Seal hunt protesters arrested on Gulf ice floes

[struggle4progress]

Canadian Press

CHARLOTTETOWN — Hostility between sealers and seal hunt protesters turned to violence Thursday as a scuffle led to several arrests on the ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Animal rights activist Paul Watson, captain of the protest ship Farley Mowat, said 11 members of his crew were taken into custody by the RCMP after they attempted to photograph sealers taking part in the annual hunt near the Magdalen Islands.

Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said he witnessed one of the crew members from his ship being attacked by a sealer. <snip>

"They broke his camera. I immediately called the coast guard and asked the RCMP to charge the sealer with assault. They responded by sending a helicopter to arrest Jonny Vasic." <snip>

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1112309773710_5/?hub=Canada

[Sequoia]

1. Time to club the hunters.

Money, money, money, money, MON-N-N-NY!

[lostinacause]

2. Or it's time to starve the protesters.

Unless you live in the Maritimes you have no right to say what they should or shouldn't do. Because of the lack of natural predators the seals are currently preventing these people from continuing their traditional way of life (fishing). The unemployment rate in this area has been as high as 20% and is consistently near those levels. There are also far more important animals to protect but unfortunately since seals look like pets they are what everyone is so determined to protect.

[Bridget Burke]

3. Isn't overfishing the real problem?

The seals are only a temporary source of income. The "traditional" way of life is on its way out.