The picture that the young man is holding in the larger picture (the top one) is of a whitecoat harp seal, a very, very common image in anti-sealing protests. After about 12-14 days they begin to molt their coat and begin to show their grey fur underneath when they're called "ragged-jackets" at which point they are able to swim and, therefore, escape and are legal to hunt.

The other picture, that the caption claims to be Vicky herself, is, from the look of it to me, a young hooded seal called a blueback. In fact, I would dare say that the exact picture of the blueback can be found by doing a very easy Google Images search for "blueback hooded seal". Bluebacks are also illegal to hunt and have been since 1987, just like whitecoats. (image link: http://bit.ly/aH3XXk)

The fact that the first image is that of a whitecoat and not a ragged-jacket (or certainly an adult seal) is very clearly discovered by looking at images of ragged-jackets (Google 'em). The first thing that you'll notice that's similar about ragged-jackets is that the first place that they tend to start to molt is at the top of their head just behind their eyes and in a line down the middle of their backs. It would, therefore, stand to reason that if this picture was of a ragged-jacket then you would see the molt line running down the animal's back.

I'm not saying don't protest against animal cruelty, or against baby animals being killed, or against bad conservation – those are all important things to protest against – but protest against those PRINCIPLES, not against the seal hunt. Do you not agree that it makes people think a little more about animal cruelty if you mention that lobsters are boiled to death as a matter of routine? How many people do you suppose don't really think of that and yet consider it to be horrible!?

I, for one, don't even kill spiders (even in winter, I keep them indoors until spring) and mosquitoes. I get ridiculed for it, but it is my way. Just today I found an ant on the newspaper after bringing it in and I walked the little guy back outside and set him down.

That said, I truly believe that if one calls one's self an animal rights activist then one organizes protests and events that are inclusive of all animals who need activism. Protesting the issues at issue makes a far more helpful, and consistent, statement.

Still, good point about the baby seal pictures. I'll have to do some more research into that.

Good point Ryan on people not ever using seal products. I have had Moose meat before. Not many people have. Mooseburgers taste different, a bit more gamey. I'm shocked there is no love for Bullwinkle on here. Well, I'm not really that surprised they haven't responded.

One of the quotes I most take exception to in this article is: "These are sentient beings whose mothers are 10 feet away watching their babies – that they just gave birth to, that they’re still nursing…being clubbed and skinned." This clearly shows a lack of knowledge of the species because nursing lasts only 4 to 12 days (seals have the shortest nursing period of ANY mammal) and ends around the same time as the molting period begins – which is the point at which the seal pups are then able to be hunted. So, in most cases these stricken seals are not still being nursed and the mothers have weaned them; that sentence, however, is loaded with emotional triggers intended to draw you in and make you mist up just a little bit.

In truth, after the mother is finished with her feeding her thoughts turn immediately to making next year's pup and so she's off a-courtin' and not worrying about junior and his plight. That's not just as effective as a sound-bite, however.

Last week CITES – a group whose job it is to decide how much of an endangered species can be captured, bought and sold for trade (the TES stands for Trade in Endangered Species) – voted against and ban on the critically endangered bluefin tuna and the "vulnerable" (quote marks used to denote officialism, not scepticism) polar bear. Both votes against, incidentally, were lead by Canada.

The bluefin tuna ain't just Endangered (capitalization required) it is Critically Endangered. Critically. Now I'm not a doctor, nor am I an animal rights activity so maybe I'm not qualified to make this judgment… but isn't critically endangered more urgent than, yknow, not endangered? And the fact that our government voted against the protection for this critically endangered creature, shouldn't that be appalling?

Shouldn't it also be the sort of news that one learns from an animal rights activist (or a doctor) and not from some soullessly nauseating commenter at the Kingstonist? But where, dear Robert, is the outcry for the tuna? Or for your majestic moose?

Mayhap I have missed it, although I have duly searched.

Sure we all know of the atrocities of what happens to cattle, chickens, etc – but the majority of us also eat these animals and wear leather goods and so on. At least there seems to be a reason and it makes sense to a degree, Plus, it's hard to hate something so much when you use it all the time, no one would want to look like a hypocrite :P

I agree though, the protesting of the seal hunt does seem to smack of chest beating a bit. I am curious what 50 people outside of Kingston city hall hope to achieve? I doubt it's awareness, since the media has had that tied up for years. And I don't think Kingston's city hall will be in much of a position to change things either.

Protests are a right I suppose, but best to perform them where change can be affected, otherwise you aren't really gaining anything.

Hmm, I usually avoid these types of discussions and with good reason… oh well.