This has been, without a doubt, a season of contradictions and a season of incidents that has finally lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding the activities of the anti-sealing contingent.
First off the mark was none other than the infamous Paul Watson and his band of eco-terrorists.
Finally, the group was told to abide by the law for once. They refused to do so. Instead they jeopardized the lives of hard working fishermen and those of Coast Guard officials before fleeing Canadian waters and heading to St. Pierre (a territory of France) to seek refuge. I suppose with EU officials considering a ban on seal products the misguided crew of the Farley Mowat assumed a French port would provide safe haven. It was not to be so.
The citizens of the small French outpost, who truly know what’s happening in the North Atlantic, don’t agree with their political leadership in Paris, nor do they agree with the illegal activities of the “Shepherd’s” flock. They proved this point by unceremoniously cutting the moorings of Watson’s pirate vessel, excuse me, "Dutch registered Yacht", casting it adrift.
If I’ve neglected to say thanks to the good folks of St. Pierre before now then I deeply apologize. Thanks for standing up and doing the right thing. Hopefully we can return the favor some time.
With no Port of call anywhere near the seal harvest willing to accept them, Watson’s crew foolishly entered Canadian waters and were arrested by authorities, to the well publicized delight of Federal Fisheries Minister, Loyola Hearn.
Now at this point we need to pause and reflect on the fact that I clearly said “Watson’s crew” rather than Watson himself. This is because the “Good Shepherd”, as he likes to be called, was not actually onboard the vessel even though he is known for often publicizing his writings from the ice floes, whether he’s actually there or not. Instead the “Shepherd” was apparently watching his brain washed followers twisting in the wind from the confines of a luxury hotel suite or his palatial home, provided to him through “creative” bookkeeping and questionable fund raising efforts. You see it’s much drier, safer and warmer there.
The funny part of all this is that the drama taking place on the high seas this season was nothing compared with the bustle of activity onshore. In fact Watson and the antics of his followers pales in comparison to the most telling incident surrounding this year’s harvest.
It all began when the Premiers of Newfoundland & Labrador and Nunavut called on the federal government to ban the use of the “hakapik”, a form of club used by some sealers to club the animals and drag them (or their pelts) to the boats. It’s a tool that is important to the sealers and one that has been proven to be a quick and humane method of taking a seal. I’m sure both leaders will receive backlash for their stand from many sealers, but at least the reasoning behind their request is quite understandable.
You see Anti-sealing activists, animal rights activists, eco-terrorists, or whatever you want to call them, have all used the same technique for decades in their never ending quest to gain sympathy from the public and make wallets fly open around the world. They do this by convincing the public that the hunt is savage and inhumane. They present it as such by promoting videos and pictures of big burly men using clubs to “attack” supposedly defenseless animals. (Have you ever been bitten by a seal? I don't recommend it). These groups never, or very rarely, show anyone hunting seals with a rifle, the manner actually used in well over 90% of the hunt.
These people are users and manipulators.
They are not stupid. They know that showing someone using a rifle to hunt an animal is not very effective as a propaganda tool. You see “normal” people use rifles to hunt deer, elk, moose and many other animals the world over, so it doesn’t stir up the same level of emotion as a good old fashioned bludgeoning at the hands of a “barbarian". Therein lies the contradiction of these groups. A contradiction that has been exposed to the light of day this week.
For years anti-sealing groups have publicized the club, or hakapik, as a symbol of the brutality of the hunt. They have, time and time again, spoken of how inhumane the technique is and how cruel those who use such an instrument must be. Now these very same anti-sealing groups are publicly saying, and I quote, “…removing hakapiks from the hunt will do nothing to improve the welfare of the animals. In fact, it will likely increase the suffering."
Go figure?
The preceding is a direct quote from Rebecca Aldsworth of HSUS, one of the most virulent anti-sealing organizations and one of the best funded. Clearly the suffering she is referring to is her own, when her ability to use the club as a fund raising and propaganda tool is taken away from her.
The public needs to ask itself, “If well over 90% of seals are already hunted by rifle and if, as Aldsworth is NOW saying, rifles are more cruel than clubs, then why have her group and all the others always focused their promotional and fund raising propaganda on the use of the club? Why have they almost always focused on how inhumane clubbing is rather that the cruelty of a gun? I think the answer to that question should be obvious to any thinking person in light of Ms. Aldsworth's recent comments.
Oh what a season.
First Watson, the self-proclaimed “Shepherd” is found napping in his comfortable bed while his followers envision him at sea protecting the world and misguided minions are doing all the dirty work of terrorism or running afoul of the law, and the people of two nations.
Next Federal Fisheries Minister, Loyola Hearn, has a rare shining media moment after tackling the “Shepherd” head on. No doubt his doing so was an effort to protect his failing political career as much as the lives and livelihoods of sealers, but nevertheless it’s good to see some small sign of life in Ottawa. I can’t help feeling that the sealers and everyone else would be better served however if observer permits were never issued to the likes of the Sea Shepherd Society in the first place. I mean what’s wrong with issuing permits to independent scientists, journalists and the like but denying them to group’s with a predefined agenda’s and a vested financial interest?
Even after all of that, it’s the call for a ban on the hakapik that takes the cake for me. I know some sealers have legitimate concerns about a potential ban but while it may make their jobs a little more difficult the overall benefit to the hunt is already becoming clear.
When anti-sealing groups begin to clamor all over each other to say that banning the clubbing of seals is NOT a good thing it should give everyone pause for thought. Are these groups really worried about protecting the welfare of animals or are they actually concerned with protecting their bottom line? Taking away the Hakapik may remove a valuable tool from the sealers but it will also remove an even more valuable one from the protest groups.
After decades of anti-sealing rhetoric, a simple request to ban the hakapik has shown everyone just how manipulating these groups are and how weak the house of cards they've constructed actually is.
For years these groups have been seen in the region as difficult to battle because they pander to the greatest of all human emotions, compassion. What the events of the past few days have clearly shown us is that in reality they are nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. One can only hope that the trickle of truth that is now emerging will someday turn into a flowing river of realization. That those who waste their hard earned dollars and their far more valuable emotional resources on the Watson’s and Aldsworth’s of the world will finally see them for what they truly are. Pathetic money grubbing con-artists.
With all the happenings taking place during this year’s Atlantic seal harvest folks have begun to ask me why I’ve remained virtually silent on the issue this time around. “It’s not like you”, they say, and they’re right.
In my own defence all I can say is that I’ve been having such a good time (barring the tragic incidents that took place) that I made a concious decision to remain a fly on the wall and simply soak it all in.
Until now that is. Things have reached a point where I simply can't hold back any longer.
