Canadian seafood

[SwedishMeatball]

I saw a bumpersticker today that said: Save a seal and boycott Canadian seafood. What's up with that??

 

[SharkyGoddess]

http://www.harpseals.org/helpstop/boycott.html WARNING to anyone easily offended. There are some graphic pictures on there.

 

[hydster]

In Spring of 2006 the Canadian Government allowed fishermen to club and shoot at least 354,344 seals. 98% of the Harp Seals killed in this hunt were pups under 3 months of age. It's disgusting and despicable! The last time hunters were allowed to shoot and club this many seals was in the 50's and 60's and the Harp Seal population was reduced by 2/3.

The HSUS, called for a boycott of Canadian seafood products the minute the first baby seal was killed on March 29, 2005

It is the connection between commercial fisheries and the seal hunt, and the economics of both industries, which makes a boycott of Canadian seafood products a logical next step in ending the annual hunt. And it is American consumers and businesses that purchase Canadian seafood who have the power to convince the Canadian government and individual fishermen to stop the slaughter of seals.
http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/protect_seals/why_a_boycott_of_canadian_seafood/

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Wow, those links are very enlightening. I've never known anyone personally who has brought this topic up and I can't remember seeing it on the news. I have seen something in a person's sig, but feel bad now that I never clicked on the link. It's disheartening to just find out about this and I wish I'd been educated sooner. Thanks for the sad, but necessary insight.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

The HSUS boycott is quite laughable. Many of the restaurants listed on their boycott had no idea they were considered a part of the boycott and many of them wanted nothing to do with the boycott. There are many restaurant owners who laugh at the HSUS idea that they can do without Canadian seafood. The HSUS website lists City Crab & Seafood Company in New York City as a supporter of the boycott. It's rather peculiar that the restaurant's dinner menu should list Salt Aire and Malpeque oysters from Prince Edward Island, Canada . Pearl's Oyster Bar in New York is also listed as a petition supporter. They proudly list Prince Edward Island mussels on their menu. Eastchester Fish in Scarsdale, NY is also listed -- Malpeque oysters from PEI are on their menu as well as Fanny Bay oysters from British Columbia, Canada and Prince Edward Island mussels. The Shaffer City Oyster Bar & Grill in New York City has no less than 6 different kinds of Canadian shellfish available on their menu. One will notice they are also listed as supporters of the HSUS petition.

Those are 4 different seafood restaurants in the United States chosen at random from the HSUS list of petition supporters -- each one of them is selling Canadian seafood in their restaurants. How many more are in the list?

The HSUS manipulates the American population with cute images of harp seal pups which have not been hunted for 20 years. The HSUS and other animal rights groups regularly trot out celebrities such as Paul McCartney to speak on the issues from the ice floes -- and then they fly them home again. Problem is, the HSUS misleads these celebrities. Paul McCartney told Larry King on CNN that he believed the harp seal population was endangered. He also told the premier of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador that he was speaking from that province -- he was hundreds of kilometres away in Prince Edward Island.

As for the hunt -- it has been proven by independent veterinarians to be a sustainable, humane hunt with humanitarian kill ratios that rival those found in abattoirs. It provides significant economic advantages to an industry already beset by other environmental problems beyond their control. There are millions and millions of seals on the Atlantic coast and the harvest of a small percentage of those seals does not have a significant impact on the seal population.

This issue is hotly debated on this board each spring.

As for me -- I'll gladly support the Canadian seafood industry alongside the hundreds of American restaurants and grocery stores who know that it is impossible to be a serious retailer in seafood without selling Canadian seafood.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

The HSUS boycott is quite laughable. Many of the restaurants listed on their boycott had no idea they were considered a part of the boycott and many of them wanted nothing to do with the boycott.

There are many restaurant owners who laugh at the HSUS idea that they can do without Canadian seafood. The HSUS manipulates the American population with cute images of harp seal pups which have not been hunted for 20 years. The HSUS and other animal rights groups regularly trot out celebrities such as Paul McCartney to speak on the issues from the ice floes -- and then they fly them home again. Problem is, the HSUS misleads these celebrities. Paul McCartney told Larry King on CNN that he believed the harp seal population was endangered. He also told the premier of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador that he was speaking from that province -- he was hundreds of kilometres away in Prince Edward Island.

As for the hunt -- it has been proven by independent veterinarians to be a sustainable, humane hunt with humanitarian kill ratios that rival those found in abattoirs. It provides significant economic advantages to an industry already beset by other environmental problems beyond their control. There are millions and millions of seals on the Atlantic coast and the harvest of a small percentage of those seals does not have a significant impact on the seal population.

This issue is hotly debated on this board each spring.

As for me -- I'll gladly support the Canadian seafood industry alongside the hundreds of American restaurants and grocery stores who know that it is impossible to be a serious retailer in seafood without selling Canadian seafood.

I don't mind a debate, but I'm not looking for a hot one. Can you please define what a humane hunt is??

 

[arminnie]

I'll gladly support the Canadian seafood industry alongside the hundreds of American restaurants and grocery stores who know that it is impossible to be a serious retailer in seafood without selling Canadian seafood.

Are you talking about the northeast part of the U.S.? I get lots of fresh seafood on the Gulf Coast - my preference for oysters.

To me the best seafood is always local.

None of which has anything to do with the sea hunt - I just love Gulf Coast seafood.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

I don't mind a debate, but I'm not looking for a hot one. Can you please define what a humane hunt is??

I don't have the data in front of me at this time -- but I recall the veterinarians determined that about 95% of the seals were killed humanely. (confirmed killed, as I remember -- and conducting physical checks to ensure the death of the animal prior to skinning) This was reported as approximating the level sought in abattoirs.

The HSUS provides different statistics.

As for arminnie -- I'd have to agree. I'm kind of hoping the shrimp and catfish I enjoyed in New Orleans in 2003 was fairly local. However, with today's quick shipping it is quite easy to have Atlantic Canada seafood freshly delivered across the continent and around the world.

 

[nhrenee]

I don't have the data in front of me at this time -- but I recall the veterinarians determined that about 95% of the seals were killed humanely. (confirmed killed, as I remember -- and conducting physical checks to ensure the death of the animal prior to skinning)

So approximately 17,000+ were killed inhumanely?

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I'm still confused about what a humane hunt is. Does it include clubbing??

 

[SharkyGoddess]

I'm still confused about what a humane hunt is. Does it include clubbing??

RoyalCanadian

---Quote (Originally by SwedishMeatball)---
I don't mind a debate, but I'm not looking for a hot one. Can you
please define what a humane hunt is??
---End Quote---
I don't have the data in front of me at this time -- but I recall the
veterinarians determined that about 95% of the seals were killed
humanely. (one hit -- one kill.) This was reported as approximating the level
sought in abattoirs.

The HSUS provides different statistics.

As for arminnie -- I'd have to agree. I'm kind of hoping the shrimp
and catfish I enjoyed in New Orleans in 2003 was fairly local. However,
with today's quick shipping it is quite easy to have Atlantic Canada
seafood freshly delivered across the continent and around the world.

According to this, some consider clubbing and animal to death humane.

 

[3jsmommy]

What is a swedish meatball interested in Canadian seafood for?

 

[RoyalCanadian]

According to this, some consider clubbing and animal to death humane.

The study showed that about 95% of the seals inspected had been killed instantly through the use of the hakapik/club and it was considered no less humane than the stun bolts used in the slaughtering of livestock in abattoirs.

I will be the first to admit that the seal hunt looks anything but humane -- but then, I'm quite certain that a great majority of people would have similar misgivings if they were to watch the processing of livestock into the meat we purchase each day in our grocery stores.