The seal hunt is heavily regulated and very humane.
How do you hunt them? Can you give a detailed description of your average seal hunt? Do you use rifles with scopes? Shotguns?
The main weapon/method of choice is to shoot the seal with a .222 calibre rifle w/ scope ( http://www.micksguns.com/images/brno%20222.jpg ).
Once the seal is shot, a sealer will have to either jump off the sealing vessel onto the ice, or go in a speed boat to retrieve the seal. This is the most dangerous part for the sealer because they can fall through the ice and into the freezing cold water and drown.
Once the seal is approached, the hunter will need to do a test to see if the seal is dead or not. If it isn't dead, it will either be clubbed to take it out of its misery or shot.
The sealer will then use the gaff/club and hook the carcass and drag it towards the boat and bring it on board.
Once the seal is brought on board, it is usually pelted (skinned) and the pelt is put into a pile of other pelts.
After the hunt, the pelts are taken off the boats and to the processing plant. At the processing plant, the seal pelt is removed of it's fat/blubber for the oil, and then the pelt is dried and ready for refining.
The meat is also taken from the boat and sold to buyers.
Once the seal is shot, a sealer will have to either jump off the sealing vessel onto the ice, or go in a speed boat to retrieve the seal. This is the most dangerous part for the sealer because they can fall through the ice and into the freezing cold water and drown.
Once the seal is approached, the hunter will need to do a test to see if the seal is dead or not. If it isn't dead, it will either be clubbed to take it out of its misery or shot.
The sealer will then use the gaff/club and hook the carcass and drag it towards the boat and bring it on board.
Once the seal is brought on board, it is usually pelted (skinned) and the pelt is put into a pile of other pelts.
After the hunt, the pelts are taken off the boats and to the processing plant. At the processing plant, the seal pelt is removed of it's fat/blubber for the oil, and then the pelt is dried and ready for refining.
The meat is also taken from the boat and sold to buyers.
What is the most effective way to kill one?
If the seal is not dead after being shot, the hunter will inspect it to see if it is still alive, if it is still alive, it will either be shot or clubbed to be put out of it's misery. Every seal hunter has been trained on seeing if a seal is dead or not. The most effective and humane way is to shoot them with a 2.22 ( http://www.micksguns.com/images/brno%20222.jpg ) This is the most common method used.
Followup -- which club works best?
The hakapik works best as in regards to 'clubs'.
How do you tell if it's still alive?
Followup -- which club works best?
The hakapik works best as in regards to 'clubs'.
How do you tell if it's still alive?
I believe the test is called 'the blink test'. You tap the seal on the head and it will blink if it is still alive. I am not a sealer myself, my father is. My uncle is also the president of the sealers association. I need to find the documentary that CBC did, it is an interesting watch and would clarify a lot to some of you.
How many do you kill per year/season?
The quota was 360 000 but not even a quarter of it was filled this year because of the protests and ban of seal products from the European Union.
Is it easy to skin/prepare a seal?
The seal is usually skinned on board of the sealing vessel. The process isn't too complicated. Some people save the seal flippers for meat.
What % of the seal is used in the end? Any cool products made with the skin later?
The seal skin itself is processed for the fur and the oil.
I don't want to be the one to ask but...have you ever clubbed a baby seal to death?
No I have not. We are not allowed to kill baby seals. That law has been in place for many years now.
Is that a law you'd prefer taken away?
The baby seal coat fur is worth more but it is illegal trade (white fur). I personally would like that law to stay in place.
How many do you kill per year/season?
The quota was 360 000 but not even a quarter of it was filled this year because of the protests and ban of seal products from the European Union.
Is it easy to skin/prepare a seal?
The seal is usually skinned on board of the sealing vessel. The process isn't too complicated. Some people save the seal flippers for meat.
What % of the seal is used in the end? Any cool products made with the skin later?
The seal skin itself is processed for the fur and the oil.
I don't want to be the one to ask but...have you ever clubbed a baby seal to death?
No I have not. We are not allowed to kill baby seals. That law has been in place for many years now.
Is that a law you'd prefer taken away?
The baby seal coat fur is worth more but it is illegal trade (white fur). I personally would like that law to stay in place.
How come you've only eaten one flipper if hunting seals is such a big part of you and your family's life?
I've eaten seal flipper on many occasions. It's the fact that the seal pelt itself is worth money which in return puts food on our table. It isn't all about the meat.
I don't agree. The government has put huge resources into hiding as much of the hunt as possible. There are now laws in place preventing people from getting anywhere near the hunting areas. If I remember correctly, it is now illegal to even take pictures of the hunt.
You need to get an observers permit to come within close enough range of sealers to take pictures, but thats because the ice is insanely unstable and observers can put their own lives, or the lives of the sealers at risk.
And there are no political actions behind the issuance of these permits?
It was just traditional Inuit (I think?) culture and I did not see a problem with it. I do think people overreacted. +1 for her though.
what does seal taste like? Got any good seal recipes?
Seal is a very dark meat. Most I've eaten was seal flipper fried in a pan.
Ever had seal-flipper pie? I had a newfie friend who said it was the worst thing she'd ever eaten.
Nope. It does sound quite gross, lol.
Wait. If seal meat is gross, what is the money in? Are there just a lot of people that enjoy disgusting meat?
Seals are primarily harvested for their pelt (fur). Once a seal is removed of pelt, blubber, and meat there is nothing left but carcass/bone and organs, and there is even a use for organs. Seal heart valves are being studied by doctors, it may be possible to repair/replace human heart valves with seal valves.
Did you find it hilarious when Paul McCartney thought he was in Newfoundland but was really in PEI?
Hahaha yeah, that was great. Those celebrities are clueless. cough Pamela Anderson
Do you feel that seal hunting is unfairly attacked just because the seals are cute?
Yes I do and the fact that PETA and those other animal rights organizations spread their propaganda about the issue.
The problem is that PETA and other organizations have spread lies and propaganda about the seal hunt which has impacted us negatively. Every year the huge debate begins about the seal hunt and we are referred to as barbarians, which is totally uncalled for.
Our Premier Danny Williams was also debating with Heather and Paul McCartney on Larry King Live about the seal hunt.
Wouldn't that also have something to do with the habit of skinning them alive, because clubbing them isn't effective in killing them?
I've eaten seal flipper on many occasions. It's the fact that the seal pelt itself is worth money which in return puts food on our table. It isn't all about the meat.
I don't agree. The government has put huge resources into hiding as much of the hunt as possible. There are now laws in place preventing people from getting anywhere near the hunting areas. If I remember correctly, it is now illegal to even take pictures of the hunt.
You need to get an observers permit to come within close enough range of sealers to take pictures, but thats because the ice is insanely unstable and observers can put their own lives, or the lives of the sealers at risk.
And there are no political actions behind the issuance of these permits?
Permits can be denied on the grounds of bad behavior of that individual or the organization they have been affiliated with. Here's footage of the HSUS, who has so called 'morals' on animal suffering, yet film this wounded animal for what must be an eternity of suffering.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yds5Ga029M
The IFAW has been known to do illegal low flyovers over the ice, scaring the seals ahead of the sealers into the water, endangering themselves and sealers, illegally effecting the hunt (they are only observers and not allowed to interact) and in the case of newborn pups who flee into the water, they cannot swim, and drown.
Groups like the sea shepherd keep violating distance regulations, and in one case even rammed a coast guard vessel who was trying to get them to retreat to the legal viewing distance, where they had already pushed ice flows with the movement of their ship and almost caused nearby sealers operating on the ice to fall in, (which is almost certain death).
EDIT: In one case seal hunt observers, who were entering the grounds with their own AR agenda, had paid 2 men to kill a seal inhumanely, and begin skinning the animal alive on camera, to gain effective footage for their campaign.
Seal hunt observers from the IFAW:
1964: Film of a seal being skinned alive is used by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to vilify Canadian sealers, and is screened on CBC television. Following a public outcry and investigation, the man in the film, Gus Poirier of Prince Edward Island, signs an affidavit declaring that he was "employed by a group of photographers ... to skin a large seal for the film. I solemnly swear before witnesses that I was asked to torment the said seal and not to use a [club], but just to use a knife to carry out this operation, where in normal practice a [club] is used to first kill the seals before skinning them." A Federal Standing Committee castigated CBC "for not enquiring into its accuracy before screening," but the damage had been done.
1998 - 2002: In a case filed by the Canadian government against Jason Penney and other Newfoundland sealers for acts of alleged cruelty, the court refuses to admit as evidence a gory videotape produced by IFAW. The footage lasts 23 minutes, and contains no fewer than 77 cuts, suggesting some changes could have been made, says the judge, who also calls the cameraman "a sophisticated con man". (See Court Finds IFAW Video "Evidence" Inadmissible FCUSA press release, Apr. 21, 1999)
The Crown appeals and Penney is subsequently convicted by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, but in 2002 the Court of Appeal overturns the conviction after finding that the trial judge admitted the video as evidence without considering the credibility of the witnesses.
In its ruling, the court writes: "Evidence establishing that the video has not been altered or changed is a precondition to its admission as evidence. Current technology is such that it is not difficult for a competent person to alter visual evidence. In this case, the video was, for a lengthy period, in the possession of a company that edits videos."(3)
The FFAW made the request to ban the observers permits based on the endangerment observers have consistently placed on sealers, considering they are the primary workers union for fishermen who are also employed at sealing, they wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't try to take measures to protect the health, we;fare and lives of the sealers on the job by whatever means necessary.
Do you eat bottled moose?
Ahh no I do not. I do moose hunt though. It's great frozen and used for stir fry.
What do you think of Michaelle Jean eating the seal heart? Do you think people in general overreacted to it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yds5Ga029M
The IFAW has been known to do illegal low flyovers over the ice, scaring the seals ahead of the sealers into the water, endangering themselves and sealers, illegally effecting the hunt (they are only observers and not allowed to interact) and in the case of newborn pups who flee into the water, they cannot swim, and drown.
Groups like the sea shepherd keep violating distance regulations, and in one case even rammed a coast guard vessel who was trying to get them to retreat to the legal viewing distance, where they had already pushed ice flows with the movement of their ship and almost caused nearby sealers operating on the ice to fall in, (which is almost certain death).
EDIT: In one case seal hunt observers, who were entering the grounds with their own AR agenda, had paid 2 men to kill a seal inhumanely, and begin skinning the animal alive on camera, to gain effective footage for their campaign.
Seal hunt observers from the IFAW:
1964: Film of a seal being skinned alive is used by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to vilify Canadian sealers, and is screened on CBC television. Following a public outcry and investigation, the man in the film, Gus Poirier of Prince Edward Island, signs an affidavit declaring that he was "employed by a group of photographers ... to skin a large seal for the film. I solemnly swear before witnesses that I was asked to torment the said seal and not to use a [club], but just to use a knife to carry out this operation, where in normal practice a [club] is used to first kill the seals before skinning them." A Federal Standing Committee castigated CBC "for not enquiring into its accuracy before screening," but the damage had been done.
1998 - 2002: In a case filed by the Canadian government against Jason Penney and other Newfoundland sealers for acts of alleged cruelty, the court refuses to admit as evidence a gory videotape produced by IFAW. The footage lasts 23 minutes, and contains no fewer than 77 cuts, suggesting some changes could have been made, says the judge, who also calls the cameraman "a sophisticated con man". (See Court Finds IFAW Video "Evidence" Inadmissible FCUSA press release, Apr. 21, 1999)
The Crown appeals and Penney is subsequently convicted by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, but in 2002 the Court of Appeal overturns the conviction after finding that the trial judge admitted the video as evidence without considering the credibility of the witnesses.
In its ruling, the court writes: "Evidence establishing that the video has not been altered or changed is a precondition to its admission as evidence. Current technology is such that it is not difficult for a competent person to alter visual evidence. In this case, the video was, for a lengthy period, in the possession of a company that edits videos."(3)
The FFAW made the request to ban the observers permits based on the endangerment observers have consistently placed on sealers, considering they are the primary workers union for fishermen who are also employed at sealing, they wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't try to take measures to protect the health, we;fare and lives of the sealers on the job by whatever means necessary.
Do you eat bottled moose?
Ahh no I do not. I do moose hunt though. It's great frozen and used for stir fry.
What do you think of Michaelle Jean eating the seal heart? Do you think people in general overreacted to it?
what does seal taste like? Got any good seal recipes?
Seal is a very dark meat. Most I've eaten was seal flipper fried in a pan.
Ever had seal-flipper pie? I had a newfie friend who said it was the worst thing she'd ever eaten.
Nope. It does sound quite gross, lol.
Wait. If seal meat is gross, what is the money in? Are there just a lot of people that enjoy disgusting meat?
Seals are primarily harvested for their pelt (fur). Once a seal is removed of pelt, blubber, and meat there is nothing left but carcass/bone and organs, and there is even a use for organs. Seal heart valves are being studied by doctors, it may be possible to repair/replace human heart valves with seal valves.
Did you find it hilarious when Paul McCartney thought he was in Newfoundland but was really in PEI?
Hahaha yeah, that was great. Those celebrities are clueless. cough Pamela Anderson
Do you feel that seal hunting is unfairly attacked just because the seals are cute?
Yes I do and the fact that PETA and those other animal rights organizations spread their propaganda about the issue.
Do you find that people from the Maritime's generally support seal hunting more or less than the rest of the world? Do you find that Canadians as a whole are more or less supportive than the rest of the world?
Our Premier Danny Williams was also debating with Heather and Paul McCartney on Larry King Live about the seal hunt.
Wouldn't that also have something to do with the habit of skinning them alive, because clubbing them isn't effective in killing them?
That's another lie that those animal rights organizations have been spreading.
We do not skins seals alive. It is almost impossible because if you get near those things when they're alive, they will surely take a nice size chunk of flesh out of your arm.
You are misinformed, my friend.
Have you or anyone you know of been injured while hunting seals?
In 1914, 77 seal hunters were killed on the ice when they were stranded by their ship. The whole story is here http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/sealing_disaster.html
In high school we read the book 'Death on the ice' which is about the disaster. It is a part of our heritage.
Is this a family tradition kind of thing, or did you and/or your family come into your field later in life?
My family has been seal hunting for years. The seal hunting is more prominent in rural coastal communities in Newfoundland. Most families were fishing based and the fishermen would hunt seals every year. That way of life has changed a lot since then.
My only concern would be over-killing. You can't "breed more seals" to keep up with demand. How well is this controlled so that the species is stable
We do not skins seals alive. It is almost impossible because if you get near those things when they're alive, they will surely take a nice size chunk of flesh out of your arm.
You are misinformed, my friend.
Have you or anyone you know of been injured while hunting seals?
In 1914, 77 seal hunters were killed on the ice when they were stranded by their ship. The whole story is here http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/sealing_disaster.html
In high school we read the book 'Death on the ice' which is about the disaster. It is a part of our heritage.
Is this a family tradition kind of thing, or did you and/or your family come into your field later in life?
My family has been seal hunting for years. The seal hunting is more prominent in rural coastal communities in Newfoundland. Most families were fishing based and the fishermen would hunt seals every year. That way of life has changed a lot since then.
My only concern would be over-killing. You can't "breed more seals" to keep up with demand. How well is this controlled so that the species is stable
In actual fact, seals are vastly overpopulated and need to be regulated.
A seals regular diet consists of cod, which was almost depleted before the cod moratorium was put into effect. Cod was the main species of fish caught here in Newfoundland but they were over fished and seals didn't help the problem. The amount of seals that are legally allowed to be killed during the hunt are minuscule compared to their population at a whole.
Year after year, the amount of seals (quota) allowed to be harvested has decreased and fewer sealers go out to hunt them because it is getting to the point where there is barely a profit in doing so and the risk isn't worth it.
Are they good to eat?
I enjoyed my meal of seal flipper.
Have the seals ever shown any sign of organized resistance?
A seals regular diet consists of cod, which was almost depleted before the cod moratorium was put into effect. Cod was the main species of fish caught here in Newfoundland but they were over fished and seals didn't help the problem. The amount of seals that are legally allowed to be killed during the hunt are minuscule compared to their population at a whole.
Year after year, the amount of seals (quota) allowed to be harvested has decreased and fewer sealers go out to hunt them because it is getting to the point where there is barely a profit in doing so and the risk isn't worth it.
Are they good to eat?
I enjoyed my meal of seal flipper.
Is it really hunting when the animal can barely waddle over 1 km/h?
They can easily dive into the water and swim at speeds faster than sharks, while staying in under for intervals over 15-20 minutes.
They can easily dive into the water and swim at speeds faster than sharks, while staying in under for intervals over 15-20 minutes.
Does this count? http://www.animalwrongs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ice-floes.jpg
How much do you get per seal? Is it by weight?
How much do you get per seal? Is it by weight?
It is per pelt (seal skin).
What do you do with the rest of the animal?
Once a seal is removed of pelt, blubber, and meat there is nothing left but carcass/bone and organs, and there is even a use for organs. Seal heart valves are being studied by doctors, it may be possible to repair/replace human heart valves with seal valves.
Do you have a tricked out club? Or does any blunt object do?
Standard club/gaff: http://jennifermarohasy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/288px-hakapik.jpg
I was thinking about replacing my car's interior with baby-seal skin. Can you help me out with this?
It is illegal to kill infant seals or trade in their furs/skins, but car seat covers made out of seal fur/hide would be interesting.
I was thinking about replacing my car's interior with baby-seal skin. Can you help me out with this?
It is illegal to kill infant seals or trade in their furs/skins, but car seat covers made out of seal fur/hide would be interesting.
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