Glenn Stewart Coles, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8-924, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9T3
Text Box: By the time you read this, the annual seal hunt will be underway in Canada. Over the next two months, licensed men will kill 325 thousand baby seals with clubs and rifles. The revenue from the sales of fur is expected to be less than $20 million dollars. A small percentage of revenue comes from the remaining blubber that is rendered into oil. Amid protests, the seal hunt has gone on for hundreds of years, with this year’s quota being one of the largest ever. Last week, the Ontario government pledged $670 million for the building of a subway extension in Toronto. While the hunters claim they need the seal revenue to survive, money is not the real issue. Somehow, the Canadian government thinks that this practice is okay. Despite raised awareness around the world, and the negative image being created for Canada, the hunt continues. As I write this, a baby seal is being clubbed and skinned in front of its mother. There is an argument that if the hunt were discontinued, the herd would grow too big. There is concern that hungry seals would affect the supply of fish. There is a belief that nature would not balance itself. Ironically, the warm weather this year has reduced the amount of ice, and many seal pups have drowned prior to the hunt. There are also arguments that the hunt has gone on for centuries, and that the lifestyles of the seal hunters should not be interfered with. We will pay farmers not to grow wheat, but we will not pay the seal hunters not to kill. The compassionate argument involves disgust at the killing of defenseless animals, especially when the need for the resulting products is negligible. The world is also offended by the manner in which the seals are killed. Trade in seal products is banned in the United States and the European Union, which are Canada’s largest trading partners for everything else. The products are primarily sold to China, Russia and Norway. Those who are touched by the death of seals think differently than those who are not. For some, these feelings are based on compassion. The cuteness of a baby seal provides a lot of contrast. Others have recognized that each life form has a soul. When a soul is caused to suffer, the whole world is affected. So why is it okay to kill a chicken, a pig, a cow or a sheep, but not okay to kill a seal? The argument is that we eat the farm animals and require them to survive. Another argument is that these animals have a lower level of consciousness than other animals. A dog can look at you with affection, but a cow stares blankly. What about fish and seafood? Do they have any level of consciousness or self-awareness? Around the world, there are continuous examples of animal cruelty. For many it is a way of life. Animals are raised and slaughtered for their carcasses. Spend your life in a box and then get eaten. Factory farming has become a standard in many parts of the world, and thousands of animals suffer before becoming our dinner. There is one good thing accomplished by the Canadian seal hunt. It provides contrast for the world. When people of conscience hear of the seal hunt, they know that it is wrong. They know that this suffering must stop, and that the soul of each seal must be honored. As this contrast is provided, beliefs are strengthened. Each time someone thinks about the seal hunt, the mass consciousness is sent a message. First, the cruel practice of seal hunting must stop. Ultimately, all animals must be treated with honor and not allowed to suffer needlessly. And finally, one day we will recognize that each human is also a unique soul, and will eliminate human cruelty as well as animal cruelty. © Copyright Glenn Stewart Coles, 2006 First Published March 26, 2006

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Amid protests, the seal hunt has gone on for hundreds of years.