Harp seal hunting
Harp seal hunting is a contentious practice primarily associated with the annual spring hunt in the northwest Atlantic, particularly in Canada. This hunt has historically played a significant role in the maritime economy, with the sale of seal oils and pelts being economically beneficial for those involved. The hunting methods, notably the clubbing of young seal pups, have drawn widespread criticism and sparked international protests. Activists, led by figures such as Paul Watson of Greenpeace, have consistently challenged the hunt since the late 1970s, employing various tactics to disrupt the practice and raise awareness about animal welfare issues.
Notably, public outcry against the hunt has led to significant legal and market repercussions, including the European Parliament's ban on the import of Canadian baby harp seal pelts in 1984. While the number of seals killed diminished as a result of these changes, the practice has never entirely ceased. Renewed interest in seal products in the 1990s has led to a resurgence in hunting, prompting ongoing protests and activism aimed at curtailing the practice. The ongoing debate surrounding harp seal hunting highlights the complex intersection of cultural traditions, economic factors, and animal rights considerations.
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Harp seal hunting
Traditional Canadian hunting activity
Animal-rights activists increased their opposition to the Canadian practice of hunting harp seals in the early 1980’s. Their protests and acts of civil disobedience brought international attention to the issue.
In the northwest Atlantic, the Canadian harp seal hunt is an annual spring ritual that has long been a factor in the maritime economy, which benefits from trade in the animals’ valuable oils and pelts. The young pups are usually killed by clubbing. Led by longtime activist Paul Watson, the environmental activist group Greenpeace started to send protesters against this commercial hunt in 1976, and in 1977 Watson garnered media attention by bringing along film star Brigitte Bardot, as well as by getting physically beaten by a group of the sealers as he peacefully tried to stop one of their ships. In 1979, Watson and others sprayed harmless red dye on over one thousand harp seal pups to make their pelts unmarketable. For this offense, the Canadian government imprisoned Watson briefly in 1980 and forbade him from entering eastern Canada, but he defied this parole order and returned to the ice floes off Canada in 1981, this time using blue dye to disrupt the hunt.
The conflict escalated in 1983, as Watson’s boat, Sea Shepherd II, effectively blocked the harbor of St. John’s, Newfoundland, delaying the hunt and sharply lowering that year’s take. This action was followed by pitched battles with the Canadian Coast Guard and sealers off Nova Scotia. Watson and his crew were caught and sent to prison. Media footage of sealers clubbing pup after pup to death garnered widespread sympathy for the protesters around the world, and in 1984 the European parliament banned the import of Canadian baby harp seal pelts. This ban collapsed the market for the pelts and led the Canadian government to ban vessel-based seal hunting, although it still allowed more limited, land-based hunting. In 1984, the Quebec Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of Watson, and the Canadian Supreme Court upheld that ruling in 1985.
Impact
The harp seal hunt abated in the later 1980’s, as the market for seal pelts shrank dramatically, but the practice was never completely abandoned. In later years, the hunt was resumed, as new markets for seal products opened in the 1990’s. As the hunt increased, so too did protests and actions designed to prevent it.
Bibliography
Nadeau, Chantal. Fur Nation. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Watson, Paul. Seal Wars: Twenty-Five Years on the Front Lines with the Harp Seals. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly Books, 2003.