Save the Sea Krait! or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Seal Hunt.

Yesterday, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Sam Simon and Pamela Anderson offered $1 million to Canadian sealers in a hope to “facilitate and achieve a government buyout” program in order to end the seal hunt. Like many Newfoundlanders I was insulted by their audacity and ignorance. They spouted the same old "killing baby seals" argument we've heard over and over again. One that has been outdated for thirty years.

I'm not going to get into the whole debate here, you've heard the pro-sealing side of it before. You know, about how this is not a dying industry and how the seals are in no way endangered. Seals are a significant source of income for thousands of families in coastal communities in eastern and northern Canada with sealing representing approximately 25-35 percent of their total income. Also, the Northwest Atlantic harp seal population is healthy with an estimated population of 7.3 million animals, over three times what it was in the 1970s. Likewise, I won't get into how the seal hunt helped make it possible for the original settlers to stay in Newfoundland all year round, when cod wasn't enough to make a permanent settlement viable, but seal oil was. I won't get into how this is part of our heritage and a mere $1 million buy out is insulting beyond reproach.

Obviously, I support the seal hunt and believe one of the main reasons we get so much flack from groups like PETA and their (in)famous mouthpieces is because seals are so damn cute. Clowns of the sea and all that. With their constantly smiling faces and large round eyes, you can't help but want to hug them. Humans love cute things. It's just science.

Pictured Above: Cuteness personified
[A 3-5] Young seals, ca.1910-12
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

So my argument to these two "advocates" is that they instead offer this money to help a not-so-cute animal get a second lease on certain existence. Take the axolotl, for example, a salamander that can regrow its limbs. Or better yet, the sea krait, a very squishy looking poisonous sea snake. These animals actually need help, but will you see public service announcements shot with a fish eye lens focusing on these guys? No, no you won't. You know why you won't see public service announcements shot with a fish eye lens focusing on these guys, but will see SO many cute, adorable seal videos that tug at your heart strings? Because there are a shit ton of seals to get thousands and thousands of hours of footage of! The axolotl and sea krait are actually endangered, so you know, not so easy to find.

Pictured Above: Not-so-cute
The axolotl

Anyhoo, I could go on and on, but you get the picture. And speaking of pictures, here's a few Christmas cards that use images of the seal hunt. Happy Holidays!

[A 18-24] Hoisting pelts aboard, ca. 1900
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives



[A 18-14] Sealers Breaking Ice Jam, ca.1900
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives