Seal facts for the novice protester

By Donald J. DiCesare*

Dear Editor: The following is an open letter to Sir Paul McCartney, former Beatle.

Dear Paul: Me thinketh thou dost protesteth too loudly, Sir Knight. Me also thinketh thou art un-informed, ill-informed and downright ignorant of many facts. I refer sir, to your recent appearance on "Larry King Live" in which you presented your views on your latest cause, the abolishment of the Eastern Canadian Seal Hunt. (Click here for a transcript of Larry King Live, Mar. 3, 2006.)

While us Newfoundlanders, and Canadians in general, are rather docile, and of a generous and compromising nature, you may have unwittingly unleashed a backlash that may do your cause more harm than good. Simple people like myself have stood by and watched as so called celebrities, many of them over-the-hill has-beens, like that french woman - what's-her-name? Bardot, I think, have allowed themselves to be used by some of these animal rights groups whose function is to raise money and pay themselves handsome salaries rather than protect the animals. Well perhaps it's time for us simple people to stand up and fight the untruths and half truths that are thrown out to the ever-gullible media, hungry for a controversy, any controversy!

Well Paul let's start by throwing out some real facts:

1. By Department of Fisheries and Oceans counts, there are between 5.8 million and 7.2 million seals off Eastern Canada. Lets say 6 million as a low round figure.

2. Seals eat fish and other aquatic species. They seldom go to MacDonald's for a Big Mac.

3. If a 150 lb adult harp seal eats only 5 pounds of fish a day, that's 30 million pounds of fish a day that we can't process through our economy, as food for humans.

4. "Whitecoat" seal pups have not been harvested in Eastern Canada since 1987, yet these are the only images the extremist groups want to show on television, and they use old outdated film to do that.

5. Seal pups, once touched by humans, are usually abandoned, or even killed by their mothers. Do you realize Paul, that you may have inadvertently, because of your lack of information condemned those "babies" to death?- you know, the ones you cuddled and touched for your photo opportunity.

6. Over 1 million pups are born in Eastern Canada every year and their numbers have tripled since the 1980s.

7. The Humane Society of the United States, in it's 2003 filings with the IRS showed revenues of $72.4 million with $100 million in assets. That year its president and CEO took home a salary of $324,000 US.

8. The average sealer's income is in the order of $5,000 to $15,000. The hunt supports over 10,000 families in rural Newfoundland and accounts for 50% of their income.

9. The seal fishery is the third highest landed value next to snow crab and shrimp, at $40 million annually.

10. The so-called seafood boycott that "Lady" Heather kept saying costs us $130 M in exports, is, in fact, a non-event and that figure is completely false. Fishery consultants report there are no significant effects.

11. Four years after the harvesting of whitecoats was stopped, fish stocks had reached a level so low that a moratorium on the cod fishery was put in place. Could there be a connection?

12. The cod stocks (and other species) have not recovered, the moratorium is

still in place, and rural Newfoundlanders depend on the extra income to survive. Whale watching eco-tourism will not sustain 10,000 families.

13. The rape and plunder of our offshore fishing stocks primarily by European fishers continues unabated with rules and regulations being totally ignored.

14. Clubs are seldom used to kill seals. High powered rifles now account for 90% of the harvest.

15. Quotas and regulations are enforced by the Federal Government of Canada.

16. Quotas for each of the last three years were in the range of 325,000 or less than 5% of the total seal population.

17. Seals are not an endangered species (except monk seals in Europe, that nobody seems to care about because they're not cute and cuddly).

18. There was an American seal hunt off Alaska where they rounded up seals into a huge pen and then shot them from behind a fence. Did the Humane Society of the U.S. tell you that Paul? It is also rumored that the American military uses seals for target practice but there is a veil of secrecy that prevents anyone from going to their seal hunt and confirming this.

19. There are seal hunts in Greenland and Norway. Why don't you go protest there Paul? Probably because it's not allowed, unlike Canada where we are not afraid to show you and others that we conduct the most humane and regulated harvest in the world, and that's been confirmed by many honest animal rights groups and veterinary groups.

20. The Russians still conduct a "whitecoat" hunt. Why aren't you there Paul? Probably because you haven't got the guts!

These are only some of the basic facts that our provincial Premier tried to convey to you in the TV interview. However, I think he may have held back a bit because he seldom likes to go into a battle of wits against an unarmed person, especially if that unarmed person is accompanied by someone who thinks she has all the weapons. Where did you find that woman, Paul? She reminded me of a yapping crackie with an attitude. She not only interrupted our Premier incessantly, but did the same to you. I felt rather embarrassed for you because you were trying so hard to be calm and rational, - rational, but unfortunately, very ill-informed. I hope some of these facts will be of assistance.

Now that you have some facts Paul, let's move on to your geography lesson.

In one of the TV clips on the ice floes you said you were in Newfoundland. By the way, some of the TV footage was at least 20 to 30 years old and does not accurately reflect today's modern and humane seal harvest. During the interview you again insisted you were in the studio in Newfoundland, well Paul, I have some news for you, - you were in Prince Edward Island, another province, a long, long way from Newfoundland. I'll send you a map if you like. Newfoundland is Canada's most easternly Province.

To get to P.E.I. from here by car you would have to drive to the southwest tip of our island, take a six-hour ferry ride to the next province, Nova Scotia, drive another 10 hours through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, (another province) and then cross a 9 kilometre bridge to P.E.I. Do you get the picture? You were nowhere near our fair province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Your abysmal ignorance of Eastern Canada and the seal hunt is surpassed only by your wife's rudeness. I'm sorry Paul! I'm trying very hard not to be nasty, so let's move on to your law lessons. Firstly, Canada has laws regarding interference with a marine mammal. These laws state that you must stay at least half a mile from any seal. You broke the law Paul! You really should have been charged, and hopefully you will. What puts you above Canada's laws? Secondly, Canada has laws prohibiting foreign visitors with criminal records from entering our country. You do remember the 1980 drug bust in Japan don't you? Tell me your secret Paul. How did you ever get into Canada? Did you break another law?

Enough law, let's move on to history.

After James Cook visited what eventually became the Falkland Islands in the late 1700s, guess what happened. A seal hunt was started by both Brits and Yanks and it survived for centuries. In fact, I believe it still goes on, very quietly of course. Why don't you check it out Paul - you might be surprised! Pillaging and plundering have never been strangers to the Empire!

But that's enough lessons for now Paul. If you ever come to Newfoundland we'd be pleased to help you learn more. It's unfortunate you've already refused our invitation to meet here in Newfoundland with our Premier, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Fisheries. You indicated in the interview that you wanted to meet with these people. Why have you now refused the invitation? What are you afraid of? Your refusal says much about your credibility.

In any event and quite seriously, I am saddened by the fact that a Knight of the Realm (and his "Lady"?) have been unwittingly used by the Humane Society of the US to denigrate and insult Eastern Canadians. If, on the other hand, you were to tell me that you wittingly participated in this "dog and pony" show, then I would be saddened even more that you would have committed "media fraud" to advance a cause with false and outdated information. A true chivalrous knight would not do this.

You have made beautiful music during your career Paul.

It has been your life. Stick to what you know.

*Donald J. DiCesare lives in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

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