Canada's governor-general ignores PETA, eats seal's heart

[Darth Wong]

I don't know why, but this story just made me laugh.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/640978

Jean's seal meal sparks feeding frenzy

WASHINGTON – To some, it was a stunning gesture to native tradition worthy of Chief Dan George.

To others, it was an act of rock-star audacity that awakened memories of grizzled old bat-muncher Ozzy Osbourne.

And to others still, it was just, well, gross.

However you view the spectacle of Governor General Michaëlle Jean gobbling seal heart raw in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, there is no denying the Queen's representative has found herself in the centre of the divisive, decades-old seal hunt controversy.

The political indigestion over Jean's meal of seal roiled loudest among animal-rights activists, who used the terms "Neanderthal" and "blood lust" yesterday to describe how the Governor General revelled in helping herself to the heart of the dripping carcass.

"It amazes us that a Canadian official would indulge such blood lust. It sounds like she's trying to give Canadians an even more Neanderthal image around the world than they already have," said Dan Mathews, vice-president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Jean was unapologetic, pronouncing her taste of seal heart to be "absolutely delicious," much to the delight of bloggers unaccustomed to such a high-profile public figure committing herself without so much as a hint of squeamishness.

"These are ancient practices that are part of a way of life," Jean said, framing her gutsy gesture as an act of solidarity with the Inuit. "If you can't understand that, you're completely missing the reality of life here."

But PETA officials said it was Jean who is missing reality.

"Our campaign is not to stop the native hunt, which accounts for only a very tiny part of Canada's seal slaughter," said Mathews.

"Far more than 90 per cent of the Canadian seal hunt is unrelated to the native peoples. What we want to stop is that huge commercial market that is all about selling baby seal skins to Norway, where they become fashion items for the Russian and Chinese markets," he said.

That doesn't mean animal-rights activists approve of Inuit seal-hunting traditions. PETA yesterday likened Jean's sampling of seal heart to "taking part in the beating of women in the Middle East because it is part of local practice.

"We acknowledge the native seal hunt is cultural. We give it a pass, even though we don't agree with it, because our campaign is against the commercial hunt. However much the Canadian government may want to hide behind the natives, the commercial hunt is the real issue here."

Jean helped to gut the seal before swallowing a slice of the mammal's heart, ignoring the European Union vote earlier this month to impose a ban on seal products on grounds the seal hunt is cruel.

Asked yesterday whether her actions were a message to Europe, Jean replied: "Take from that what you will."

A spokeswoman for EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas declined to react, saying: "No comment; it's too bizarre to acknowledge."

Anti-hunt campaigner Barbara Slee, an activist with the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Brussels, said Jean's gesture would do little to sway European opinion, which is firmly tilted against the annual Canadian seal cull.

"The fact that the Governor General in public is slashing and eating a seal, I don't think that really helps the cause and I'm convinced this will not change the mind of European citizens and politicians," said Slee.

Newfoundland sealer Jack Troake chuckled after hearing of Jean's actions. "That's great stuff," Troake said. "I hope the lady realizes that she's got herself into a hell of a mess ... You've got some of these environmentalists that are going to jump on her, but I think she's strong enough. She can take that, I think."

The Humane Society International also decried the gesture as a "repugnant attempt to legitimize" commercial sealing.

"Obviously, there is a tremendous public understanding of subsistence hunting in Inuit communities and nobody's opposing that," said Rebecca Aldworth, a Canadian spokeswoman for the U.S.-based humane society.

"But to try to benefit from an Inuit ceremony in terms of defending the broader commercial seal hunt is simply unacceptable."

A sampling of reaction at thestar.com showed hundreds of posters scrambling to weigh in before Toronto Star moderators called a halt to the frothing debate. One poster hailed Jean as a "true Canadian" and dismissed all who disagreed, writing, "Let them eat algae."

Another called Jean "an embarrassment."

(Video at original site)

Yes, that's right: our governor-general Michaelle Jean cut open a seal and ate its heart. And she's not apologizing for it either. HA!

[Solauren]

I can understand why people are torn on this, but you know what? Screw them.

This had everything to do with a native peoples tradition. Nothing more.

And it's not a tradition that's harmful (unlike say, Circumscisons, oppression of women, burning of heathens, etc). It was just a meal.

[Darth Wong]

I've always said that I cannot find a moral objection to hunting if you eat the animal and it's not endangered. The seals are not endangered, so if they're being eaten, what's the problem? My problem is with pure trophy hunting, where you're killing an animal for nothing more than personal pride.

[Themightytom]

its ok PETA gives them a pass

Too bad nobody gives a shit.

[Ghost Rider]

Taking all the whatnot of how we view hunting, personally I view it as it should be for food, not so you can have a fireplace conversation piece...PETA can always suck it. I despise their misinformation, tactics and general inane behavior. It's a showpiece for celebrities to go "I'm doing good!!!", without actually doing something. Everytime they bring a valid point, they drown it in their personal insanities and claim everyone doesn't get it.

As for the article they made a single point and drowned it. The baby seal hunting is not particularly good for that species, but to once again link it to human suffering that is far more pronouced and barbaric is just to illicit a response.

[Stuart]

It sounds like she's trying to give Canadians an even more Neanderthal image around the world than they already have

Canada and Canadians have a lot of images around the world but Neanderthals isn't one of them. Quite the reverse if anything.

Personally, I wouldn't eat anything that's been caught in the wild raw, too much chance of parasites. But if we cooked it, a nice, well-stuffed heart in a rich red-wine source with potato dumplings and piquante-stuffed baked onions, now that would be another matter. Serving the PETA spokesthing as a side-dish, that's optional.

The trouble is that PETA comes up with similar splurges every time anybody important or newsworthy is seen with their teeth in a chunk of meat. They've overplayed the image now to the point where it is such a joke that any impact they sought to have has long gone. Mind you I doubt if there is very much real sincerity in any of the positions they hold to.

Looks like Canada has a good Governer-General there, you want to look after her.

[Edi]

I'm with Stuart on the parasite issue, otherwise kudos to the Governor General. Mike is also absolutely correct about the endangerment issue. Here in Finland, we'd actually need to cull the seal population for several reasons, because in the absence of predators, it has gotten too large.

Except of course the endangered Lake Saimaa Seal, which is in dire straits because rural fuckheads simply refuse any kind of restrictions on net fishing on the lake, despite the species facing extinction due to their assholery and a few other reasons.

[Elfdart]

Anyone who thinks wild game is healthier than farm-raised meat (not counting factory farms) has never had to pull a dozen ticks out of the hide of a deer or wild pig before butchering.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Anyone who thinks wild game is healthier than farm-raised meat (not counting factory farms) has never had to pull a dozen ticks out of the hide of a deer or wild pig before butchering.

Well, to an extent. Auroch would certainly, for instance, not contain the risk of BSE, though unfortunately we killed them all.

[frogcurry]

Whats wrong with commerical seal killing for skin and food anyway, as long as its sustainable volumes taken from the population? We do it with cows and no-one makes a fuss about my cow skin car seats, at least the seals get to live free before hand in a seal-friendly environment.

[Darth Wong]

Anyone who thinks wild game is healthier than farm-raised meat (not counting factory farms) has never had to pull a dozen ticks out of the hide of a deer or wild pig before butchering.

Animals that live in the sea are a little safer to eat raw than animals which live in forests, generally speaking. People munch on raw fish all the time, for example.

[Pelranius]

The problem with a lot of the larger fishes in the ocean is that they have a higher level of mercury and other toxins, being at the top of the food chain. I could be wrong about this, since I heard this from my ma, who subscribes to every loony toon health rumor.

[phongn]

The problem with a lot of the larger fishes in the ocean is that they have a higher level of mercury and other toxins, being at the top of the food chain. I could be wrong about this, since I heard this from my ma, who subscribes to every loony toon health rumor.

She's correct.

[Darth Wong]

The funny thing is that most people don't think of tuna as being a "large fish". What are mercury levels in salmon typically like?

[J]

What are mercury levels in salmon typically like?

Negligible for the most part especially with farmed salmon. Some wild salmon will have elevated levels of mercury (up to around 0.5ppm) if they live near contaminated industrial areas or something, but in general, they're quite safe. The average level is only 1-5% as high as tuna, swordfish, or other large ocean fishes.

[Lord of the Abyss]

Whats wrong with commerical seal killing for skin and food anyway, as long as its sustainable volumes taken from the population? We do it with cows and no-one makes a fuss about my cow skin car seats, at least the seals get to live free before hand in a seal-friendly environment.

There is the argument that it's more moral to eat an animal raised for the purpose than one that wasn't ( which I don't really buy ), and that animals in a controlled environment like a slaughterhouse can be killed more humanely and painlessly than those in the wild killed at a distance.

[tim31]

The funny thing is that most people don't think of tuna as being a "large fish". What are mercury levels in salmon typically like?

They don't?? You should see some of the behemouths they bring in at the docks here!

[loomer]

Whats wrong with commerical seal killing for skin and food anyway, as long as its sustainable volumes taken from the population? We do it with cows and no-one makes a fuss about my cow skin car seats, at least the seals get to live free before hand in a seal-friendly environment.

There is the argument that it's more moral to eat an animal raised for the purpose than one that wasn't ( which I don't really buy ), and that animals in a controlled environment like a slaughterhouse can be killed more humanely and painlessly than those in the wild killed at a distance.

Well, this is a personal anecdote, so it's not exactly evidence, but my father used to work in a slaughterhouse (one of his many itinerant youth jobs) and apparently the cows could tell where they were going by scent or sound or some such and would either panic or become absurdly docile.

Then again, here in Aus, pretty much all of our kangaroo meat comes from hunting anyway, and it is goddamn delicious, so that doesn't really make a difference to me. Scare an animal in a slaughterhouse, shoot it in the wild, it's all the same really.

[aerius]

I wonder if Michaëlle Jean can be convinced to club a baby seal to death with a hakapik, and then skin it and eat it. Then a few weeks later they can have a ceremony where they present her with mittens made from the fur of the seal she killed, which she can then wear around in public appearances during the winter.

[Lord of the Abyss]

Whats wrong with commerical seal killing for skin and food anyway, as long as its sustainable volumes taken from the population? We do it with cows and no-one makes a fuss about my cow skin car seats, at least the seals get to live free before hand in a seal-friendly environment.

There is the argument that it's more moral to eat an animal raised for the purpose than one that wasn't ( which I don't really buy ), and that animals in a controlled environment like a slaughterhouse can be killed more humanely and painlessly than those in the wild killed at a distance.

Well, this is a personal anecdote, so it's not exactly evidence, but my father used to work in a slaughterhouse (one of his many itinerant youth jobs) and apparently the cows could tell where they were going by scent or sound or some such and would either panic or become absurdly docile.

I italicised that they "can" be made more merciful because they can be made so; not because it's automatically so. As I understand it, about a third of the slaughterhouses in America are built to avoid the cattle becoming aware of their danger; according to a design by a high functioning autistic woman named Temple Grandin with a an empathy for cattle. I recalled her from Oliver Sack's An Anthropologist On Mars; turns out she wrote a book as well.

[Ziggy Stardust]

I italicised that they "can" be made more merciful because they can be made so; not because it's automatically so. As I understand it, about a third of the slaughterhouses in America are built to avoid the cattle becoming aware of their danger; according to a design by a high functioning autistic woman named Temple Grandin with a an empathy for cattle. I recalled her from Oliver Sack's An Anthropologist On Mars; turns out she wrote a book as well.

I read that woman's book "Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior," and it such a load of crock. I realize she is autistic, which makes me hesitant to criticize her work too harshly, but the thing was a load of self-serving bullshit. One of the first sentences in the book is something along the lines (paraphrasing, I don't recall exactly), "I don't have any formal knowledge in the science of animal behavior, but I think I know how animals think."

[Justforfun000]

I'm with most of the posters above. I don't like trophy hunting. But eating a killed animal for food and other possible living uses, especially in Native lifestyles, totally ok. PETA has to learn to pick their battles. They aren't going to convince the entire world to never kill an animal anymore for any purpose. It just ain't going to happen and they have to be realistic about that.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Anyway, it's an integral part of their culture, just like the Makah whale hunts up here in Washington State, of which they only conducted one so far. They won the right to do it, they did one, they ate the whale, they haven't conducted more... They have the right to in the future. No harm done; the native inhabitants of the Northwest were brilliant at using every bit of the bountiful resources of our region, to the point where they could support towns without agriculture. Their way of life was sustainable and we could actually learn a lot from them in terms of managing our resources in the future, and I'm very proud that some of the Chinook jargon has crept into native English here, and other influences which help make Cascadia more of a distinct cultural sphere in which we genuinely respect our native cousins on the land, so, I'm very glad to see this gesture from the Governor-General setting the eco-freaks in their place.