Clubbing for fur is only one motive. Culling herds is frequently seen as a necessary step in reviving the nearly dead cod fishery. And let’s not forget, if we hadn’t gone and killed most of the seal pup-eating whales, the seal population wouldn’t be the problem it is in some places.
If you were a Newfoundland fisher whose traditional livelihood had been destroyed by overfishing (largely from foreign fleets), seal clubbing might seem like a way to ensure future cod stocks, plus put some food on the table (literally and figuratively) in the short term.
We going to fault only them for playing mother nature?
I think it has to do with the fact that seals have big eyes. Seriously. If they were clubbing sewer rats would there be all the fuss?
BTW Its more of a heavy sharp hook than a club. Death is quick (usually) and they tend not to get away.
Yes there were. I was born and raised in Newfoundland (living in Alberta now). I highly recommend Death On the Ice by Cassie Brown. It tells the story of a tragic series of events in 1914 which left 133 men stranded on the ocean ice during a blizzard for 2 days. 55 survived, my great-uncle was one of them. While the men of the Newfoundland were on the ice the Southern Cross was lost on its way back to St. Johns, 173 men died. Before this the worst season was 1898 when the Greenland lost 48 men, also frozen during a blizzard on the ice.
These weren’t bloodthirsty men out to kill defenseless baby seals for the sport, they were hard-working family men who spent 2-3 weeks living in horrendous conditions to earn a few dollars. And I mean a few dollars, I don’t have my copy of *Death On the Ice * handy, but IIRC they would make $50-150 for the trip, depending on the success of the hunt. And at least one man, George Tuff, survived both disasters.
These days sealing is much different. The protests of the 70’s and 80’s led to the Canadian government banning the harvest of whitecoats and the use of boats longer than 65 feet. And no they don’t use clubs anymore: