I was born in a tiny village in Newfoundland. My father is from Newfoundland, and my mother is from Nova Scotia. While my father's job did not involve the fishery, it was a big part of our lives. People worked in the Fish Plants, or on the ships that went out to fish. I had many friends whose father's did work in the fishery, both offshore and inshore. It was a very common sight to see nets spread out to dry on the grass, or dorys pulled up on beaches to be repaired. Our wharf always had small ships tied up. Some of my earliest memories involved watching the small boats coming in early in the morning, the fishermen having gone out before dawn to set their nets. The putt-putt-putt of the outboard motors echoing off the small sheds and stores was a sound as familiar to me as my own mother's voice.
Kindness
My mother always taught us to be kind to animals, but it really wasn't anything she had to enforce. I always loved animals, from the dogs we had since I was a child, to the wild animals. I can remember my brother going with my father one summer on a hunting trip to catch Moose for meat, and he returned, saying he just couldn't ever go hunting again. I grew up spending a lot of time with my dog, a sweet, lovable black mutt whom I named Buster. Buster was my best friend, and we often spent long hours travelling around my little town. At night he would sleep on the floor in my bedroom. I also had hamsters, budgies, fish, even a pet rat. My parents always encouraged (and tolerated) my love for animals. I took pride in my sentiment towards our brothers and sisters of this earth. I refused to wear fur or leather. I still do. I refuse to have anything stuffed, or mounted. I have donated to WWF and other Animal-Welfare groups. I donate my time to the local S.P.C.A. I personally have rescued animals from abusive situations, as well as lost animals. I feel it is a duty to protect those weaker than us, and in situations where it is not necessary, to save them.
Dismay
You can imagine my dismay when the Sealing Debate became big news. Suddenly, the world was seeing Newfoundlanders as cruel, barbaric creatures that lived only to kill and maim. I felt I had been betrayed by the Animal-Rights group IFAW, for the lies they began to spread. My people were being victimized by outright falsehoods. Why were these people saying that Newfoundlanders didn't need the Sealing Hunt to survive? Why were they denying that up to 35% of a fisherman's yearly income can come from the Seal Hunt? They weren't actually talking to the fishermen. They weren't even looking at figures drawn up by scientists, including scientists from the World Wildlife Federation, stating that this hunt is not inhumane. Where were they getting their figures?
The tapes made by the IFAW, showing Newfoundland Fishermen skinning seals alive were proven in court to be falsified. They paid people to dress up as Newfoundland fishermen to do this. These people themselves came forward in court and admitted this. Yet the IFAW continues to show this footage. They continue to show little white coats being struck, even though white coats are no longer being hunted. They claim that the seals are still "babies" when they lose their white fur, so that the Sealers are still killing infants, yet once the fur is lost, the seals are pretty much on their own. Doesn't this mean they are no longer "babies"? And why do they show fishermen killing with sticks? Those hook-and-sticks have been replaced with guns for years now. At one time, yes, they did use them. Because rifles were too expensive for the average fisherman to use at sea. But tell me honestly, if you could safely shoot an animal from a distance, or go up to them and kill them with a stick, which would you do? Common sense says you would use a gun. It's safer and cleaner.
Another thing I did not understand. Why do they only talk about Newfoundlanders killing seals? Why do they not mention that Boston has a group of fishermen who join the Seal Hunt every year? And why do they only seem to target Sealers as cruel? What about the poor bulls who are slain in Bullfighting every year in Spain? I seem to see no one there.
Betrayal
I am confused as to why they do not go against those that wear fur, if they feel killing for fur is wrong. I am confused as to why they say no one eats seal, when seal meat is a part of the Newfoundland diet. Seal Flipper Pie is a common dish. It seems the IFAW only wants to go after the little guy, the one who cannot fight back.
I am an Animal-Rights activist. I do not believe in wearing fur. And now I have lost one of my heroes. Sadly, I have lost all faith in IFAW now. I have been let down by a group I used to be believe in. I used to be a big supporter, but now I can see the tactics they use, the outright lies, to try and sway people to donate to them. And if they lie about the Seal Hunt, I cannot trust them to tell the truth about anything else.
