Norway's Killing of Baby Seals



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- Chris DeRose, President - Last Chance for Animals

BABY SEALS TO DIE

Seal Killing Still Under Fire - Still Happening

"It's the new sport for tourists: killing baby seals"

Wildlife and animal rights groups have condemned
Norway's culling holidays

Juliette Jowit and Hildegunn Soldal
Sunday October 03 2004
The Observer

It is the ultimate form of extreme holiday 'fun'. Tourists, bored with
SAS survival weekends, trekking trips in the Antarctic and booking
space flights with Richard Branson, will soon be able to fly to
Norway - and shoot baby seals.

The decision to launch the vacations - which have aroused the fury
of animal rights groups - follows the recent move by the Norwegian
government to expand its annual culling of seals so that amateur
enthusiasts can join in.

The aim is to bring about a dramatic increase in the number of deaths
of seals, which are blamed by fishermen for devastating drops in the
North Sea marine stocks. But the effect has been to outrage
conservation groups.

'Killing a baby seal is about the easiest thing you can do if you're
inclined to be sadistic; you certainly can't say there's any sport
in it - the animal is totally defenceless,' said Paul Watson,
founder and president of the radical Sea Shepherd group.

The expansion of Norway's seal cull comes into force in January,
following intense lobbying by fishermen, who say the country's large
seal population is not only devastating cod and other fish stocks but
is infecting other marine life with parasites.

Companies are already offering holidays to both experienced hunters
and beginners to take ad vantageofthisrelaxationofrules.NorSafari
is advertising on the internet for trips that start at 1,400 kroner -
about £110 - for a day's hunting and one seal. This rises to
8,200 kroner, or £650, for four days and the guarantee of two
seals.

The company's website shows photos of hunters posing with their kill
and offers trips that not only include accommodation and food but help
with cutting up and preserving seal carcasses. Training is available
for beginner s,itadds.

Some packages offer a refund to disappointed hunters who don't kill the
advertised catch. Extra seals shot will cost another 500 kroner, while
another company, Polar Events, advertises: 'We will make sure that
your hunt is one not soon forgotten.'

Professional seal hunters have traditionally used clubs to kill seals,
but Polar Events' boss, Kjetil Kristoffersen, said tourists would be
given rifles to hunt their prey.

'Seals have been hunted in Norway for many years and it's part of the
culture,' said Kristoffersen. 'We want people who are interested in
hunting, not people who just come to shoot the animal... the tradition
up here in Norway [is] we hunt the seal to eat it; it's food.'

Animal rights activists and conservation groups fear that helpless baby
seals will become the prime, easy targets of tourists. They also warn
that seals are in danger of being over-hunted.

Seal hunting has been a tradition in Norway for thousands of years, but
has dwindled recently with only about half the annual 1,200 quota being
killed each year. Despite this, under pressure from fishermen the quota
was raised to more than 2,000 a couple of years ago.

The decision to include tourists in a practice which, until now has
been confined to local experts, is designed to help meet that quota.
Announcing the plan, Norway's Fisheries Minister, Svein Ludvigsen,
said the move would 'restore the balance' between fish and seals
along Norway's coast and claimed that the hunting of seals was no
different from hunting moose. Others liken the practice to hunting
foxes, big game or even fish and birds. 'This could be a big hit,'
added the minister, whose father was a trawler captain.

This optimism is not shared by many others outside Norway, however,
and last week the government appeared to be backing down from its
enthusiastic endorsement of seal-hunting holidays on its shores.
Ministers worry that the move, even if popular with hunters, will
damage the country's image for the majority of tourists.

'This is certainly not an image we are keen to be portrayed with,' said
Eirik Bergesen, an information adviser for the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, although he stressed that 'for ordinary hunting you
can come to Norway and hunt, so what we're doing is actually bringing
the rules for seal hunting in accordance with those other hunting laws
and guidelines'.

The idea of the holidays was also attacked by the International Fund
for Animal Welfare. 'Tourists should be encouraged to enjoy and protect
wild animals in their natural habitat rather than kill them,' said
spokeswoman Gill Sanders.

Some campaigners have disputed the fishermen's claims that there is a
link between seals and the decline in fish stocks. 'That's never been
scientifically proven,' added Maren Esmark, marine conservation officer
for the Norwegian branch of wildlife charity WWF.

Some argue that over-fishing is the cause of devastated fish stocks.
Seals, they point out, have happily coexisted with other marine life
for most of their history.

'Our position is more seals, more fish,' said Watson. 'The biggest
predator of fish like cod is other fish - and seals keep fish like that
in check.'

So far, it is unclear how popular the hunts will prove with visitors,
however. Polar Events has had no overseas bookings yet. But the website
for NorSafari says 'many of the people we have spoken to would like to
come to Norway to go seal hunting. Already there is sufficient interest
for us to invite hunters to an exciting hunt.' And the Norwegian Hunting
and Fishing Association told Jeger (Hunter) magazine there was expected
to be interest abroad, especially from Germany.

Other tasteless trips

Iraq: thrill-seeking travellers visit the war zones

US: trophy-hunters shoot old zoo animals such as lions and elephants,
sometimes when they are chained up

Africa: safari hunters compete to shoot the most big game -
often including endangered species

Britain: tour company offers the chance to sleep rough like
a homeless person

Norway: trippers spend a day whale-watching ...
then tuck into whale steak for supper

Faroe Islands: visitors go out in boats to watch
local whale hunters

USAPE officials further want to see the release of Spalding County Animal Shelter's animals pending a pitbull fighting and cruelty case and a court date set for the convicted felon being held for his involvement. He still walks free after more than three years of delays and postponements. Please assist us in writing letters requesting the release of these animals.

"Stop the Profiteering. It Costs Us Everything."