Canada must prove it can manage herd responsibly

[Animal 0]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/editorial/story/3914831p-4525912c.html


Canada must prove it can manage herd responsibly

Sun Mar 18 2007

By Donald Barry
PROTEST groups have again made Europe the focus of their efforts to
block the seal hunt in Canada.

Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands are moving to close their
markets to seal products, which could put them at odds with trade
obligations.

Last September, more than 400 members of the European Parliament
signed a non-binding declaration calling on the EU to prohibit all
trade in seal items. The EU's Commission has replied that such a ban
is not needed for conservation reasons, but that it will study the
humaneness of the hunt and propose legislation if warranted. Britain
and Germany say they will press the EU to adopt a prohibition.

The Canadian government's response is low-key, emphasizing the hunt's
sustainability, humaneness and economic importance. It needs to do
more to keep the anti-sealing campaign from gaining momentum.

The issue of humaneness has long been at the heart of the controversy
that pits modern urban publics concerned with preserving nature
against their rural counterparts whose livelihood depends on an
ability to exploit nature's resources.

Urbanites' interest in protecting the environment makes them
vulnerable to images of "baby" whitecoat seal pups of astonishing
beauty being killed for their skins.

Brian Davies, who founded the International Fund for Animal Welfare
(IFAW) in 1969 to lead the anti-sealing campaign, recognized that
people were not against the hunt because it was inhumane or
unsustainable, but because it was repugnant.

He used shocking images of sealers bludgeoning baby seals to build
public support to end commercial sealing and to attract crucial
donations to the campaign. The Canadian government's attempts to
defend the enterprise on scientific and economic grounds were no
match for the anti-sealing campaign's powerful emotional appeal.

Banished from the hunt in 1977, Davies decided to launch an import-
ban campaign in Western Europe, where most seal products were sold.
In 1983, IFAW and its allies persuaded the European Union to prohibit
the import of seal pup skins and products. The ban effectively
terminated the whitecoat seal hunt.

After the IFAW launched a boycott of Canadian fish products in
Britain and the United States, Ottawa brought the seal-pup hunt to a
close in 1987, reducing the hunt to more mature seals.

In the mid-1990s, improved market prospects and a dramatic increase
in the seal population led to a major expansion of the hunt. IFAW
revived its anti-sealing campaign, although with the pup hunt ended,
it was unable to easily exploit images of baby seals.

The Canadian government, however, raised the quota to 975,000 seals
between 2003 and 2005 (an increase of 150,000 over the previous three-
year total). The new quota posed no threat to the abundant seal
population. Nevertheless, it was more than the sustainable yield
level and close enough to one million to give protest groups a new
platform from which they could promote their cause.

Lately, the Humane Society of the United States has taken the lead,
reviving IFAW's earlier fish boycott strategy in the United States.
The humane society's appeal is much the same as IFAW's: graphic
images of baby seals juxtaposed against gory pictures of the sealers
at work and endorsements from celebrities such as former Beatle Paul
McCartney.

The humane society's campaign has not hurt the market for Canadian
fish products in the U.S., and sales of pelts have been strong. But
Canada should not assume the campaign will fail. It should take steps
to ensure it doesn't gain momentum.

First, Ottawa should reduce the quota to pre-2003 levels. This would
reinforce its reputation as a responsible manager of the herds, while
allowing the protesters to claim victory.

Second, Ottawa should increase efforts to ensure the hunt is humane.
It should create an observer group of veterinarians and other experts
to make recommendations on the animal welfare aspects of sealing.

Third, Ottawa should impose stricter conditions on observer permits,
including widening the existing 10-metre buffer zone between sealers
and observers. This would help assure the safety of the hunt and
reduce the likelihood of confrontations between sealers and
protesters that have marred recent sealing seasons.

Fourth, Ottawa should make it clear to the EU that Canada would
contest any ban on the import of seal products in violation of the
EU's trade commitments. The government's willingness to launch a
challenge at the World Trade Organization forced the EU to rescind a
1991 regulation banning fur from wild species caught in leg-hold
traps. This resulted in an agreement that gave fur products continued
access to the European market.

For their part, sealers and their supporters need to show restraint
in their dealings with the protesters. It is not surprising that the
Swedish Green Party member who co-sponsored the European Parliament's
recent written declaration on seal products was part of a group
blockaded by irate residents of Blanc Sablon last spring.

The same applies to politicians. In an interview on CNN's Larry King
Live last year, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams appeared to link
IFAW to FBI terrorist investigations. His comments brought a threat
of legal action from IFAW and helped propel the group back into the
forefront of the protests. It has re-emerged as a key player in
mobilizing Europeans.

The sealing issue will not go away. The protest groups have a huge
investment in the hunt. It is simply a matter of economics. Groups
seeking to overturn established policies need to dramatize issues in
ways that attract public attention and support. They, too, are a
permanent part of the hunt.

Donald Barry is a professor of political science at the University of
Calgary and author of Icy Battleground: Canada, the International
Fund for Animal Welfare, and the Seal Hunt.