The seal hunt officially opens Wednesday

[Animal 0]

SYDNEY (nouvelle-Écosse)— The seal hunt officially opens Wednesday on the
provincially protected Hay Island off Cape Breton's eastern shore
but no blood is expected to be shed until this weekend.

Captain Robert Courtney told The Chronicle Herald Tuesday his 20-man
crew are getting ready to hit the sea but are being impacted by
winter weather and a northerly gale expected over the next day or
two.

Federal regulations involving the use of guns to kill seals won't be
a factor on the island because provincial regulations don't permit
the use of guns because of the island's sensitive ecology and other
wildlife species. Adult seals who migrate every winter there to bear
their young aren't protected under the same laws.

"The terrain don't allow for too much of that," Mr. Courtney said of
gun-use on the small island located about two kilometers east of
Main-a-Dieu and Louisbourg.

His crew, like last year, will have to use wooden clubs to bash seal
heads before they are cut open and then removed by vessel. Last
year, the provincial Fisheries Department requested the cull to
protect fish stocks around the ecologically sensitive island.
"It's pretty much business as usual," he said of this week's opening
hunt. "We're going to have the animal rights people there and
whatever happens is going to happen. Hopefully we'll be able to go
about our business and go ahead and have a productive harvest."

Mr. Courtney is expecting to be closely monitored again this year by
federal Fisheries as well as the provincial Natural Resources
enforcement officers. Last year, the Cape Breton sealers managed to
hunt only 1,200 of the 2,500 quota allowed.

This year's quota has been cut to 2,200 seals and again inv

olve seals that have shed their pretty white coats and are about
eight weeks old. On average they weigh more than 100 pounds apiece
and take two men to lift.

"The only thing we can wish for is more support from the fishing
industry when conducting our harvest," he added, noting fishermen
are not saying enough to counter the animal rights activists who
portray the hunt as inhumane.

He said the hunt is conducted as permitted by regulations and
although looking brutal is considered by scientists as humane and
effective method to kill.

"There's a few of us who are trying to do a job and we have all
these people against us but all the people who are in support of us
aren't showing their feelings or contacting politicians to let their
feelings known and we need that," Mr. Courtney said.

International and provincial activists confirm they are en route to
witness events. Last year, following the hunt, they held a news
conference depicting the blood bath that turned most of the island's
snow red in days.

Bridget Curran, spokeswoman of the Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing
Coalition, will be among the activists who will return to document
the hunt.

She was there last year when the hunt first opened on the island and
left horrified.

"It was the most horrific event I've ever witnessed," she said
noting moulted pups were killed and sliced open in front of their
mothers.

"We're appalled at the decision to allow another slaughter of grey
seal pups in a protected wilderness area that's held in trust for
the people of Nova Scotia," she said. "Clearly the Environment
minister has ignored science and bowed to sealing industry to allow
this illegal, ecologically irresponsible and inhumanely conducted
slaughter."

She believes the province has again violated its own rules to allow
the hunt in a protected area given seals are regular inhabitants of
the island too.

She said people have to get involved

to stop the annual hunt off Canada permanently by seeking out
information including watching videos available on line from various
anti-sealing groups.

"Seals are notorious for being full of diseases and parasites," she
said, noting the market is drying up. "Seals targeted yield very
little recoverable meat."

Federal Fisheries and Oceans are only allowing three observers to
actually step foot on the island with hunters, and they must stay
away by 10 meters. Mr. Courtney's license permits 20 hunters at a
time.

According to the federal government, an estimate 5.5 million seals
are swimming in Canadian waters. Up to 6,000 Canadians derive their
income from the hunt, most of whom are in Atlantic Canada or Quebec.

In 2006, the landed value of the harp seal hunt was $33 million with
the average price per pelt being $97, according to the federal
government.

"Comparatively, in 2007, the landed value was $12 million, with an
average price per pelt received by sealers of approximately $55,"
its management plan for this year reads. "In 2008, the average price
per pelt decreased further and was approximately $33 received by
sealers."

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