The Seal Hunt Figures-2009

QUICK FACTS:
Harp seal quota for 2009 hunt:338,200
Harp seal quota for 2008 hunt: 275,000
Harp seal quota for 2007 hunt: 270,000
Estimated size of the seal herd off Atlantic Canada in 2009: 6.4 million seals
Price for best seal pelts in 2006: $105
Price for best seal pelts in 2007: $62
Price for best seal pelts in 2008: $33

Price for best seal pelts in 2009: $14

Fewer than 500 vessels carrying 1,000 hunters ventured out for the annual Canadian seal hunt this year with only about 70,000 harp seals taken. Frank Pinhorn of the Canadian Sealers Association said many fishermen decided not to go out this year because of pelt prices that have bottomed out at $14. "Anything under $35 would be low and they won't participate because they won't recover their costs," he said Wednesday from St. John's, Newfoundland.

"There are only three companies here that buy pelts and they were not buying. Pinhorn said Newfoundland sealers will probably bring in just over $1 million this year."

70,000 seal pelts at 14 bucks each comes to just under 1 million dollars. 1,000 seal hunters earned 1 thousand bucks each for the year 2009. From the 1000 bucks that each sealer earned, the expenses of running a boat comes out of that. Fuel, repairs etc. Then take into account of the risks and hardships one must endure while hunting seals on the ice pans. Last year, four sealers lost their lives. This year, a 66 year old man was stranded on the ice for 2 days after his boat sank. He was rescued.

The Humane Society of United States (HSUS) who is one of the biggest complainers of the Canadian seal hunt earned 107 million dollars in 2008. During the 2009 seal hunt the HSUS also suffered a disaster when the coffee machine located at their head offices broke down. The poor staff there had to suffer and endure 3 hours of no hot coffee. My heart goes out to them. Maybe they could buy a new coffee machine with some of the 107 million they made last year.

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