Tag Archives: calls for a seal cull

Seafood industry urges ‘extreme caution’ on controlling seals to avoid consumer backlash

Canada’s seafood industry is urging Ottawa to use “extreme caution” when considering measures to control the growing seal population, warning they could jeopardize market access and acceptance of Canadian seafood. But according to Conservative fisheries critic Clifford Small, a member of parliament from Newfoundland and Labrador, those concerns are overblown. “It is immensely important that as the government considers potential steps moving forward, its actions do not disrupt either the market access or acceptance of Canadian fish and seafood products, both internationally and domestically,” said Paul Lansbergen, president of the Fisheries Council of Canada. Lansbergen said both the U.S. and the European Union have strict rules regarding the harming of marine mammals during fishing. >click to read< 14:50

The diet of seals – What to make of what winds up in seal stomachs

I wasn’t invited for a free lesson on seal digestion: this was wharf-style politics. The Rideouts are betting on the power of an image and the strength of social media. They believe my camera’s presence can drive home their argument: They say seals play a huge part in slowing the growth of weak crab stocks. They also think its high time the federal government acknowledges it. “Only this week, Labrador got a report back from scientists that their female crab is declining [and] they don’t know why. Well, we know why!” he said. “They are in the stomachs of these seals, and DFO will not let people know that they are in there.” >click to read< 08:20