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See the original image at dailymail.co.uk

Shocking pictures; is this the 'humane' seal hunting ??

dailymail.co.uk — Isn't it time something was done about this? This is what the Canadian government means by 'humane' slaughter. Incredible story and pictures from a witness of seal hunting... really cruel and really really sad...

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  • dtele, on 04/22/2008, -17/+19Looks like this
    http://digg.com/pets_animals/Canadian_seal_slaught ...
    • RainDrizzleFog, on 04/22/2008, -11/+26Thanks, another story to go bury for inaccuracy. Do some research, not just believe what a most likely staged photo/video by the humane groups makes you believe.
      • rongallant, on 04/22/2008, -8/+3RainDrizzleFog, with a name like that you HAVE to be from the rock.
        • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -6/+11I'm from Newfoundland, and the story is complete *****.
          • DarKnight90, on 04/22/2008, -3/+13Newfoundlander here too. This story is over exaggerated like most of the crap that comes out of the daily mail.
    • MrSteamTank, on 04/22/2008, -8/+5Killing baby seals is inhumane. I mean look at them! They are so cute!
      • ostracize, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Nobody's killing baby seals.
      • funzo, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1So you want all the cute baby fishes to be killed by those monsters?
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1Not nearly as common or as bad as this:
      http://bayimg.com/oaJJCAAbh
      • fatrandy13, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1"Pork fat rules" - Emeril Lagasse
    • IdevInull, on 04/22/2008, -5/+15How is this news? Looks to me what they are doing is very effective and efficient. How is it so inhumane? Think of what happens when a killer whale gets a hold of them. Now that isn't pretty!
      • thesonofdarwin, on 04/22/2008, -3/+3The manner in which it is carried out is inhumane. It's far from a guaranteed quick and painless death. If it must be done, there is no reason to not do it humanely.
        • iticu, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6What would you call "humanely" killing something? Slitting it's throat? Injecting it with toxins?
    • LunaticFringe, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3So... this is what Dick Cheney's going to be doing after this year.
      • mwrl, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1No Cheney would get blood on the coat. The point is to keep them pure, beat them with a club, skin them, toss away everything else.
    • unearth, on 04/22/2008, -1/+55I ♣ Baby Seals
      • homeagain1, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4At first was like "that's not a heart, dumbass!"

        Then it hit me.
    • jgtg32a, on 04/22/2008, -3/+24I got a great joke.

      A baby seal walked into a club.
      • adamnst, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6A baby seal walks into a bar. The bartender asks, "What will you have?" The seal responds, "Anything but Canadian Club."
    • epmc, on 04/22/2008, -4/+27Buried.

      Seal hunting is a whole industry in Canada. It's how some people make their livelihood. Sadly, that's more important than the suffering of animals, but that's life. The Hakapik (the weapon that they use to kill seals) can kill a seal in one swing if used correctly. It can be much more lethal than a bullet from a rifle. Although it looks vicious, its fairly humane in terms of hunting.

      If the seal wasn't cute, no one would care.
      • smrekar, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3I was with you until your last sentence. Some people will gripe about anything, regardless if it was ugly.
        • LocalDocal, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I think EPMC meant that *most* people will not care if it weren't for the seal being cute. I mean, look at some of the animal-torture articles that have made an appearance on Digg. Puppies, hamsters, cats; hell, even the article constantly specifies *baby* seals knowing that will have more of an emotional effect on people. All of these animals have a reputation for being cute.

          On the other hand, I just did a search (using Google and Digg's search engine) looking for any mention of rattlesnake roundups. I found one result and there were zero diggs. The annual rattlesnake roundup is an event held within the USA and it is an event in which thousands of rattlesnakes are capture, held in shows for entertainment, then systematically slaughtered. The methods in which they are captured and held are not exactly nice either.

          So then, what's the difference between baby seals and rattlesnakes? Well, one is cute and cuddly while the other repulses people. I mean, I'm not saying that absolutely no one cares for the uglier animals in the wild, but there are certainly less of these people than those who cares about the cute ones.
      • Knucklecallus, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1I care about the endangered Galapagos Giant Tortoise, and that thing is not cute.
      • CaptMonkey, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6Exactly. You never see people up in arms when people kill an endangered tarantula species. They're just not nearly as huggable as seal pups.
    • DeFex, on 04/22/2008, -2/+7HEY BRITS! check whats going on in your pork slaughterhouses, and pigs are much smarter than giant ice maggots.
    • motolazrimports, on 04/22/2008, -5/+2THEY ARE LIKE RATS TO US IN CANADA. JUST LIKE AMERICANS TRAP RATS, WE NEED TO GET RID OF THESE HUGE RATS. THEY EAT OUR FISH, WHICH WE DEPEND ON TO LIVE. THESE ARE JUST VERMIN!!!!
    • Magnolit, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Warranty void if seal is broken!
    • Nickdotnet, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1someone's butthurt that their submission of the same thing didn't get dugg faster. Simple. This one had an article.
    • nygrissplz, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1WARRANTY VOID IF SEAL IS BROKEN
  • macwisdom, on 04/22/2008, -52/+15Opens season on seal hunters! Another use for a Barret M85!
    • DrCyclops, on 04/22/2008, -3/+12I want you to go stand in the corner and think about the hypocrisy of what you just said. Unless, by chance, you meant it ironically.
    • jmpeagle, on 04/22/2008, -2/+5yayyy Western arrogance.... I would like to see diggers try to get in the face of a tribesman whose people have been hunting the same way for thousands of years. Nature is cruel, get used to it.
      • diggingaround, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1It's nice to be ignorant... yes they hunted... but for food and clothing - pure survival... not for Vogue.
    • Duryodana, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1well, come on

      they use the Barrett .50 cal to take pot shots at terrorist kayda Iraqis... why be surprised that they want to use them on sealers?

      I mean, sealer ideology IS terrifyingly close to those kayda guys, aren't they?

      heck, wasn't there a peace delegation of seals in the WT Towers on 9-11?

      Kee-rist... maybe it wasn't kayda at all, maybe it was them sealer guys!!!

      ;-)
    • plaing, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2BAN THE COW HUNT!
    • cgrado, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1Now cmon, you know a .50 cal would render the skin useless... you have to use a smaller caliber.
  • dtele, on 04/22/2008, -33/+14..what i mean is no one seemed interested last week. My submit got burried.
    • mareacaspica, on 04/22/2008, -9/+14dude, i'm sorry, but it's not my fault:( i know there are a lot of seal hunting stories here, but this seemed more shocking than others... it's good to spread the word, right?
    • elasticsoul, on 04/22/2008, -5/+10It's hard to understand why some stories 'make it' and other's don't.
      • WiseWeasel, on 04/22/2008, -3/+17The stories that make it are typically submitted by digg sluts... The other submitter is clearly not slutty enough.
    • Nickdotnet, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2want some cheese with that whine?
  • RegularJohn, on 04/22/2008, -52/+14cruel. simply devastating :(
    • inditech, on 04/22/2008, -17/+6And this was buried why? Does no one have a heart here?
      • matador3, on 04/22/2008, -3/+25Because it's not cruel, it's the fastest most humane way to kill them. Its only disturbing to hypocritical pansies who can't handle the facts of life, if you eat meat you have no business judging these people.
        • brownsound00, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1what more cruel is people killing animals for "game"
          at least these fisherman are supporting their families with the money they make. I think the only "inhumane" hunting is if you kill and animal just for the chase, or the hunt. That's just stupid.
      • dweeb79, on 04/22/2008, -3/+16Please......... everyone becomes a bunch of pussies when photos are shown......

        When people go hunting sometimes they don't get the exact shot they need and they end up wounding the animal. Now this animal doesn't die instead it limps off 1/2 a mile or more until the hunter can catchup to it.

        Whats more humane? Walking up to a seal and killing it in 1 hit or shooting a deer and tracking it for a mile while it bleeds out over the ground.

        Hunting is good.

    • dweeb79, on 04/22/2008, -2/+25Sorry one more point.....

      Anyone ever go fishing? The fish doesn't gut itself.
      • CabesMojo, on 04/22/2008, -0/+9Fish aren't cute, get it straight man.
        • itsgotyou, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3*****! Have you seen Nemo? Seriously I'm looking for him.
    • glasnostic, on 04/22/2008, -1/+7you should see what polar bears do to them. all in all, humans generally kill their prey much more humanely than other predators.

      I find our factory farms far crueler than hunting and killing wild animals.

    • Hodor, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3also, how is this much different than blasting a cow between the eyes with a gun? ahh.. yes, seals are cuter.
      • provost, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3the seals arent killed for their meat are they? i dont eat meat, so i am not up to date on the seal thing, but i thought they were just killed for their pelts?
        • glasnostic, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1i think seal meat is widely eaten around there, but i could be wrong. at those levels though you are probably right and their skinless carcasses are probably thrown out.
        • LocalDocal, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0According to the article, they are killed for their pelts, and the hunters will eat the heart (it's tradition). However, the carcass will be thrown in the water (presumably for other animals to eat).

          Seems kind of stupid to me. Surely there are people out there who would be willing to eat seal meat?
  • P5ycHo, on 04/22/2008, -20/+105We DON'T torture seals. Period !!
    • mareacaspica, on 04/22/2008, -6/+38why is "period" followed by "!!" ?
      • WiseWeasel, on 04/22/2008, -1/+28To really emphasize the period.
        • davidamerland, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1Is that not akin to torturing the period?
        • rrbest, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2Question. When someone begins a question by stating "Question" should the statement be followed by a question mark?
        • superPipo, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1yes
      • KrystollMeth, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Because following it with ".." would be twice as redundant.
    • 1807, on 04/22/2008, -19/+2My writing teachers always said that an exclamation point is a sign of stupidity.
      • apophenic, on 04/22/2008, -0/+20Your writing teacher is an idiot!
      • BevansDesign, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Two exclamation points is stupid. 4 or more is stupid. One or three are ok.
      • Mercedes383, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1I always find that the more exclamation marks on the back of a DVD cover the more stupid to normally is.
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1http://bayimg.com/oaJJCAAbh
    • Cam_86, on 04/22/2008, -3/+27Yeah, because things that were not killed in an aesthetically pleasing way must CLEARLY be evil.
      The anti-seal hunting people are the most illogical, emotion driven protesters in the world. They picked a simple issue that NEEDS to be done and is currently done in the safest most efficient way, and got on the wrong side.
      If the hunt was called off, do you know what would happen to the fish stocks in the arctic ocean? The hunt is just as much(if not more so) about population control then actual resource gathering.
      • rockandrollmark, on 04/22/2008, -0/+10Paul Watson himself said that the reason animal rights groups target the seal hunt is because it makes money. People are more likely to get emotional over the image of a baby seal than a less attractive animal.

        The blood on the ice is another image. I don't think think there would be half as much fuss if they were killed on land. It's like wine on a wedding dress, it's hard to miss.
      • Jhiaxuz, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4I agree. I hate anti-sealers and the way they spin it to look like a holocaust.This is not the first time mesaures have been taken to balance out future resources of fish in the northern regions.

        Its OK to kill an animal, regardless of the amount, depending on how ugly it is. It reminds me of humans, really. The ones blessed with looks will always get a better treatment then those who look normal. How we transcend our beliefs to those of animals is fascinating.
      • KrystollMeth, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5...Three intelligent comments in a row...*head explodes*
    • 533n, on 04/22/2008, -7/+35I find it funny how so many Americans will attack Canada for torturing seals, but no one does anything about their own president torturing humans
      • schlef, on 04/22/2008, -8/+1...

        Really? No one does anything huh? What do you want us to do? DEMOCRACY, look it up some time. According to you, I would think the public opinion of Bush is somewhere in the 75% range.

        And for the record, I don't really care how you guys hunt seals.
        • 533n, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Exactly, democracy. If 70% of the people oppose Bush, how is him being in power democratic?
          • schlef, on 04/23/2008, -1/+0Because he was elected? Do you not understand the democratic process?
        • johnmatias, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4Because the American people are too afraid of their government to speak out.

          *Technically*... if a person speaks out against Bush and says the man is evil and what not, this could be considered an act of Terrorism under the Patriot Act.

          Of course, it'll probably never happen... but the fear that is could really scares most Americans. And that fear makes us Americans like Dear in the Headlights. Unable to do anything until it's far too late.

          Sad, isn't it?
          • schlef, on 04/23/2008, -0/+0Right, because on this site no one ever talks badly about bush right? And we see people being labeled as terrorists here?
        • ratzlaff, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3you've just explained a tyranny not a democracy
          • schlef, on 04/23/2008, -1/+0Nope, we elect a president every four years. Now if Bush planned to use military force to stay in office longer than his term... yes.
          • 533n, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1When a president is elected for 4 years it doesn't mean he automatically stays in power for the full term. That is part of the reason you have a VP. If your president is committing war crimes, which he has been, then he can and should be removed from office. That is Democracy. That is the law.
      • ploke, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I find it sad
      • KrystollMeth, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1There may be American's on here doing that, but the ".co.uk" in the link sortof indicates it was from a UK news site...
        We don't approve of him. We hate him. We can't wait to see him go. However, no one can do ***** about it. Anything against him or his methods is automatically considered possible terrorist acts. Propaganda gets spread, you're evil for going against the authority, etc.. However, we are talking about seals. Humane is just an ignorant human idea that doesn't exist right along with "morales" and anything else like that. Eh, I'm ranting, I'm done because I'm probably only wasting my breath. I'm American so you probably think I'm already wrong. Maybe I'll just come and spread my wrongness in Canada seeing as I have dual citizenship.
      • superPipo, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2I wish I could digg you up a 100 times.
    • j0c1f3r, on 04/22/2008, -1/+18but cows being killed is humane.....these so called "humane seekers" are only sticking up for the cute and cuddly animals......they are obviously led by some BS prom queen with too much time on thier hands....smarten up people there are WAYYYY more important things we could be focusing on here.....jeeeese
    • Borgcube636, on 04/22/2008, -8/+2I bet those sorry hunters are like, "Oh Hai! I'm on ur Canada, murduring ur seelz!"
  • Googler1, on 04/22/2008, -44/+11thats disgusting, wheres the WWF on this one!
    • ghank, on 04/22/2008, -0/+23pretending to hit eachother in the head with chairs......oh....wait
    • FizixMan, on 04/22/2008, -3/+14Not interested because unlike the celebrities and idiots of the world, they know there's actually nothing inhumane regarding the seal hunt.
    • epmc, on 04/22/2008, -2/+4http://www.panda.org/faq/response.cfm?hdnQuestionI ...
      "WWF is not opposed to the annual harvest of harp seals off the east coast of Canada, provided the hunt takes place within a safe conservation regime. A "sustainable" harvest is one where an overall healthy population is either maintained or allowed to increase over the long run."

      WWF is actually made up of fairly intelligent people who support seal hunting, unlike PETA and other anti-sealing organizations who don't know what they're talking about.
  • mentallyinhell, on 04/22/2008, -13/+140You can't have slaughter without laughter. Seriously, they should be using a less brutal method, but any method is gonna look bad.
    • WiseWeasel, on 04/22/2008, -7/+66Seriously, 'humane killing' is an oxymoron. Maybe they can find a way to make it faster, so the animal doesn't suffer as much, but either way, that seal is toast, and the end result is the same. The other aspect is that the gruesome nature of the job limits the number of people willing to perform it, so it's possible that more efficient and less disturbing killing methods would increase the amount of seals getting killed, since it would be easier to get people to do it.
      • sodade, on 04/22/2008, -6/+4Humane killing is not an oxymoron. Do you think the seal ***** cares that they were killed when they are dead? I do think that the seal would prefer to be painlessly and instantly killed so they don't suffer before they die. Why is our culture so ***** up about death?
        • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -2/+6You're a fool for trying to think like a seal. Get a life.
        • 533n, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Do they even have emotions? And if so what difference does it make when they are dead...
          • LocalDocal, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0Even if you don't agree that they have emotions, surely you would agree that they feel pain? Even if it doesn't matter to the seals after they are dead, I would imagine that they prefer to die painlessly.

            I currently have no position on whether 'humane killing' is an oxymoron or not, but I do believe killing the seals the fastest way is the best way.
      • Hodor, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2actually, most (like 90 something percent) of seals are killed with rifles.
        • phibit, on 04/23/2008, -1/+1That statistic sounds really convincing and well researched.
          • Hodor, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I hope you check your comments but here's a quote:
            METHOD The majority of seals are already shot, not clubbed to death. In 2002, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association issued a "Special Report on Animal Welfare and the Harp Seal Hunt in Atlantic Canada", which concluded that virtually all harp seals are killed "humanely".

            http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0319-07.ht ...
    • ArthurArchnix, on 04/22/2008, -3/+59McDonald's hugs all their meat to death. Apparently the people who do it must really love the cows and sometimes cry when they have to hug a little one. I only eat humanely choked cow.
      • davidamerland, on 04/22/2008, -1/+27They first tenderly massage it to sleep, then the transition from sleep to death is made easier and the little baby cow passes away with a smile on its face. It really is heart-warming.
    • lickmylovepump, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8but that baby seal blubber tastes SO good! i had it last night with a side of baby kitten paws.
    • evodude, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5I don't get why they don't just use a .22. The gun itself costs as little as $100, and the shells cost $10 for 500. Besides, I'm sure they could get some sort of group discount. To my thinking, getting shot in the face is a hell of a lot better than getting bludgeoned in the face.
    • a007proxy, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3"You can't have slaughter without laughter" haha I LOLed.
  • DeskFlyer, on 04/22/2008, -21/+12Why can't they use a gun?
    • WiseWeasel, on 04/22/2008, -9/+27I'd think that would damage the fur. Can't have bullet holes in your fancy new seal-skin hat...
      • sab0tage, on 04/22/2008, -1/+8The article says they get hooked through their stomachs and dragged across the ice... that's a pretty big hole there.
        • WiseWeasel, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1IANASH (seal hunter), but maybe they can control where that hole goes, and it's not a problem for some reason? Guns typically make *two* holes, and there's no control over where they go.
    • RainDrizzleFog, on 04/22/2008, -1/+25Shooting around water is a bad idea, the bullet can ricochet in any direction.
      • bradtothebone, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3True, but unless the shot is at a very shallow angle the bullet will just break apart or disintegrate.
    • rongallant, on 04/22/2008, -1/+17They usually do use guns. But that's not news.
    • senae, on 04/22/2008, -6/+17Probably because a seal is all fat and it'd be impossible to kill in one shot, you'd wound it, it might slip into the water ad then slowly bleed to death before being eaten by sharks or some such.

      Jesus christ people, the seal hunt isn't cruel, but you want it to be, because it'll make you feel better at night.
      • danjwray, on 04/22/2008, -4/+5it isn't cruel to beat a seal to death for its fur? not at all?
        • 808kick, on 04/22/2008, -4/+6that seal would kill you if it had the chance
        • talonstriker, on 04/22/2008, -2/+4@808kick, not because it wants to wear your shiny arse as its hat. Killing animals for food is one thing. Killing it for accessorizing is another.
    • Smalldude76, on 04/22/2008, -5/+8When you shoot a gun on ice both you and the seal will slide. Clubbing them is both fun and effective.
    • eggraid, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2clubbing only stuns the seal (big time). You need it's heart to pump if you want to bleed it... and just like a pig or many animals we eat, youi need to bleed it.
      • dsenman, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3That's wrong - clubbing breaks their skulls. lights out instantly.
    • Hodor, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2Actually, sealers do use rifles most of the time, the anti-sealers use images like this to spark outrage.
  • rnwen2750, on 04/22/2008, -42/+10The only "humane" seal hunting allowed should be giving the seals a semi and teaching them how to reload.
    • Elissar, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Somehow I don't think they'd be all that effective at returning fire...
    • shrtkrimper, on 04/23/2008, -0/+0You know what is crazy- I have always wanted to hunt "poachers," hunters- or what ever they call themselves- like the gamer is getting caught in its own web.
      I totally agree- imagine if a seal could reload and fire back- or better yet- beat the P*** out of the person back.

      Situations like this is when I hope reincarnation and karma is true.

  • shanson13, on 04/22/2008, -88/+355Animals were put here for humans to use as a natural resource. Ever had a steak or a chicken nugget? Did you scream with outrage at the way they are slaughtered? It's not pretty or neat in those slaughter houses, let me assure you! I know, I know...they aren't all cuddly and cute looking like baby seals are.

    I had a huge BBQ this weekend and enjoyed steaks, chicken, sausage, hotdogs and hamburgers...and I didn't lose a wink of sleep over it, in fact it was delicious! My point is, if an animal is going to be killed as a resource, its not going to be nice for the animal now is it? Clubbing, shooting, gaffing, hooking, strangling, netting, death by wood chipper...whatever the method...you still end up with a dead animal...I'm not a fan of the bloody, gory, disgusting methods used in many cases...but come on, its farming! (ok..now bury! lol)
    • DrywallThief, on 04/22/2008, -38/+113"Animals were put here for humans to use as a natural resource."

      I'm not opposed to the idea of killing animals and eating them to live but that statement seemed pretty self-centered toward mankind. We aren't really the center of the universe. No one put them there just for us.
      • wadge22, on 04/22/2008, -16/+60Seals aren't the center of the universe, either. They kill fishes, and never so much as consider whether it's right or wrong.
        • 11familyguy11, on 04/22/2008, -21/+14You missed the point of his post...completely.
        • 2shae, on 04/22/2008, -19/+19Idiot...a seal kills fishes to eat and survive...we kill seals just because we like the way their fur looks on us.
          • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -9/+16Ohh yeah, because its not like they use anything other than the pelt for anything you ***** moron. Lots of people around here eat seal. I personally think it's disgusting, but it's not just for the pelts *****.
          • 533n, on 04/22/2008, -6/+2Ignorant *****
        • senae, on 04/22/2008, -2/+49No, we kill seals because thy are overpopulated, and their only food source in underpopulated, because the government of Canada let a little country called the U.S into our waters to fish.
          See, when that happened they started taking up way too much cod, and our options became A)Kill some seals or B)Let seals eat the cod into extinction and then starve to death.
          You clueless hippies have no clue about the things you protest. The seal hunt is absolutely needed, and then we actually use the seal as much as we can.
        • lysdexic, on 04/22/2008, -1/+6"You clueless hippies have no clue about the things you protest."

          This message brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.
      • 2shae, on 04/22/2008, -16/+7@shanson13
        I wonder if you would think the same way if you were put in a village full of cannibals.
      • leetdood, on 04/22/2008, -4/+26We're allowed to be self-centered. We're at the goddamn top of the food chain.
        • AsianChopsticks, on 04/22/2008, -0/+11***** you!

          -Plankton
        • DharmaTurtle, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1Wow... that sounds almost like a Bush quote.
          "Cause I'm the goddamn president, that's why!"
      • ChromaVita, on 04/22/2008, -3/+10God did. Bible says so.
        • scubaman5000, on 04/22/2008, -7/+4God does not exist.
          The Bible is fiction.
        • shanson13, on 04/23/2008, -1/+2prove it scubaman
          • scubaman5000, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1It can only be proven through a logical deduction of what we know.
            All we know of God comes through the mouths of men called prophets. Throughout time as people have learned more and more about the world they've discovered over and over that what these prophets have taught is not true about the world. In the past questioning what they said led to the death and torture of those who dare suggest that the earth is not the center of the universe, nor is it flat, nor did a catastrophic flood consume the entire earth, nor was every living thing created in 6 days...
            The list goes on and on and will continue to go on and on. Religion's response to such questions is to revise the story of God and to find justification that fits with what we learn about the world. At some point you have to just realize that continually trying to justify the existence of a God is just plain silly.
            Try this as an exercise... convince yourself in your own mind that God does not exist. With everything that happens look at it from that perspective. Study what science says about the universe and the rest of the world. Study social issues. Open your eyes... You'll see quite clearly that God does not exist and that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to indicate otherwise.
      • osko2052, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2Well, pardon me for being on top of the food chain.
      • shrtkrimper, on 04/23/2008, -2/+0I agree - we are may be at the top of the food chain for now, but that does not give us the right to be irresponsible and to be wasteful and .. I think I could go on.
    • 11familyguy11, on 04/22/2008, -39/+43Animals were put here? For us? As a resource? The rest of your comment was in the shadow of that line of ignorance. I can't wait for the people that believe that madness to die off so the rest of us can actually make some progress. Try leaving the dark ages for a little modern science.
      • gettophilosophr, on 04/22/2008, -6/+24*sigh*
        Can we not drag religion (or lack thereof) into this?
        It's called filtering...when I talk to overly religious people, I know everything they say is going to be in light of their religion. Same with overly left wing people, overly right wing people, overly atheistic people, overly just-about-anything people. You know everything they say will be in light of their, well, almost fanboyism, and you filter that out. So the guy is human-centric. Probably is a christian, thinks God created the world and told men to rule it like in the bible. I think his point still stood no matter what you think of that...
        Slaughtering pigs/chickens/ducks/lambs/cows/baby cows/any other animal for food isn't pretty either. So yeah, don't cover the seals in gasoline and light them on fire or something. Kill them in the nicest manner possible. But let's try and avoid the "baby seals are dying = torture and murder" crap.
        • 11familyguy11, on 04/22/2008, -8/+6He was using the idea that animals were placed on the planet as a resource for humans as justification for their slaughter however inhumane and brutal. The fact that we use them for survival was not explicitly stated. I admit that I latched on to the ludicrous idea of them being 'put here', but it's so infuriatingly wrong that is warrants attention.
          • chewbie, on 04/22/2008, -5/+5Shut up and eat your steak, just like your ancestors. it just so happens that meat includes certain proteins that we humans need to have a healthy diet. Live with it or kill yourself. Your choice
          • 11familyguy11, on 04/22/2008, -2/+4@chewbie - You've given us another example of how to completely miss the point of a post. I am not debating our omnivorous diet and the role that other animals play in it. In my previous comment, I am debating his reasoning for the raising and slaughtering of animals. They are not here for us to eat, however, they are here and we've evolved to take advantage of them as a source of nutrition. Asking why they exist is a largely philosophical question whereas I prefer to address the more scientific inquiry that is the 'how' they have come to exist.
        • shanson13, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3You are one of the few that got my point, thank you. My "far right, wacked out, conservative, fundamentalist, backwards" Christian viewpoint aside...I was trying to put the killing of seals into a bit of perspective with the slaughter of "socially acceptable" food animals.
      • AllUrBaseBlong2, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2Are you speaking of the modern science that occasionally uses animals for testing?
      • RevFredSanford, on 04/22/2008, -2/+8"Animals were put here? For us? As a resource?"
        According to the book of Genesis the were :-)
      • cnowacek, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Using animals as a resource (food, clothing, byproducts) is what allowed humans to evolve and achieve what we have achieved today.
    • chedabob, on 04/22/2008, -19/+5There's a huge difference between electrocuting a cow and slitting its throat when it's dead, and bludgeoning a seal to death.
      • jlewicki, on 04/22/2008, -4/+4what's the difference. the result is the same. can a dead person remember pain?
        • davidamerland, on 04/22/2008, -6/+3Which word of 'inhumane slaughter' do you not understand? At the end of the day we try tp impose humane killing conditions because of what it says about us, not the seals. We respect life. We respect animals and we are above the "meanest beast in the jungle" crap.
        • senae, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3Yes, why not change the regulations from one where the seal almost always dies immediately so we can wound them and THEN kill them.
          Where is this "Inhumane slaughter"?
      • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+7I see you know nothing about the seal hunt, then.

        Bludgeon them to death? You've got to be kidding.
      • shadeOfGrey, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4A cow gets shot with a pnuematic piston, very similar to getting hit in the head with a club. Both are tragic deaths, but at least the seal got to live a free life in the wild, unlike the lifetime of torture the cow endured.
    • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -20/+12At least you're not as much of a hypocrite. You bathe in the satisfaction of killing all living things for your pleasure, even if it destroys the earth because of it. I wish more people were as honest and heart-felt as you; us rights activists and vegans would have a lot of pleasure in destroying the false foundry of the ideas you present instead of having to skirt around the issues.
      Oh, and don't worry: we'll continue being a thorn in your side with every single life you destroy.
      • res8qr6m, on 04/22/2008, -4/+15Aren't plants also alive?
      • ORBAT, on 04/22/2008, -5/+14I love animals so I belong to PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals.
        Mm-mmm. Steak.
      • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -3/+8The trees that were cut down to make your home were in sheer agony when they died. The cow in your burger was tortured to death. The sheep were robbed of their fur coats to make your socks.

        Then there's the cows, chickens and pigs, that are shot with hormones so they get bigger before they are devoured.
        • thesonofdarwin, on 04/22/2008, -6/+1You do understand your comment failed with your very first sentence? Take Biology 101. For your second sentence, learn what actually happens in the (US) food industry and take a damn ethics class. Hell, I'm a vegetarian and a member of PETA and even I don't agree that the cows are tortured to death.
          • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3visit a slaughterhouse before you say that, mr. peta.
          • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Actually what I said was very thoughtful.

            In a previous comment someone mentioned cows being killed by electrocution, and then being cut up. I thiought it was strange to kill a cow in such a way, but it was the reason I characterized cow slaughter as "tortured to death".

            Electrocution is a popular method of torture and execution in many countries.
          • Mercedes383, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I've been in slaughter houses to inspect machinery and the methods vary considerably. One way was a pneumatically driven spike into the skull. Another was electrocution and at one place they actually had this guy use what resembled a large icepick driven that he swung and drove into their skull. Most used cattle crushes to hold the cow before they dispatched it.
      • Disregard, on 04/22/2008, -2/+12I'd love to know exactly where these plant-murderers draw the line.

        If you have no problem with eating vegetation, what about algae? Slime moulds? Polyps? Plankton? Insects? There isn't a hard line between 'animal' and 'plant'. You just don't want to eat something with a face.
        • Arcesius, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3I followed a guru for a while that extolled eating only plants in their seed form. Basically, that meant fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, and various veggies. I think the principle behind it was that it was the least violent and disturbs the natural unfoldment of things the least. It's radical, I know, but it seems to makes sense to me.
          Although you do make a great point about there being no "hard line". I think that's a wonderful concept.
      • tomz17, on 04/22/2008, -4/+12For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three...
        • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -5/+3which is funny, because at that rate you're going to run out of land to have those wasteful animals on. It costs many times more to keep the same space of animals up than it does fields of plants.
          No matter how much activism we spread the only thing that will stop people like you is when you eat yourselves to starvation.
        • sodade, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Yes, but the real problem is that there are too many people.
          • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Even if there were less they'd still be killing things unnecessarily.
        • Arcesius, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1That's right. Fatten yourself up there, tubby.
      • sodade, on 04/22/2008, -2/+9Personally, I care about how animals live their lives. I think that factory farming is dehumanizing for us to participate in. I think that animals should be killed humanely, but I have absolutely no ***** problem with killing them (as long as we use their "stuff" for productive purposes). Why do you PETA (or whatever) people care so much about killing animals? You act like some religious whackjob who thinks that people and animals have a soul or something. It is ***** ridiculous and it does serious harm to the goals of having animals treated humanely. Why is our culture so ***** up about death?
        Vegans are counterproductive - if you really cared about how animals were treated, you'd be eating as much free range chicken as you could to support the farmers who are trying to change the paradigm.
        • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -6/+11) you are a piece of ***** for your comments against us
          2) You don't care about how animals live their lives if you support an industry that removes all the qualities of life from a being
          3) it's not that we necessarily believe they have a "soul", we just put them on the same plane of the food pyramid as ourselves. It is pretty ignorant to believe that they are so much lower than us that they deserve to die. It's as if we killed off and ate all the retards in society because that's what they're there for (they can't think to do anything better). Good luck winning that argument.
          Farmers are still killing things when we have other, much better economic ways to sustain ourselves.
        • sodade, on 04/22/2008, -1/+31) For the record, my wife is a vegetarian and some of my friends are vegan. I can have intelligent conversations on this topic with them, but obviously not you. I think that you are being counterproductive to the goal of having animals treated humanely. Not only have you failed to answer that claim, but now you want to say I am a piece of ***** for trying to get to the core issues? WTFever man - you are being more counterproductive and no one will take you seriously now.
          2) I made it clear that I thought that factory farming does harm to us and the animal. There are plenty of farmers these days who do treat their farm animals humanely (we'll get to killing later) and if you think that is something to be encouraged (as I do because it gives people a choice to buy food that doesn't come from factory farming), then you are hurting the cause by not supporting happy farming.
          3) If I create an animal, give it a happy life, I have taken 100% responsibility for that animal and, as such, it is my choice to kill it humanely and eat it. Once the animal is dead, they don't ***** care that they are dead. Just like me.
          Your last sentence again makes killing an animal seem like it is some kind of crime against nature - do you ***** realize that life feeds on life and it is the most natural process there is. The economic and ecological impacts are really more about the fact that there are too many people on the planet. That's not my fault and I refuse to make sacrifices in my health because people feel the need to replicate themselves until the whole world is a sewer planet.
          • earthceltic, on 04/23/2008, -1/+1Yup, animals are objects for you to control. Oh high and mighty, I bow to you!
            Btw, your veg friends and even veg wife are imaginary. No veg in their right mind would be around such an idiot.
            Good luck to ya!
      • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1Also, any time a corporation has a resource they'll exploit it to all end. Even small farmers find ways to increase their output, it is a fact of economics. I will support the ones who are farming, but ***** the meat farmers, all of them. And ***** you.
        • ElderBieler, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Wow earth-hippy! That was impressive and well-thought out.
        • Bluemandrew, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2I hope you choke on tofu so you don't ***** annoy me on the internet anymore...
      • pandorazboxx, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2wow, I had no idea how crazy some vegans were. Whatever man, we have incisors, they're not made for eating plants. Get over yourself PETA.
      • icenineiv, on 04/23/2008, -1/+2I think that both Atheists and Christians can agree on one thing, PETA people are the most annoying thing on the planet.
    • jedmed, on 04/22/2008, -10/+2You make a valid point. However, every issue has at least two sides. Often they are both have equal logical valid.
      Objection: "The measure of the moral greatness of a society can be determined by how they treat their animals." - Gandhi
      Reality. The act itself, stripped of all logic, is the ultimate fact. Stop thinking and look at the act itself with no preconceived notions. What do you actually see?

    • thingnumber2, on 04/22/2008, -3/+9You had me until "lol" .
    • bsmang, on 04/22/2008, -8/+12Had me until "Animals were put here for humans" .. I strongly agree with 11familyguy11... The rest of the comment, no matter how sane or correct, is meaningless when following that bit.
      • Jhiaxuz, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2But it is correct.

        We have evolved to rely on animals to supply us with a lot of our diets. We could all be vegetarians I am sure, but such was not the way since the dawn of time. One way or another, animals were put on earth to serve a purpose for other animals.
        • earthceltic, on 04/23/2008, -1/+2We were technically scavengers. Omnivores to survive. Our mouth is very poorly suited for animal digestion.
          As I believe we evolved to become omnivores, we also evolved to have the choice to not cause pain.
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -1/+8People treat Pigs and Cows just as bad or worse.
      The thing is seals are often cute. And people treat cute animals differently than regular ones.
    • islandlife, on 04/22/2008, -8/+1So we can't treat our food source with some sort of respect? How about if we were the food source and some redneck ***** started clubbing you over the head.
    • liquidpele, on 04/22/2008, -13/+2WTF are you insane? They don't eat the seals *****, stop trying to twist the facts.

      "At least 275,000 baby seals will be killed so that their skins can be made into cheap fur coats, leather shoes and tacky trinkets."

      Not to mention the hunters have to hit them about 5 or 6 times to kill them. Not exactly humane in my opinion.
      ***** off.
    • grifforama, on 04/22/2008, -12/+3Are you retarded ? Baby Seals a resource ? Are you seriously telling me that baby seal pelts are a f**king resource ?
      They are not even used as a food source.
      Thhis is by far the most ridiculous comment I've seen on this issue.
      • crocheoni, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1100% agreed, a resource? do you live in a ***** igloo? and if you do NEED to club a seal for food to survive at a BBQ next weekend i think NOT having a camera crew to take pictures might save you some time explaining why you need seal to survive.
    • mattmy, on 04/22/2008, -3/+2i don't think they are put here as natural resources for us... but we are omnivorous as a species and its is just another form or nourishment as long as there is proper management and no big degradation in population i really don't see anything wrong with this. that one guy could have found a more humane way of killing than with a blunt object though
    • porkdanish, on 04/22/2008, -4/+10Vegetables are what food eats.
    • Braxo, on 04/22/2008, -3/+2http://digg.com/environment/pic_Hideous_Brown_Sewe ...
    • Calcularius, on 04/22/2008, -9/+2Enjoy your heart disease and colon cancer douchebag.
      1 in 5 die from heart disease. It's caused from eating too much meat.
      • johnmatias, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4Well... it's really red meat that causes most problems... that and fried food. White meat and fish are actually very healthy for you and cause few problems long term. Of course, anything in excess is going to be bad for you. Like carrots! Those mother f*ckers turn you ORANGE.
      • ElderBieler, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0You'll die early from baby-batter swallowing, I bet you're the biggest 'meat-eater' on this site.
      • diggrnumber1, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1So are you a vegetarian?
    • chrgrose, on 04/22/2008, -5/+4"animals were put here for humans.... bla bla bla"

      buried.
    • TheUserFactor, on 04/22/2008, -4/+4With as much animal protein as you claim to proudly consume, perhaps a heart attack, colon cancer or something equally painful awaits you. At the very least, you probably don't smell very good. Anyway that's the least of your problems.
      You probably think that ignorance is bliss and out of sight is truly out of mind, but life has a way of eventually dealing with people who close their eyes, ears, minds and hearts to difficult questions. You and your friends might think your straight-shootin' blue collar viewpoint is amusing, but karma can be even funnier. Surely this isn't too hard for you to believe, since you subscribe to a philosophy as absurd as "Animals were put here for humans to use..."
      Best of luck with your sausage-based diet.
      • osko2052, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1I smell pretty bad when I eat raw broccoli too.
      • pradaaddict, on 04/22/2008, -3/+4Animal protein and fatty acids are an essential part of the human diet. your body can't function normally without it, just like vegetables
        • TheBigSquid, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Source please? I've been vegetarian for 12 years now and i haven't died. Actually, I've never been healthier.
        • earthceltic, on 04/23/2008, -2/+2Vegetarians live much longer than average. We don't have to worry about any of the crap that the meat eaters do. My cholesterol, for example, is down to 120 while the normal americans is at 220-240.
          So yah, find something to agree with that comment. In the meantime, I am enjoying a QUITE healthy diet with zero animal proteins and zero animal-sourced fatty acids, and will continue to do so.
      • nomadofthehills, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1Please don't be such an ignorant vegetarian or vegan. Meat does not lead to heart attacks, colon cancer etc. Modern CORN fed meat might, sure. But a grass fed, free ranged cow probably won't.
        • TheBigSquid, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4I'm getting tired of saying 'source please' but here it goes again... SOURCE PLEASE.
          • nomadofthehills, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2You want a source for a "probably"?

            Its called common knowledge. Corn fed meat has a horrible Omega3:6 ratio, which is something wild (venison etc) and grassfed animals DON'T.

            Everything in moderation. Sure, eating tons of just low quality meat might have some consequences, but no one is saying JUST eat meat, vegetables and fruits are just as important. I don't want to get into the whole omnivore thing, but we ARE omnivores.
          • earthceltic, on 04/23/2008, -0/+3Er, hardly. Yah, go ahead and site your source, or you're making up stuff out of your ass. "Common knowledge" varies quite a bit depending on which group you're talking to. I could also say, "we all think meat eaters are all pompous assholes" even though it's obviously not true (just it probably is for most of the people on digg.com)
            Find a doctor or a biologist to refute your claims in the future.
          • nomadofthehills, on 04/23/2008, -0/+2Common knowledge is stuff that can be found in a myriad of sources, from encycolpedias to journal articles.
    • OsiVert, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1True, but some consideration has to be given to what the purpose of the farming is. If they are killing just for a fur resource, then it's wasteful. Sharks aren't cute, but people get offended when fishermen catch them just to cut off their fins and use nothing else. If they are killing because of the need for food or another basic necessity, or to control the population, then it's a different story.
      • shanson13, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1You mean it's a question of ethics? So killing them to eat is ok, but killing them to make coats isn't ok? Really it doesn't matter IMO...I mean if they kill/skin/dump the seal body then other organisms are fed aren't they? What about the parts of a cow that we as humans don't usually eat?
    • diggingaround, on 04/22/2008, -3/+2"Animals were put here for humans"... God hates baby seals :)))
    • jozb, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2But did u know why humans were put here for? We are a resource for other carnivores like lions and bears, but sadly we developed technology (spears, guns, cities) to protect us from them. If it was an equal playing field, you would have been eaten by a bear or lion long time ago.
      • Nickdotnet, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1hahaha.....sadly we developed technology.....haha. So sad...we can't be killed now.
      • jozb, on 04/23/2008, -0/+2I should have elaborated it, it's not sad for us, but for them. And i didn't say we can't be killed by them. but we are protected more, which leads to massive overpopulation from a biological stand point.
        • shanson13, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1If it's so sad for them...why don't you go donate yourself to their cause, I'm sure a nice Bengal tiger would enjoy you coming over for dinner. :) j/k btw
    • alkajazz, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3"Animals were put here for humans to use as a natural resource" Proof?
      • shanson13, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1The historical record is found in the Torah.
    • L4WL3RS34L, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2I don't mind that we kill and eat them, it's just the way that we kill them. We boil pigs alive and rip out horses' backs while they're still alive just to save time and money.
    • mexicanmonkey, on 04/23/2008, -1/+2Some people are good at their job and some aren't. There are good teachers and bad, good bus drivers and bad... The old timer seal clubbers probably are great at clubbing seals without the seal even knowing it got clubbed.
      Besides, humans are a whole lot more considerate to their prey than wolves, lions, sharks, crocodiles... It's the circle of life. People just care about seals because they're cute looking with big cute eyes and chubby cute bodies.
  • leetdood, on 04/22/2008, -26/+85What's the problem with this? Is there some reason that seals shouldn't be clubbed for food?
    • itsthemechanic, on 04/22/2008, -5/+28Well they are cute.
    • chedabob, on 04/22/2008, -11/+21Maybe you didn't read the article properly, but there were people there throwing the skinned bodies back into the water. That's not hunting for food.
      • MASTERPL, on 04/22/2008, -2/+23There are lots of other animals that are killed just for their fur. I highly doubt the marine life won't take advantage of defenseless floating nutrition.
      • leetdood, on 04/22/2008, -1/+11Fur is a resource. We don't need to kill animals for meat either, we could all live off tofu and *****. We don't though, because we're humans and we like wearing fur and eating 20oz steaks.
    • fr3ddie, on 04/22/2008, -2/+24ill have a seal meal, no onions, biggie size my coke, and an order of seal nuggets.
    • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -2/+10You know, people actually do eat seal. Yes some do hunt them just for the belts, but that's the exception, not the rule.
      • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2pelts, sorry.
        • Chalks777, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1what? how did I not see your comment until just now? Sorry for my sarcasm below.
      • Chalks777, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2seals wear belts?
    • mlbwebdesign, on 04/22/2008, -5/+0Another example of how games contribute to the violence in the world. People mistake rubber mallets with metal clubs and there's blood and guts everywhere. Whack a Seal, FTW!!!
  • Kicker01, on 04/22/2008, -14/+160Canadian fishermen have been doing this for a long time, never mind the Inuit population. The life style of the people that fish and hunt seals is greatly different from most people. Hunting for them is still a way to put food on the table and survive. I don't know why people are complaining about it considering that their lifestyle leaves a lot less of an environmental impact then the people who are outraged.

    But to those that think they should at least kill them humanely. Is there really a difference between one deadly blow to the head or one bullet through the head?
    • davidamerland, on 04/22/2008, -14/+3Yes, the way of killing says a lot about us as a species.
      • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8Does it now?

        How about you go to a slaughter house where they kill cows and chickens?

        You think the seal hunt is cruel? You haven't seen anything.
      • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6A pig slaughter house is way way way worse.
        It reinforces the full meaning of slaughter.

        On top of that, I would think herding, and injecting growth hormones into, and breeding large numbers of the animals for the sole purpose of slaughter would be fundamentally worse.
      • talonstriker, on 04/22/2008, -5/+1@bigbadgoat and @macsux, How does that justify this? Just because we kill pigs cruelly doesn't mean that we can kill a seal slightly less cruelly. Do we even need to be cruel?
        • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4tell me a better way to kill a seal and I'll listen.
        • Pikk, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2improves the flavor they tell me...
    • madroneDorf, on 04/22/2008, -0/+12That we lack chlorophyl and must obtain our energy through other organisms?
    • Roger, on 04/22/2008, -8/+5"Is there really a difference between one deadly blow to the head or one bullet through the head?"

      There is you're the one being bludgeoned.
    • liquidpele, on 04/22/2008, -8/+0In the story, they had to hit one of them 5 or 6 times while it whimpered in pain.
      So yes, bullets are better than clubs. But if you couldn't figure that out on your own, you're retarded.
    • leetdood, on 04/22/2008, -1/+8Bullets cost money, dammit.
      • shanson13, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1and they polute the environment with lead!
    • rhesus48, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0I am guessing you are not from Canada. Aside from the Inuit population, very few people eat seals. The hunt is pushed by the government because fishermen are without jobs since they had to stop fishing for cod. The government suggested that cod is in bad shape because seals eat to much of it. This is very unclear.
      The seals are hunted mostly for the skin. The hunters are paid about 80$ a carcass (I got that figure from La Presse, a Canadian newspaper). The hunt is highly subsidized.
      As for the lifestyle of Canadian people, it is not really different from the lifestyle of US people. Beef, pork and chicken are most likely to be on the menu or in any grocery store, not seal meat.
      • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2I am from Canada, I am from Newfoundland.

        Studies have shown that the seal population has a dramatic effect on the cod population. It's their primary food source, and there's an over-population of seals. I've seen the footage.

        Sure, the McSeal isn't exactly on the menu of McDonalds, and very few restaraunts actually serve seal meat on the menu, but it's not as uncommon as you think, especially in atlantic Canada. Seal meat will be available in most any butcher or grocery store around here when it's in season.

        Have you ever been to Atlantic Canada or more specifically Newfoundland? You seem to have the wrong idea about the culture out this way.
  • kotatsu, on 04/22/2008, -19/+219STOP POSTING ARTICLES FROM THE DAILY HAIL. This is not a newspaper, it's a hate filled racist gutter press rag and should not be given any traffic or legitimacy.
    • flukes1, on 04/22/2008, -1/+17FALLING HOUSE PRICES CAUSED BY IMMIGRANTS WITH BIRD FLU, DIANA SHOCKED
      • lickmylovepump, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Experts blame high divorce rates for increase of sexually transmitted diseases among over-50s
    • icono887, on 04/22/2008, -6/+1At least it cares for seals!!
    • johnmatias, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3How about Live Science as a cross reference?
      http://www.livescience.com/imageoftheday/siod_0504 ...
    • bingobongony, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Honestly...regardless of this site's worth...you really need to understnad that using crap like "Daily Hail" takes away all credibility in the eyes of most. It makes you look like a 10 year old. Or worse...like aRon Paulian with their "McInsane" chilidish crap.
      • kfed2, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2So "McInsane" is "childish crap," but somehow "aRon Paulian" is not??
        http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Ahhhh_those_wack ...
        • bingobongony, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Nope. Not at all. That is what you are. RonPaulians call THEMSELVES that. My *****...they want to live in a town called Paulville!
          • kfed2, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I have never heard a single Paul supporter refer to him/herself by that star trek word of yours.
            Do you have a citation for your 3 beliefs: "That is what you are. RonPaulians call THEMSELVES that. My *****...they want to live in a town called Paulville!"
            In the context of your statement, "they" = "All." Please cite the fact that all Paul supporters want to live in a town that probably does not exist (I did not actually check google maps on this one).
  • SeaICIubber, on 04/22/2008, -19/+82More pics for my avatar...
    • michaelpops, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Now isn't this a lucky article for you?
  • DCJoeDogaswell, on 04/22/2008, -13/+79WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF ONLY THE CUDDLY AND CUTE ANIMALS!!!!!!
    • shig, on 04/22/2008, -3/+13They did and they determined the same property that makes them cuddly is the same property they desired in a good jacket.
    • llamagorama, on 04/22/2008, -1/+21YES. Thank you. The Shark finning 'industry' is a million times worse - it's more brutal, less humane (they are caught, their fins are cut off and then they are thrown back into the water to drown/get eaten alive, all for their fins) and infintely more damaging to the enviroment. Yet NO ONE cares about sharks because they're creepy or scary or eat people some times. The hypocrisy makes me sick. At least the entire seal's being used.
      • mattmy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1"or eat people sometimes "

        LOL
      • SeaICIubber, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1"or eat people some times"
        Damn Nature, You scary!
    • mattmy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3***** that i bet they bite!

      biting is not cuddly
    • TheBigSquid, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Wow, what a great stereotype. I am for the well-being of all animals, not just seals.
  • khellendros1984, on 04/22/2008, -3/+22I've been bird hunting (quail specifically). I've seen birds shot out of the sky, that I then snapped the neck of....and then when I was cleaning the carcasses at the end of the day (several hours later), that bird ran away and burrowed....sometimes, it's just hard as hell to tell if the poor things are dead.
    • ArthurArchnix, on 04/22/2008, -2/+15Post some pics so Europe has someone to protest once the hunt is over.
    • Oea420, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1uhm aren't you supposed to suffocate them before you bag?
    • Bluemandrew, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I love watching bird hunting shows, where they try and be reaalllyyy discreet when they break its neck...lol
  • hypermite, on 04/22/2008, -7/+11mmm tasty
  • bizzzay, on 04/22/2008, -7/+76ever seen how we slaughter pigs? i have and i still love bacon!
    • chedabob, on 04/22/2008, -8/+2Yeah, we electrocute them, and they feel nothing.
      • earthceltic, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4hardly. Do your research. www.meat.org , for one
        • Samohtneas, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5Oh wow, it's banned at my campus. The reason? "Tasteless". This isn't a joke.

          just lol
        • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1That video is awesome!!! Arec Bawin does it again.

          Makes me hungry for chickens and turkeys.
        • plundstedt, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Watched the video. Think I'll go eat a a subway sandwich with bacon, chicken and turkey. Yum!
      • betasp, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4The electrocution is just for stunning. They are not dead until the cut.
    • MASTERPL, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8I've seen a private slaughter in person. The butcher missed the heart on the first stab and the pig flipped out. Things got really messy fast.
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Pigs get it way worse:
      http://bayimg.com/oaJJCAAbh
    • johnmatias, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Who doesn't love bacon? Anyone who's seen the flowchart knows of what I speak!
    • TheUserFactor, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Why don't you put that on a t-shirt and wear it?
  • thebadkitty, on 04/22/2008, -4/+13http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?produc ...
  • x2cube, on 04/22/2008, -20/+19this makes me really want to go out and hunt seals

    my state borders canada, anybody know of an opportunity for me to club seals?
    • RainDrizzleFog, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8Too late, the hunt's over this year.
    • graemee, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6BTW Canada is really big, like the border.
    • islandlife, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4We have enough redneck to deal with. Perhaps you would enjoy patrolling the new Mexican fence instead.
      • SeaICIubber, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3You can club Mexicans?
        • Duryodana, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1yeah...

          it's the new fad thing in the States... it's very popular both in society and politically...

          apparently it has proven so popular that the UK is planning on introducing clubbing Polish immigrants (legal and non) and Berlusconi is going to introduce the Nigerian hunt when he gets sworn back into office in Italy...

          while the Polish, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians have been carrying on enormously popular Fag and Dyke Hunt Safaris for several years now, much to local popular acclaim... and I think they have Opus Dei priests at the commencement ceremonies for that one...

          :-D
        • Observer001, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1You can go clubbing with Mexicans. Not quite the same.
    • KraftDinner101, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1It wouldn't matter if your state borders Canada, it will cost basically the same from anywhere in America since you would have to fly to get there.
    • Cideu, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Because seals inhabit every kilometre of Canada. Especially right along the US border.
  • Jovensdesciple, on 04/22/2008, -19/+9***** SEALS... If they were so smart they wouldn't be living in igloos. Sorry if someone else said that.
    • chiefbandit2200, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2but they dont live in igloos...
  • smacksaw, on 04/22/2008, -15/+66Yeah...***** the animal rights activists on this one. If they want to stop the seal hunt, take the money donated to animal rights/anti-sealing groups and just pay these assholes to quit killing seals.

    These people live in the middle of nowhere, are dirt poor and make ***** for money. Yet millions of dollars is wasted criticising these people and making this into a huge production, yet they could all be bribed to quit for a fraction of that. So why don't the animal-rights groups do this? Because like any organisation this is a hotbutton issue that gets donations flowing all-around. They're just as bad as the sealers because they're full of ***** as well.

    Simple ***** solution here folks. Have animal rights causes donate money directly to the sealers and pay them to be gov't-endorsed anti-sealers and have them protect the seals and make arrests on people who do kill them. Problem solved. But it will never happen because animal-rights groups know this is good for their business and perpetuating their existence, power and survival.

    Seals die so that animal rights causes can live. I legitimately give two ***** about the people and the seals, but the animal rights organisations deserve just as much if not MORE scorn than the sealers or the gov't of Canada.
    • 2shae, on 04/22/2008, -15/+4"These people live in the middle of nowhere, are dirt poor and make ***** for money."
      Then why are they living there?
      • ceredron, on 04/22/2008, -2/+8because, 2shae, sometimes you get stuck living somewhere you don't like, but have to stay for reasons like money or family. Don't be so idealistic... not everyone can move away from a ***** like you apparently can.
      • smacksaw, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4Well, if things keep going like they are in Canada they won't be living there much longer. Small towns and rural areas are dying and cities are growing. The problem is that we view them with the lens of city life and judge them with our morals. The answer is NOT that they should have to leave where they live because of opportunity changing or people judging them. They make the same living they have always made doing what they do, it's only now that people are starting to criticise them (right or wrong).
      • move17along, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2Yeah, damn them for not being as well-off as us!
    • Joeytg, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Thats a damn good idea. Give the sealers the money.
    • danjwray, on 04/22/2008, -13/+7and while we're at it, why don't we give paedophiles the money donated to kids' charities in return for not molesting anyone? retard.
      • mxmj, on 04/22/2008, -1/+8Because they molest kids to feed their families? I don't follow your logic..
        • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2LOL... owned.
        • danjwray, on 04/22/2008, -6/+2no, because we shouldn't be paying people not to do things they shouldn't be doing anyway.
          • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3why shouldn't they be doing it again?
      • talonstriker, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2While danjwray analogy is faulty, as mxmj pointed out, his point remains.... Isn't this what the US does when it comes to foreign policy, how has it worked out for us?
      • robocop1, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Thats would actually make me stop.
    • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+27I'm from Newfoundland. My decendants are fisherman.My father decided a fisherman's life wasn't for him and became and engineer, and I've done the same, but that's neither here nor there. People of European descent been living in this province for over 500 years. It isn't the middle of no where, in fact it's great location. If you ever did visit St. John's, you'd be closer to Ireland than you would be to New York. St. John's, as well as many other towns in the province have a great history and has enjoy international acclaim. St. John's was used to send the first trans-atlantic wireless signal, and Gander, my home town, was used as the primary military airport for trans-atlantic flights. The airport in Gander is so big it can land the Space Shuttle and regularly landed the Concorde when it flew. During 9/11 I was still in high school. When all of those international flights were re-routed, they sent them to Gander. My school went from classrooms to a makeshift hotel for 3000 people. Instead of going to history class, I volunteered to serve food in the cafeteria. The people of our province have a very good international reputation for being good, hardworking, intelligent, friendly people, and we are very proud of where we are from..

      St. John's is the oldest city in North America, we have a culture so unique you honestly have to come here to experience it, and many do. The place is a huge tourist spot and who can blame them? Ever been within 5 feet of a humpback whale? Ever reach out and touch an iceberg? Its actually quite a beautiful and scenic province that thousands of people have fallen in love with.

      Also, not all of us are poor, in fact, many fisherman take home 6-figure salaries and only work 3-4 months of the year. Our economy has been in a transition for quite some time. When a huge portion of the economy depends on aquaculture and for a number of reasons, it completely collapses, many people do lose their jobs, many people were out of work, and many of them were aunts and uncles and cousins. But that was 16 years ago, and times have changed. Things are turning around. For one, The IT industry in St. John's is booming, especially in marine simulation and navigation technologies. I personally design multi-million dollar ship bridge simulators, and do quite well for myself, and I'm not yet done a bachelor's degree in computer engineering.

      So, how about the next time you're make some ignorant, snide remarks like you just did, do some research and actually learn a a thing or two about the people you're about to criticize. Thanks.
      • Dragonboarder94, on 04/22/2008, -0/+10bravo
      • DarKnight90, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3I work in IT and make mint and I'm not even out of college yet. Where do you work bigbadgoat? I think you might be in the same building as me.
      • SuminderJi, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Its the view around the world, we live in Igloos.

        I really want to visit Newfoundland, the green rolling hills inches away from crisp water. You lucky man you.

        Good on you for doing well for yourself, and for being in I.T.
      • mxmj, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1Well, congratulations on being appointed to represent Sealers as well as landing that job sitting in front of a computer.
        I don't think his comment was trashing Newfoundland, he didn't mention it once. He wrote about the stupidity and bureaucracy of animal rights organizations.
        Thanks for the history lesson though, Newfoundland sounds nice; although I hope not all Newfoundlanders are as pissy as you.
        • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3"These people live in the middle of nowhere, are dirt poor and make ***** for money."

          I was insulted by that, and decided to set the record straight.

          I don't represent sealers. I don't even know someone whose went seal hunting. in fact, I didn't mention seal hunting once in what I had to say.
      • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2I want to add that Newfoundlanders are by far the nicest people in Canada. They also have the best work-ethic I've seen anywhere. Good on you bigbadgoat !!!
      • sek52, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2.....Damn Newfies.
      • Bluemandrew, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Thanks, now I hate my job just a little bit more....
    • Roger, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1Sure those people are poor and protesters waste money, blah, blah blah...

      But where's your compassion man?
      • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Compassion? Where the ***** is your compassion for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis that were killed by carpet bombing? How about that died from white-phosphorous grenades? WTF is your compassion when the US government, along with several others still purchase and use landmines? You're priorities are pretty ***** up bro if reading about sealing brings your moral compass back into alignment with your sandy vagina.
        • jessethouin, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2Sandy vagina. My day is complete with the acquisition of that beautiful insult.
        • Roger, on 04/23/2008, -1/+1Uh... why do you think feeling compassionate about animals excludes feeling compassionate about Iraqis?
    • ohplease, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6In Canada we cull the seals to prevent overpopulation. Your answer of "not killing them" doesn't resolve that.

      • Pikk, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1you need to cull the seals b/c the whales aren't around to do the job anymore?
        • frsrblch, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Clubbed in the head or devoured by a whale... oh, the humanity!
  • dilbert, on 04/22/2008, -4/+59As seen before on Digg: A seal walks into a club....
    We only seem to care about animals when they're cuddly.
    • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Imagine if seals looked like a crocodile? A room full of bleeding-heart seal lovers would be so silent you could hear a lung collapse.
      • lickmylovepump, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Imagine if crocodiles looked like seals?
        • bstew22, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1"omg look at the cute little OMG MY FACE "
    • johnmatias, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I think... the club might have walked into the seal on this one...
  • kevinsand, on 04/22/2008, -7/+40Go take a shower hippie have you ever seen how many seals there are I am sure that this shouldn't concern you in any way cause they are over populated much like us humans!

    "and i still love bacon!"
    • davidamerland, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4I don't think you should be encouraging people to be so liberal with the planet's dwindling resources of water!
      • oderdigg, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1dwindling resources of water? seriously? Last I checked, the earth was more water than land.
  • eadnams, on 04/22/2008, -2/+37Seal hunt predates Western civilization in north america, its part of population control. Seals don't get hunted, the Cod stock drops even further.
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2People don't care about Cod, or Pigs, Chickens, or Cows because seals are often cute.
      Cute animals get special treatment.

      It's been going on so long, since the last Ice Age, that it's part of the food chain, people don't care that stopping it could kill far more animals.
    • talonstriker, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1wtf? Population control? I'm all for helping preserve balance in the ecosystem but these seals are killed so that they could be made into hats and coats.
      • Oea420, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3What the posters are trying to say, which your dorito munching hippy ass is not understanding...

        People have been killing seals up there for so long that it has become part of the natural ecosystems, humans are now the predators keeping seal population in check. If you remove this check, seal population explodes decimating other stable marine life populations, etc etc etc down the chain.

        PUT THE DORITOS DOWN
      • sparrow, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Seals are not killed for hats and coats specifically. In fact, the seal harvest is probably one of the least wasteful of any cull. The genitals are sold as a delicacy, the oils are used for remedies and medications, the flippers and meat are sold as food, and yes, the pelts are used as clothing. Compare this to moose hunting where only the meat is used, and maybe the antlers as a trophy.
        • Pikk, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1MMM, where can I get me some seal *****?
  • bonavistask8er, on 04/22/2008, -1/+102I'm a newfoundlander, no one kills baby seals - it's not allowed anymore. All the news and animal rights people like to show the baby seals, but they haven't been legal to kill for years. Secondly, no hunt or slaughtering of animals is 'humane' - people need to get a reality check (i'm sure cows are treated with the utmost respect when they're slammed with a hammer or their throat is cut). Also, any blood is going to show up on ice like crazy, so it looks worse than if you were killing a dear in the grass (for example). Also, as my wife always says (someone who has done research on this), the Gaff (the stick with the metal bit at the end) is often found to be more humane at killing seals then shooting (since a shot may be taken from a boat and if not hit properly, the seal would lie there for a while suffering). And as people have mentioned, this is a tradtion that has been going on for years. People need this for their livelyhood - and it's a part of our heritage. If the baby seals were not cute and cuddly then no one would be paying attention... i wonder how much $$ the wildlife federations and other organizations have made off of seals... silly.
    • RainDrizzleFog, on 04/22/2008, -0/+13*Applause*

      Also a NLer, thank you.
      • betamike, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8I know. Also a NLer. It is insane how much publicity the activists try to get from this. A couple of years ago Paul McCartney and Heather Mills flew over here and had a little photo-shoot with a baby seal on the ice. The kind with white fur. Its illegal to get close to the white pups to insure that the seal hunt is sustainable. No one is allowed to kill the white pups. They are just good for publicity stunts.
        • DarKnight90, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5If you touch a white pup your scent carries over onto it, the mother then kills the pup because she doesn't think it's hers. Heather Mills touched a white pup thus killing it. These people no nothing.
        • sparrow, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3I remember seeing Paul and Heather on Larry King debating Danny Williams, the premier of NL, on this issue. They were in PEI, and kept telling the premier they were there to see him. Being a gentleman, Danny Williams pointed out that they were, in fact, in an entirely different province.
        • teesix, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I remember laughing my ass off when I watched that. Danny Williams won that argument hands down.
      • JParsons4, on 04/22/2008, -0/+7me too, high five
      • tapeworm77, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5I could tell by your name.. lol.
        Also an NLer here.
      • ryancxx, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3I didn't realize there were so many!
      • sparrow, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Corner Brook here. NL FTW!
    • Joeytg, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Welcome Newfie!! Stationed in Argentia for 4 years but never got to club a seal :). Jigged some cod once though and that was something. Love to come back one day because we loved the place and the people.
    • qatsiqatsi, on 04/22/2008, -7/+0''And as people have mentioned, this is a tradtion that has been going on for years. People need this for their livelyhood - and it's a part of our heritage''

      The seal hunt is ridiculously government subsidized. At most, it's a make-work project. It's not a sustainable industry; it's to give seasonal workers something to do part of the year.

      As for trying to justify something because it's ''tradition''... Slavery was traditional in the US south; does this, de facto, legitimize it? Just because something's been done and has been deemed socially acceptable doesn't make it right. Mothers with cigarettes dangling from their mouths used to bounce babies on their knees; does that automatically mean that doing so wasn't harmful? Of course not.
      • senae, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5Except that nothing went extinct when you guys stopped using slaves.
        Too bad about the cod though, if only they made good marketing for PETA.
        • islandlife, on 04/22/2008, -3/+0So the rednecks that club seals now have nothing to do with the cause and loss of the cod.
      • bonavistask8er, on 04/22/2008, -1/+8This is a ridiculous argument. We're talking about seals vs. people here. If you value a seal as much as a slave or the lungs of a baby, then there's not much sense in continuing this discussion....
        • islandlife, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0Read in between the lines. It's obvious what gatsiqatsi is trying to relay.
          • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1And it's obvious you're a ***** ignorant bigot, what's your point?
      • bigbadgoat, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3^ ignorant.
      • islandlife, on 04/22/2008, -2/+0Bravo for stating the obvious. Seems that some rednecks just want their cheque and beer.
      • maxpower2911, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2You learn something on digg every day. Today I learned that is acceptable to equate seal hunting with slavery. Thanks qatsigatsi!
    • plaing, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1you tell em, sam
  • farfromsubtl, on 04/22/2008, -3/+33Now lets see some picture from inside a slaughter house. Hypocritical *****.