Paul Watson Just Walked All Over Us

10 Comments

1. With respect to all the negative press; just last night on the supper hour news (Canada Now) CBC ran a story about the most recent seal hunt protests and they chose to show the picture of a baby whitecoat.

   There is NO cull of whitecoats.

   But there was our national news agency implying to to rest of Canada that whitecoats are the seals being taken. I wonder what Paul Watson would have paid CBC to distribute such mis-information?

   Shame on the CBC for their careless attitude towards the truth. As for being a ‘news’ organization they are a joke.

   Comment by Artie — 3/16/2005 @ 12:40 pm

2. It’s a shame the Dean Andersons and Bardots of the world are taken in by the sharks that run under the flag of righteous protest. I’m sure many of these people truly believe they are doing the right thing. But respect for nature and protection of the planet’s resources have to include some balance. If no one is presenting the opposite side of the argument in a logical, fact-based way, then the misleading blood-filled, sad-eyed white coats that fill the advertising (which isn’t cheap) will be the only picture the “civilized” world sees. And people like Dean Anderson will be taken for their money and used for their profile to fund that advertising and pay for the organization and its accoutrements (polluting boats, detonating devices etc)

   What’s worse is that a people that has been surviving on this barren rock for hundreds of years by resourcefulness and fearlessness is being villified and judged, and then punished by a world community that knows nothing about the individuals that must live, work and support a family in this place.

   It’s too bad the high-profile stars don’t get to see the hunt in context of its history, the culture and people it helps support, the danger to those who participate. It’s too bad that they don’t believe the damage that too many seals can do to fish stocks.(Before the argument begins, I’m not letting humanity off the hook) And it’s too bad that so many people have been taken by this emotional manipulation that skews facts, and milks the cash cow of kind-hearted people.

   Comment by debra — 3/19/2005 @ 10:39 am

3. This is nothing more than history repeating itself. The greenpeace does the same thing every year, if we ignore them they’ll all go away.

   Comment by Frank Hollahan — 3/22/2005 @ 10:22 am

4. I think Paul Watson should pack up and go home, and realize what he is doing. Does he think that the seals are in danger of being wiped out?? Just a job to him i think, the heck with the people of eastern canada who rely upon this industry to feed their families, hey Pauley! I agree with Fred Hollahan, we should ignore them. Wish I had the money to buy a coat, good x-mas for our ole’ buddy Pauley. Oh, did I metion, GO HOME PAULEY!!!

   Comment by JB — 3/29/2005 @ 7:25 pm

5. Well written article, Ed!

   I wish that those ‘protesters’ of the ‘cruel’ seal hunt would do their homework.

   What truly drives me is this: It is ok to kill another animal for food/fur. Fur’s actually fashionable again. Yet to kill a seal is like murdering a baby or something.

   It just goes to show you the true power of the media. Kinda like being accused of something in the National Enquirer or something.

   Pauline

   Comment by Pauline — 4/4/2005 @ 6:53 pm

6. The Paul Watson’s of the world should be held accountable for their words and actions. They repeat, each year, the same lies about the seal fishery.

   The Government of Canda has the ultimate responsibility for this and most fisheries off the coasts of Canada and should be taking these fraudulent statements and groups to task. These anti-groups have but one agenda….the gain of money by fraudlent means.

   Where’s the law that says you cannnot retain money from fraudlent means. Charge and jail them.

   Comment by GIGI — 4/6/2005 @ 2:11 pm

7. I think that the people who support the seal hunt are freaks. You can not understand why people around the world are disgusted and outraged by Canada’a bloody shame? You say the protests have one agenda - the gain of money. I know this to be untrue, but even it were true, they are not bashing in the brains of a defenseless seal. You all need to get your facts straight and stop relying on what your Government tells you.

   Comment by j — 4/14/2005 @ 10:18 am

8. J:

   where do you get YOUR information, and who verifies it? If you are counting on media reports, be advised that depending on what area of the world you sit in, the reports can be skewed all the way left or all the way right. And if you are listening to Paul Watson, be advised he likes to twist the truth and is doing so gleefully all over the world except in Canada, where he’s known to be a manipulator.

   Let me ask, are you a vegetarian, because if you’re not, you have no cause to criticize hunters who are trying to support themselves and their families. If you’ve ever eaten fish, fowl or meat, remember someone had to kill it first.Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s any less bloody.

   Subsistance hunting is far different from trophy hunting or the totally useless and truly cruel fox hunting that Brits are so anxious to keep. So, why not get educated before you jump into the fray?

   And before you ask, no I don’t hunt seals, I don’t hunt anything. But I do eat meat, including the occaisional feed of seal. I also take Omega 3 capusles made from seal oil and have a very warm, waterproof hat and mitts, made of seal skin. I also wear leather shoes and have a pigskin belt, a suede coat. I must be a barbarian.

   Comment by das — 4/15/2005 @ 7:15 am

9. It is amazing to listen to how you justify cruely killing a sentient being. You should watch the footage from the Humane Society, Sea Shepard or any other footage from the hunt. I have shown it to people who are hunters, they could not believe the savage and inhumane way that the seals are hooked and clubbed. You keep justifying it, letting the government persuade you in to thinking that they are on you side helping protect what has been going on for centuries. Look to who is benefiting the most, you are used.This will benifit you for this year and maybe next but what about the future of your children, look at your ecconomy now. You have devistated not only the oceans fish supply but also your lakes. Did the seals eat all the fish there too. Who is in control? Someone needs to be progressive in his/her thinking to provide a better way of living than just serviving. The sealers look and act like bullies, so are they?When cruely hurting something,showing no remorse or consience is scary for people to see. That is on film for the whole world to see, that is why the seal hunt is judged the way it is. Karma always comes back twice fold. What you give out you will more than get back, unfortunately it effects everyone around you.

   Comment by Lynn Printy — 7/21/2005 @ 8:38 am

10. Lynn and j do a fine job of repeating the messages of the anti-sealing groups. They have already written their cheques, raised their cash and now carry on their role in the movement by posting a couple of short notes to this website.

    There is no pointing in discussing anything with them since they are not posting here to engage in a discussion. They seek only to provoke or to simply spout the words they have learned.

    Lynn in particular pastes together a disjointed group of comments as if they were a coherent argument for or against anything. Her best references are the American Humane Society and the Sea Shepherd society.

    Great. That should tell you how extensively she has researched her subject and places in doubt her comment about showing any video to any hunters.

    Paul Watson’s organization in particular is interesting since Watson is alone in claiming that a seal population of almost 6 million animals is endangered. While other groups have changed their messages, Watson continues with the old ones; the reason for his persistence is not rationality, except in the pursuit of donations.

    As for the fishery Lynn, you ought to be aware that it is in decline globally; all staocks are under pressure or have been decimated by intense human activity.

    Maybe if you and your anti-seal hunt friends had shown one tenth of the anger or expended one one hundredth (1/100th) the amount of energy about the destruction of a fish stock as you do for the relatively small number of seals killed annually by aboriginal and non-aboriginal hunters using a variety of methods, we wouldn’t be collectively facing an enviornmental catastrophe.

    And as I said in my post, the only reason P people like Paul Watson won’t focus on cod is that cod would never generate the enormous cash-flow that seals do.

    You could never get Richard Ddean Anderson to go to Spain and Portugal to protest the destruction of world fish stocks by their illegal fishing methods in Canada. For one thing, he, Marty Sheen and their fellow celebrities would actually lose money from lost sales of their television programs and motion pictures.

    Nope. Seals generate steady cash for the protesters for little work and none of the people involved in the “protest” have to actually risk anything to clear their consciences.

    In the meantime, other less cuddly species are being destroyed utterly to put food on the tables of their affluent American restaurants. The anti-seal hunt protesters are far removed from reality on so many levels it is hard to know whether to disregard them entirely or merely pity them.

    Somebody let me know when Lynn, j, Anderson, Sheen and Watson become real conservationists or actually get politically active on causes affecting some living creature that is actually threatened.

    Like cod.

    or humans.

    Comment by Ed Hollett — 7/21/2005 @ 2:39 pm

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