Clubbing of Baby Harp Seals | Teen Ink

Clubbing of Baby Harp Seals

February 20, 2012
By KimberleySchantz BRONZE, Coppell, Texas
KimberleySchantz BRONZE, Coppell, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

There are so many things in this world. So many problems and causes for animals. One in particular that doesn't have enough fame are the baby harp seals. The hunters of these barely 3 week old seals are clubbed to death for only a couple square feet of fur. These poor, weak animals have no way of protection and this epidemic needs to stop.

There was a huge increase of killings in 2011 and the official total of 37,609. These sealers seem to have no heart. Sealers will start molting harp seals as young as 2 weeks old. Thanks to the humane society and tons of other supporters of this cause the world is steering away from commercial sealing and it’s about time Canada joins the rest of the world. Commercial sealing must stop.

The pups only begin to learn how to swim at about 18 days of age. At that age if they can’t even swim how do you suppose they will be able to protect themselves? Each year hunters of thousands of seals are beaten to death with a club or blunt post. Sealers are supposed to preform tests to check to make sure the seal is dead before they do anything but less than half actually touch the eye to test if they blink or feel is the skull has actually collapsed in. Along with the killings for fur Doris Lin states that some claim that the seals eat the same cod that the fishermen are after, but cod is less than 3% of a seal’s diet. A seal also eats animals who prey on cod, so a seal is part of a natural, balanced ecosystem. During research there was evidence that seals typically eat on polar cod, capelin, herring, halibut, small crabs, and shrimp. This is proof that we are in need of their existence in America even if the North Pole is a hemisphere away. We only have one oceanic ecosystem and we all need to take care of it which means keeping their population up to par. With these mass killings they will soon die out due to the young ones being killed making their generation unable to expand to their full potential.

The baby harp seals’ only voices are us humans. So let’s stand up and fight for their right to live a peaceful life in their pollution, sealer-free oceans. To help save these poor, helpless seals there are many things like organizations and fundraisers. We can really change their lives and their future.


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