According to Sea Shepherd Log # 58, (Fall?) 2002:
Is that true?
I’m from Canada.
From watching various nature documentries and shows about the Inuit peoples, I can tell you I’ve seen more than a few seals killed, followed by the hunter skinning the animal, and eating it raw only minutes after he fired his shot. Yummy.
I don’t think it’s true at all.
There is an element of truth to this, but it’s badly over-stated (what a surprise - wouldn’t want the truth get in the way of activism).
The federal Marine Mammal Regulations, Part IV - Seals governs the seal hunt. The whole thing is heavily regulated - you need a licence to hunt seals, and you also need a licence to observe the seal hunt. Having a history of trying to disrupt the seal hunt is one of the reasons to refuse to grant a licence to observe - but that’s far short of the blanket statement that it’s illegal to " film, photograph or even witness" the killing of a seal.
Thanks, Northern Piper.
So a person can film/photograph/witness a seal kill as long as s/he has a license to do so and stays 0.5nm away. Half a mile seems pretty close to exclusion; although someone with a good telephoto lens and a tripod could capture the images.
By the way, does anyone else think that Sea Shepherd’s “Captain” Paul Watson looks like Louie Anderson?
Ah, but Johnny LA’s question was about sealers, not Inuit people hunting and eating a vital food resource.
This is by no means my area, but I’d read that provision as saying that if you have an observation licence, you can come within the 0.5 n.m. radius.
In other words, you can’t come within .5 n.m., unless you have an observation licence. (And subject to the other exceptions in s.s. (2), such as a commercial vessel in transit. If you happen to be on a commercial vessel in transit whose course brings it within the .5 n.m., I don’t see any bar on taking pictures. But again, I have to emphasise that this is not my area, that I’m not your lawyer, that you’d be foolish to rely on my comments, and that I’m just contributing to a discussion on a matter of public interest, &tc.)
I stand corrected.
No worries. I’m not planning to witness seal killing. A friend of mine just joined Sea Shepherd. He thinks it’s great that they confront people who are breaking laws and international agreements (e.g., fishing in restricted areas; especially when the local governments turn a blind eye to it). Personally, and while I sympathize with their goals, I view the group’s activities as vigilantism at best, or “piracy on the high seas” at worst.
I’m opposed to whaling, the slaughter of dolphins, the finning of sharks, and overharvesting or poaching of marine populations. I’m also opposed to other of man’s activities that pollute or damage the ocean (or indeed, the world’s) environment. But I tend to view with suspicion messengers that have an agenda, even when I agree with their agenda, because I like accuracy and honesty.