Kerry fishermen renew call for immediate seal cull

The fishermen are operating on the Dingle Peninsula, a region which has one of the largest grey seal colonies in the country.  Seals are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Wildlife Acts. Conservationists say the Irish colonies of grey seals are of international importance. Dingle fisherman Liam Flannery says that seals are actively following their boats now and that fishing for inshore fishermen like himself is now unviable.  >click to read< 14:00

2 Responses to Kerry fishermen renew call for immediate seal cull

  1. Jim Winter says:

    Seal populations throughout the North Atlantic are exploding – Harp seals in the Northwest Atlantic are now at about 8 million up from about two million in there sixties – but politicians, local, national and International (ie: EU) are owned by the animal rights corporations and the bans they convince the political to put in place mean the problem keeps growing. The article below outlines the reality of the international bans on sealing. ………. While it is focused on Canadian sealing the content applies to any maritime community suffering from an over population of seals and sea lions………. copy to follow in next “leave a reply.

  2. Jim Winter says:

    This is the hard copy of a 6 1/2 minutes video on the EU – USA – ETC seal ban. You can access the video by googling – Canadian sealing a labyrinth of lies ….
    ++++++
    CANADIAN SEALING A LABYRINTH OF LIES

    BANG…………….. One dead seal out of a population of about 7 million 500 thousand.

    For over 60 years Canadian marine mammal scientists have studied the Harp seal herd off the east coast of Canada so we have a very, very good understanding of them.

    From this science the government of Canada sets annual quotas that sealers can kill and yet sustain the health of the heard. During this period we have more than tripled the size of the herd.

    The seals we hunt are fully weened and independent of their dames.

    Harp seals are not now nor have ever been listed by any reputable conservation agency as being either endangered or threatened.

    All Canadian sealers are trained and are licensed by the Government of Canada. About 99% of the seals are killed by a rifle shot to the head causing instant death. We don’t often miss. Think in terms of Annie Oakley.The remaining seals we take are killed instantly by a blow to the head with a regulation club or hakapik.

    We use everything we can of the animal. The meat for food. The pelt for fur and leather. The fat for oils and Omega3. What we cannot use we leave on the ice as food for marine mammals, birds, fish, and crustaceans. The products we produce are natural and sustainable. We work in an eco friendly manner that is environmentally sound. We are so green that Kermit would blush.

    We and the scientists are aware of the potential of global warming to change both our and the seals environment. As responsible hunters we will adapt as required.

    There is only one seal hunt in Canada and that is a commercial hunt based upon earning a living. The people of Nunavut, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador all hunt seals the same way for the same reason. Some of the animal goes to personal use and some is sold to provide income for our families.

    Anti sealing groups constantly make pious, politically correct statements that they are not against Inuit sealing. Inuit organisations – including the Inuit Circumpolar Conference – have rejected this “exemption” as being economically meaningless, paternalistic, and colonialistic.

    The recent World Trade Organisation enquiry found that the “seal ban” was illegal but to protect the “morals” of EU citizens the ban would stand. An interesting decision given that many countries within the EU legally kill seals as do Americans and Russians. They both also ban Canadian seal products. Hypocrisy reigns supreme.

    Bans exist because the multi million dollar American headquartered anti sealing propagandists own politicians in many countries. The bought politicians pass laws denying their citizens their democratic right of choice. One anti sealing corporation has assets of over one hundred million dollars. Little wonder they have pet politicians doing their bidding.

    International markets for seal products exist as they always have. But Canadian sealers are denied access though the actions of hypocritical international politicians in the pockets of the anti sealing corporations. The democratic right of citizens of those countries to use or not use seal products has been stolen.

    Anti sealing propagandists have manipulated media for half a century with their unsubstantiated comments and pseudo facts, aided and abetted by their celebrity friends. They issue “no news” press releases for media regurgitation. They and their celebrity friends organise media stunts and journalists comes running like Pavlov’s dogs to the bell parroting what is said no matter how ridiculous. An uncritical media acts as their PR arm rather than as legitimate journalists who query and question. The entire media circus is a travesty of fiction over fact.

    To paraphrase Winston Churchill: never have so many been deceived by so few for such a nefarious reason.

    Many thousands of rural Canadians are directly and indirectly employed in the sealing industry earning a living for their families. Unlike urbanites few rural people have the luxury of an annual salary. So each little bit of income counts.

    Ending sealing is not the goal of the animal rights corporations it is merely a tactic. Their goal is the elimination of man’s use, any use, of all animals for any reason. If they are successful in their anti sealing campaign who will be the next victim. You?

    Anti sealing propaganda is an insidious thing and unless countered by a critical press and politicians prepared to ask hard questions it will continue as long as it is profitable. Anti sealing is the second greatest propaganda campaign of the last 85 years.

    It is time for politicians and media to remember the immortal lines of Pogo: I have met the enemy and he is us.

    It is time for politicians to climb out of the pockets of these multi million dollar anti sealing corporations and grant their citizens their democratic right to choose for themselves to use or not use seal products.

    It is time for the media to climb out of the pockets of these anti sealing corporations and do what journalists are supposed to do: question, query, investigate and bring some skepticism to the so called facts they are fed.

    Canadian sealers want all citizens of all countries to have their democratic right to choose for themselves and not have that right denied by bought politicians and knee jerk journalism.

    Change bad laws and give the democratic choice to buy or not buy seal products to the people not the politicians.

    History proves that when propaganda triumphs democracy loses.

    BANG…………. Another dead seal out of a population of about 7 million 500 thousand.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.