T ha nk T e a c he rs a nd the Sc ho o l fo r g iving us the o - PDF document

SL IDE 1 Intr oduc tion T ha nk T e a c he rs a nd the Sc ho o l fo r g iving us the o ppo rtunity to spe a k to da y. I ntro duc tio n yo urse lf a nd Ha r pse a ls.o rg . HSO is b a se d in so uthe rn Ca lifo rnia a nd ha s a na tio na l pre se nc e a nd a ne two rk o f pe o ple a c ro ss the c o untry who a re wo rking to e nd the se a l hunt. As yo u’ ll se e , Ame ric a n c o nsume rs have the po we r to e nd this slaug hte r a nd o ur g o a l is to b ring a ware ne ss to this issue . We use a numb e r o f diffe re nt me tho ds inc luding : o ur we b site , se tting up info rma tio n b o o ths a t stre e t fa irs a nd fe stiva ls, pre se nta tio ns, b illb o a rds, T V a nd ra dio spo ts and e ve n ro c k c o nc e rt b e ne fits to ra ise mo ne y a nd a wa re ne ss. T he sub je c t we ’ ll b e disc ussing to da y c a n b e disturb ing and the ima g e s c a n b e ha rd to lo o k a t b ut it’ s impo rta nt to b e a wa re o f wha t’ s o c c urring in the wo rld a ro und us. T he ima g e s we ’ re g o ing to sho w a re no t o ve rly g ra phic b ut ke e p in mind tha t the re ’ s no sha me in c lo sing yo ur e ye s o r lo o king a wa y a t a ny time . tant: Our c a mpa ig n is no t a b o ut “b a shing ” Ca na dia ns! Mo st Ca na dia n c itize ns a re Impor o ppo se d to the hunt and we wo rk with se ve ra l la rg e g ro ups in Ca na da who a re a lso wo rking ve ry ha rd to e nd the sla ug hte r. T he ta rg e ts o f o ur c a mpa ig n a re the Ca na dia n g o ve rnme nt o ffic ia ls who a utho rize the hunt a nd the Ca na dia n F ishing I ndustry tha t c o nduc ts it. So me pe o ple ha ve q ue stio ne d why sho uld we b e c o nc e rne d a b o ut this issue o r e ve n a nima l we lfa re issue s in g e ne ra l whe n the re ’ s so ma ny o the r ho rrib le thing s g o ing o n to da y like g e no c ide s and wa rs? ? We ll, my a nswe r to tha t is tha t the re is a lso a n o n-g o ing Wa r o n Na ture . T his Wa r o n Na ture do e sn’ t ma ke the he a dline s o r na tio nal ne ws e ve ryda y so yo u’ ll o nly se e b its a nd pie c e s o f it in “b a c k pa g e ” ne ws a rtic le s like the : Ae ria l sho o ting o f wo lve s in Ala ska Bruta l killing o f o ve r a 1000 wha le s in a whale sa nc tua ry in Anta rc tic a Sla ug hte r o f e le pha nts in Afric a fo r the ir ivo ry Bruta l fur industry in China to supply the fa shio n ma rke ts in the US a nd E uro pe Sla ug hte r o f 20-30,000 do lphins a nd pilo t whale s in Ja pa n T he e stima te d 100 millio n sha rks tha t a re kille d a nnua lly wo r ldwide prima rily to supply the sha rk fin de ma nd in Asia Annua l Ca na dia n Se a l Hunt—the la rg e st sla ug hte r o f ma rine ma mma ls in the wo rld. And the list g o e s o n a nd o n…….

Pe o ple will a rg ue tha t we sho uldn’t c a re a b o ut suc h thing s b e c a use we ’ re supe rio r to a nima ls due to o ur inte lle c t a nd po we r o f r e a so ning a nd tha t ma y all b e true whe n me a sure d a g ainst OUR de finitio n o f inte llig e nc e ……but whe n it c o me s to fe e ling s o f pa in, to rme nt a nd suffe ring we a nd the a nima ls a r e e q ua ls a nd we sho uld NE VE R fo rg e t tha t. Ask a udie nc e : Ho w ma ny ha ve he a rd a b o ut the Ca na dia n se a l hunt b e fo re ? (sho w o f ha nds) Ask stude nts whe re the y le a rne d a b o ut it. No t a b o ut “b ashing ” Ca na dia ns. -mo st Ca na dia ns a re o ppo se d to the hunt. -we wo rk with se ve ra l la rg e o rg a niza tio ns in Ca na da -T a rg e t o f c a mpaig n: Ca nadia n g o v’ t o ffic ia ls a nd the Ca na dia n F ishing I ndustry. SL IDE 2 What is a Har p Se al? (Brie f disc ussio n o f se a ls in g e ne ra l a nd whe re ha rp se a ls fit in) 3 fa milie s o f pinnipe ds (tra nsla tio n: “fin-fo o te d”) E a c h fa mily ha s diffe re nt a nd uniq ue physic a l c ha ra c te ristic s. E a re d Se a ls: So me e xa mple s are ; Se a L io ns a nd No rthe rn F ur Se a ls Ma in physic al c ha ra c te ristic s: e xte rna l e ar fla ps. L o ng fo r e flippe rs witho ut fur. On la nd, wa lks o n a ll 4 flippe rs. (ha s a “hip” jo int a t the b a se o f spine a nd c a n pivo t re a r flippe rs unde r it’ s b o dy) T rue Se a ls: So me e xa mple s a r e ; e le pha nt se a ls, ha rb o r se als a nd o f c o urse , Ha rp Se a ls. Ma in physic al c ha ra c te ristic s: no e xte rna l e a r fla ps. Sho rt fo re flippe rs with c la ws. On la nd, the y lie o n the ir b e lly a nd pull the mse lve s fo rwa rd with the ir fo re flippe rs. Wa lruse s: Ha s so me c ha ra c te ristic s o f b o th E are d a nd T rue se a ls. No e xte rna l e a r fla ps. On la nd, wa lks o n a ll 4 flippe rs. Ha s la rg e tusks. No te : T he “ha rp” se a l na me c o me s fro m the da rk “U” sha pe d ma rking o n the b a c k o f the a dult se a ls. A lo ng time a g o so me o ne de c ide d tha t this “U” sha pe ma rk lo o ke d like a music a l ha rp.

SL IDE 3 Har p Seal L ife Cyc le T hin White c o a t: Birth we ig ht: Ab o ut 24 lb s No fa t to insula te a g a inst c o ld a ir o r wa te r. E a c h ha ir is ho llo w to tra p a ir. Air wa rme d b y sun a nd b o dy he a t. Gains 4-5 lb s e a c h da y while nursing . Mo the r’ s milk ha s ve ry hig h fa t c o nte nt (45%). (Also c a lle d “ye llo wc o a t”. Ye llo w c o lo ring is sta in fro m a mnio tic fluid. Will wa sh/ fa de a wa y in 2-3 da ys) F a t White c o a t: (no t sho wn b ut fa t like ra g g e dy ja c ke t) 9-14 da ys o ld. 75-85 lb s. Mo the r we a ns pup a t 12-14 da ys o ld. Ra g g e dy Ja c ke t: mo lting o f white c o a t sta rts a t 14-18 da ys o ld. Be a te r: Ab o ut 18 da ys -1 ye a r o ld. T his is whe n mo st a re kille d. “Be a te r” na me c o me s fro m le a rning ho w to swim. T he y “b e a t” the ir flippe rs o n the wa te r whe n first le a rning to swim. T his is a de fe nse le ss we a ne d b a b y se a l living o ff its fa t re se rve until it c an swim a nd hunt fo r fo o d. Afte r le a rning to swim the y usua lly e a t c ra b s a t first. Be dla me r: (no t sho wn-lo o ks like “Be a te r”) 1-4 ye a rs. Adult: a g e o f se xua lly ma turity: fe ma le s 4-6 ye a rs, ma le s 7-8 ye a rs. F e male s no rma lly ha ve 1 pup pe r ye ar. Afte r we a ning pup, fe ma le s will b e g in ma ting . Ge sta tio n is 11.5 mo nths, inc luding 3 mo nths o f de la ye d impla nta tio n. Birthing , nursing a nd ma ting a ll o c c ur within a 3-4 we e k pe rio d. Adult we ig ht: a b o ut 185-290 lb s. L ife spa n: 30-35 ye a rs SL IDE 4 Har p Seal Die t Die t: 67 diffe re nt va rie tie s o f fish. Ma inly c a pe lin, Arc tic c o d, po la r c o d a nd he rring . (All ha ve little c o mme rc ia l va lue ) Also ha lib ut, shrimp, sma ll c ra b s, sq uid. (T he sto ma c h c o nte nts o f o ve r 12,000 se a ls ha ve b e e n studie d in the pa st 40 ye a rs) pic ture d: to p: Atla ntic c o d, middle : c a pe lin, b o tto m: sq uid I wa nt to ta lk brie fly a b o ut the ir die t b e c a use until re c e ntly, the De pa rtme nt o f F ishe rie s a nd Oc e a ns (DF O) o f the Ca na dia n g o ve rnme nt wa s b la ming the se a ls fo r the c o lla pse o f the va lua b le Atla ntic c o d fishe ry. F o r ye a rs, the y sa id tha t the se a ls we re o ne o f the main re a so ns the Atla ntic c o d po pula tio n c ra she d; o nc e the y sto ppe d spre a ding this misinfo rma tio n, the y c la ime d tha t the se a ls we re pre ve nting the re c o ve ry o f the fishe ry. T he y ha ve sinc e b a c ke d a wa y fro m this po sitio n a s we ll b e c a use the DF O sc ie ntists ha ve sa id the re is no sc ie ntific e vide nc e to suppo rt this. Ho we ve r, the re is sc ie ntific e vide nc e tha t Atla ntic c o d a c c o unts fo r o nly a b o ut 3% o f the se a l’ s die t. It ha s a lso b e e n do c ume nte d tha t the se a ls e a t ma ny o f the pre da to rs o f