Mother & pup, Hay Island 2010 Photo HSI/Mark Glover

Just days after the government announced Sable Island is to be designated a national park, the government's macabre plans for the island have been revealed. The Coast newspaper obtained through an Access to Information request a document entitled 'Logistical Evaluation of Options to Manage the Grey Seal Population on Sable Island.' Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans commissioned engineering firm CBCL to research and prepare a report setting out different scenarios for reducing the grey seal population on Sable Island. One of the options involves injecting 16,000 adult females with a form of contraceptive for five years. The other option involves a nightmare scenario of slaughtering 220,000 adults and pups period over a period of five years during their whelping (birthing, nursing and mating), slinging their carcasses using modified heavy loaders, and disposing of their bodies using modified wood chippers and portable incinerators set up on the island. One option details killing 100,000 adults and pups in 25 days in the first year, with 30,000 being slaughtered each year for the next four years. The report advises that any nursing whitecoats orphaned when their mothers are culled are to be killed immediately or they will starve to death. There will be MANY pups orphaned when their mothers are culled so it is inevitable that MANY whitecoats will be slaughtered during these so-called 'culls.'

Nova Scotia appears to be regressing back to 1967 when a systematic culling of grey seals began. Each year until 1983 Environment Canada's Conservation and Protection Branch workers and sealers invaded grey seal whelping colonies and killed as many adult and nursing whitecoat seal pups as possible. It is estimated that during this time period, 90% of all seal pups born outside of the protected Sable Island rookery were slaughtered by government agents. Now it appears it is the Sable Island seals' turn to be slaughtered en masse by government agents and sealers working hand-in-hand in an obscene alliance of hatred and death.

Grey seal pups, Hay Island 2010 Photo ACASC/Bridget Curran

The fishing industry has put considerable pressure on the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia for many years, clamouring for access to grey seals on Sable Island. Fishermen stubbornly insist seals are detrimental to fish stocks despite an absence of science to support those claims. In Januar of this year during a meeting between government and industry stakeholders, DFO officials encouraged sealers to submit proposals for a large-scale slaughter on Sable Island and promised to work closely with other government departments to promote those proposals.

Nova Scotia's NDP premier Darrell Dexter and Fisheries/Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau have both vocally supported a proposed cull on Sable Island. Unfortunately, Darrell Dexter lacks the backbone needed to stand up to a corrupt and bullying fishing industry and Fisheries/Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau is a former fisherman himself with many good buddies still in the industry. Sterling Belliveau knows nothing about the killing of grey seals in Nova Scotia, referring to "traditional hunting methods of a humane hunt" when he admitted to me during a recent meeting he has not watched footage of the killing of grey seals on Hay Island in 2008, nor was he acquainted with a study submitted to the European Commission that concluded killing methods used in the grey seal hunt - identical to those used in the brutal Namibia seal hunt - are inherently inhumane. Clearly, the Minister prefers to operate in absolute ignorance, stubbornly repeating the mantra "It's government policy. It's a humane and sustainable harvest." In fact, Belliveau continually refers to the cull as if it's a commercial hunt, referring to supporting the "seal industry" and saying incinerating the seal carcasses won't be necessary as he believes the "fishing industry, the stakeholders, the seal harvesters would come out with some appropriate options that would be simply manageable and appropriate to that particular marine setting." So...is it a cull? Is it a commercial hunt? Or is it simply a make-work project to compensate sealers for a collapsed commercial seal fishery? I suspect the latter.

Mother & Pup, Hay Island 2010 Photo ACASC/Bridget Curran

Not only is this evil plot a betrayal of grey seals by a government tasked with protecting them, it is an assault on Sable Island, which has an extremely fragile landscape and ecosystem. Large-scale industrialized culls involving many personnel, large equipment and incinerators will devastate the island not to mention traumatize the other species of wildlife living thereon, some of which are endangered.

Canadians deserve better than the disgustingly sneaky tactics of the Canadian government. Nova Scotians deserve better than the ignorant buffoons who sit in Province House making decisions based on political alliances rather than the needs and wishes of their constituents. The grey seals of Sable Island deserve to be protected from such brutality.

The grey seals of Sable Island need you to get involved today. Thank you so much for taking action to help save Sable Island's grey seals. They have no voice and rely on us to speak up in their defence.

1.

Contact Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea (cc prime minister Stephen Harper, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, leaders of major federal political parties, fisheries critics of major federal political parties). Canadians: be sure to cc your MP
Please bcc the Coalition so we can keep track of how many emails are sent

[sample letter]    [contact info]    [MP directory listing]

2.

Contact Nova Scotia Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau and premier Darrell Dexter (cc leaders of major provincial political parties and fisheries critics of major provincial parties). Nova Scotians: be sure to cc your MLA
Please bcc the Coalition so we can keep track of how many emails are sent

[sample letter]    [contact info]    [MLA directory listing]

3.

Contact Rob Moore, federal Minister of State, Small Business and Tourism and to Percy Paris, Nova Scotia Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
Please bcc the Coalition so we can keep track of how many emails are sent

[sample letter]    [contact info]    

4.

Get letters published in Canadian newspapers

[talking points]    [national newspaper listing]

TO
CC








BCC

Hon. Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries [Harper.S@parl.gc.ca]
Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister [Shea.G@parl.gc.ca]
Hon. Jim Prentice, Minister of Environment [Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca]
Michael Ignatieff, Leader, Liberal Party [Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca]
Jack Layton, Leader, New Democratic Party [Layton.J@parl.gc.ca]
Elizabeth May, Leader, Green Party of Canada [leader@greenparty.ca]
Gerry Byrne, Fisheries Critic, Liberal Party [Byrne.G@parl.gc.ca]
Fin Donnelly, Fisheries Critic, NDP [Donnelly.F@parl.gc.ca]
Janice Harvey, Fisheries Critic, Green Party of Canada [janice.harvey@greenparty.ca]
Member of Parliament (Canadians only) [MP directory listing]
Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition [action@antisealingcoalition.ca]

Minister Shea, I am writing to express my disapproval and disgust at the news the Canadian government is considering a cull of grey seals on Sable Island.

Science does not support claims reducing the seal population will aid in fish stock recovery. In fact, seals as top predators play an important role in our ecosystem. There is no biological evidence seal populations are exploding and need to be “managed.” By 1949, grey seals were considered extirpated off Canada’s east coast as a direct result of commercial hunting and are following a natural recovery path. Marine biologists state seals are highly adaptable to their environment and can regulate their own reproductive rate without the need for human intervention.

Sable Island is considered a national treasure by all Canadians and is revered internationally for its mystique and untouched beauty. When people learn the Canadian government is planning to turn its newest national park into an open air slaughterhouse, particularly while females are birthing and nursing their whitecoat pups, they will shun Canada, particularly Nova Scotia, as a vacation destination. Already there is talk of a tourism boycott in response to the Canadian government’s macabre plans for Sable Island grey seals.

According to the Canadian Tourism Commission, tourism revenue in Canada for 2009 totaled $71.0 Billion. 652,000 jobs were generated by tourism demand. Revenue and jobs generated by Canadian tourism is crucial to the national economy and certainly also to the Nova Scotia economy.

Similarly, news of a grey seal cull on Sable Island will spark an expansion of the Canadian seafood boycott already running successfully in the US and Europe.

These serious economic repercussions should be considered carefully as you make the decision on whether a cull of grey seals on Sable Island will proceed. Are you prepared to sacrifice important revenue to proceed with this unnecessary, ill-advised and inhumane cull? It would be truly unfortunate if the Canadian government subjected all Canadians to economic hardship for what appears to be nothing more than a make-work project to compensate Atlantic sealers for a collapsed commercial seal fishery.

Canadians do not want their new national park soiled with the blood of hundreds of thousands of its wild inhabitants. I urge you to respect Sable Island and all flora and fauna thereon. Please decide against the cull of grey seals on Sable Island.

[Name]
[City/Town]
[Province/State]
[Country]

TO
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BCC

Hon. Darrell Dexter, premier [premier@gov.ns.ca]
Hon. Sterling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries/Environment [min_dfa@gov.ns.ca min_env@gov.ns.ca]
Hon. Stephen McNeil, Leader, NS Liberal Party [mcneilsr@gov.ns.ca]
Karen Casey, Leader, NS Conservative Party [karencasey@ns.aliantzinc.ca]
John Percy, Leader, Green Party of NS [leader@greenparty.ns.ca]
Harold Theriault, Fisheries Critic, NS Liberal Party [mcneilsr@gov.ns.ca]
Alfie MacLeod, Fisheries Critic, NS Conservative Party [alfiemacleodmla@ns.aliantzinc.ca]
Member of Legislative Assembly (Nova Scotians only) [MLA directory listing]
Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition [action@antisealingcoalition.ca]

Mr. premier, I am writing to express my disapproval and disgust that the Nova Scotia NDP government is supporting the proposed cull of grey seals on Sable Island.

Science does not support claims reducing the seal population will aid in fish stock recovery. In fact, seals as top predators play an important role in our ecosystem. There is no biological evidence seal populations are exploding and need to be “managed.” By 1949, grey seals were considered extirpated off Canada’s east coast as a direct result of commercial hunting and are following a natural recovery path. Marine biologists state seals are highly adaptable to their environment and can regulate their own reproductive rate without the need for human intervention.

Sable Island is considered a national treasure by all Canadians and is revered internationally for its mystique and untouched beauty. When people learn the government of Nova Scotia supports plans to turn Canada’s newest national park into an open air slaughterhouse, particularly while females are birthing and nursing their whitecoat pups, they will shun Nova Scotia as a vacation destination. Already there is talk of a tourism boycott in response to the Canadian government’s macabre plans for Sable Island grey seals.

According to government statistics, tourism revenue in Nova Scotia for 2009 totaled $1.3 Billion. Revenue and jobs generated by Nova Scotia tourism is crucial to the provincial economy.

Similarly, news of a grey seal cull on Sable Island will spark an expansion of the Canadian seafood boycott already running successfully in the US and Europe. Those currently boycotting seafood from Newfoundland will also boycott Nova Scotia seafood.

These serious economic repercussions should be considered carefully before the Nova Scotia government continues to support a cull of grey seals on Sable Island. It would be truly unfortunate if the Canadian government - with your blessing - subjected all Canadians to economic hardship for what appears to be nothing more than a make-work project to compensate Atlantic sealers for a collapsed commercial seal fishery.

Nova Scotians do not want their new national park soiled with the blood of hundreds of thousands of its wild inhabitants. I urge you to respect Sable Island and all flora and fauna thereon. Please withdraw your support of the cull of grey seals on Sable Island.

[Name]
[City/Town]
[Province/State]
[Country]

TO

CC
BCC

Rob Moore, Minister of State, Small Business and Tourism [Moore.R@parl.gc.ca]
Percy Paris, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage [mintour@gov.ns.ca]
Gisèle Danis, Executive Director Canada Program, Canadian Tourism Commission [danis.gisele@ctc-cct.ca]
Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition [action@antisealingcoalition.ca]

I am writing to express my concern that tourism in Canada will suffer as a consequence of a proposed cull of grey seals in Canada’s newest national park, Sable Island.

Sable Island is considered a national treasure by all Canadians and is revered internationally for its mystique and untouched beauty. When people learn the Canadian government is planning to turn its newest national park into an open air slaughterhouse, particularly while females are birthing and nursing their whitecoat pups, they will shun Canada, particularly Nova Scotia, as a vacation destination. Already there is talk of a tourism boycott in response to the Canadian government’s macabre plans for Sable Island grey seals.

According to the Canadian Tourism Commission, tourism revenue in Canada for 2009 totaled $71.0 Billion. 652,000 jobs were generated by tourism demand. According to Nova Scotia government statistics, tourism revenue in Nova Scotia for 2009 totaled $1.3 Billion. Revenue and jobs generated by tourism in this country is crucial to the economy. Nova Scotia is not a wealthy province and a tourism boycott has the potential to devastate its economy.

Canadians do not want their new national park soiled with the blood of hundreds of thousands of its wild inhabitants. It would be unfair to subject the entire country to harsh economic repercussions simply for the sake of what appears to be a make-work project to compensate Atlantic sealers for a collapsed commercial seal fishery.

I urge you to speak up against the Canadian government’s plans for an unnecessary, ill-advised and inhumane cull of grey seals on Sable Island.

[Name]
[City/Town]
[Province/State]
[Country]

Please write letters to Canadian newspapers expressing your views and concerns. Some important points to make might include:

*

No science exists to support claims seals must be killed to protect fish stocks.

*

No biological evidence supports claims seal populations are exploding and need to be "managed."

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Once more seals are being scapegoated for man's destructive fishing practices.

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DFO bases its conservation decisions not on science but on political expediency as is evidenced in the past and has mismanaged our oceans into the sad state they are in today.

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This slaughter will be occuring during whelping season when female seals are birthing and nursing whitecoat pups. Newborn whitecoat pups will be killed in this cull.

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Culls for population management traditionally target adult females of the species, yet the cull contemplated for Sable Island will involve a large percentage of pups including whitecoats.

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There will be serious economics repercussions if this cull goes ahead, in the shape of tourism and seafood boycotts.

*

The tourism industry is crucial to Nova Scotia's economy. When people learn Sable Island is being turned into an open-air slaughterhouse and hundreds of thousands of grey seals - including, inevitably, females and their nursing whitecoats - are killed in a bogus attempt to defend groundfish stocks, they will avoid Canada and Nova Scotia in particular.

*

A Canadian seafood boycott is currently running successfully in the US and Europe. Businesses and individuals currently boycotting Newfoundland will expand their boycott to include Nova Scotia seafood.

*

It is not fair that all Canadians will suffer economically if the Canadian government approves a cull of grey seals on Sable Island. Clearly any decision by the government to permit a cull on Sable Island will be politically-motivated. It is obvious the proposed cull amounts to nothing more than a make-work project to compensate sealers for the collapsed commercial seal fishery.

*

Canadian taxpayers will be footing the bill for the cull, estimated to be approximately $35 Million++.

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The proposed cull will be devastating to the fragile landscape of Sable Island.

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Canadians do not want to see their newest national park turned into an open-air slaughterhouse and do not want their tax dollars used to fund the ill-advised, inhumane and politically-motivated scheme.