- Sealhunters practiceshooting on live baby seals

Here is the report that could put and end to Norwegian seal hunting.

- This is a very serious matter with repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act and the exercise of regulations. This type of violations will be known abroad, "says director Aksel Eikemo in the Directorate of Fisheries resource department to the newspaper Adresseavisen.

According to the newspaper the shipping company Polardrift in Tromsø and the skipper on board the fishing vessel Kvitungen was recently informed that they have been under police investigation for six months.

In a report from the sealing inspector who was travelling with Kvitungen to Vestisen last spring, shooters on board the ship is described as pure amateurs, with a captain who allowed, what seemed to the inspector, as practiceshooting on live baby seals.

The Sealing inspector pointed out a significant number of wounded animals who had been shot two or more times.

"He had several shooters to choose from, yet he chose to let the first shooter to shoot a full day even if the number of wounded animals increased," said the letter.

Now the Director in the Directorate of Fisheries fears that the international pressure against the Norwegian seal hunting will increase.

Shipowner and the captain may be punished for violations of the Animal Welfare Act and for violating regulations on sealhunting. The Directorate of Fisheries is also considering if the shipowner should be deprived of the concession on sealing.


I really hope this gets international attention, so the sealhunting can be banned once and for all..



[edit on 10-2-2010 by Anom3]

reply to post by Anom3


I would point out that this really isn't a debate on the rights and wrongs of seal hunting. According to the article it is more on topic to talk about violations of conservation laws (which are very important IMO)

Breaking conservation laws is by definition poaching no matter what species you are killing.

My biggest quandary is that these laws are not heavily enforced. I will probably get in bigger trouble for killing a doe with a buck only tag than these people will for poaching seals for essentially the sake of target practice.

Poaching is Poaching...

I went seal hunting with my grandfather once. He only said this:

1. NEVER shoot a baby seal.
2. NEVER shoot a mother or father with a baby.
3. Only shoot them if they are old AND weak.

I remember one time he saw a guy shooting a group of baby seals, my grandfather pointed the gun at the guy and told him to stop

My grandad is one bad ass

What do you expect from a fishing vessel. Their careers are about killing animals.

But even then, maiming a baby animal and leaving it to suffer is just cruel no matter what way you look at it.

reply to post by gandhi


Your grandfather has more reserve than I....

I would have left him without a kneecap....

I probably would have also said something along the lines of "how do you like it!?"

It's not because I don't condone hunting. I do... I'm a hunter... Conservation practices go hand and hand with ethical hunting practices. If you can sit there an target practice a bunch of babies, you don't deserve the privilege of hunting.

[edit on 10-2-2010 by DaMod]

reply to post by gandhi


Yeah it takes a real bad ass to walk up to a seal and shoot it.......baby seal or not.