Sealing in Newfoundland and Labrador This letter is in response to the letter written by "Janice" posted in the opinions section of the March issue of the Downhome magazine where she accuses Newfoundlanders and Labradorians involved in the sealing industry of being cruel and heartless for killing baby seals.
The seal fishery is a completely legal hunt that is monitored by the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and is covered under Marine Mammals Regulations. These regulations govern ... click to read moreThis letter is in response to the letter written by "Janice" posted in the opinions section of the March issue of the Downhome magazine where she accuses Newfoundlanders and Labradorians involved in the sealing industry of being cruel and heartless for killing baby seals.
The seal fishery is a completely legal hunt that is monitored by the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and is covered under Marine Mammals Regulations. These regulations govern the use of hakapiks, or clubs, and firearms, as well as the accepted killing and skinning methods.
Most of the seals taken as part of this hunt are killed using a rifle, however, some are still killed using the traditional hakapik. Contrary to popular belief, the hakapik is a highly efficient way of quickly, often painlessly, killing seals.
She states that we kill baby seals. Well it is, and has been, illegal to kill newborn harp seals (whitecoats) and hooded seals (bluebacks) since 1987. Seals taken in the hunt are 12 to 14 days old, referred to as ragged jackets, and are abandoned by their mothers by this time.
She calls for the stopping of the hunt FAST and calls us greedy. Well this hunt provided much needed work and $6 million to the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2007 alone.
The seal hunt in this province is also used as a perfectly acceptable method of controlling the seal populations in our waters. It is considered a healthy culling method that will undoubtably increase the failing fish stocks that have been decimated by over exploitation and excessive predation by an overabundance of predators. ... Hide full submission
Freaky Fish Names
Dear Domehome,
In response to the picture of the three "freaky fish" submitted in the September 2010 issue of Downhome magazine, the second fish in the picture I beleive is a species of viperfish and the second is a species of pelican eel (aka gulper eel). These fish are deep water species that live at extreme depth and are often caught in deepwater fisheries.
Also, the moth picture submitted by Bernice Case in the Family and Friends, Out in the Open section is a one-eyed sphinx moth.
This is a ruffed grouse that spent a lot of time in my backyard over the past winter. I am an avid birdwatcher and was treated to this guy staying in the area for about a week, picking up seed that had fallen from my birdfeeder.
