The
current seal quota stands at around 2000, meaning that
each hunting season enough mammalian actors to fill 500
Sea Worlds are disposed of. However, the actual number
of kills falls below that level. Hence, the introduction
of Norway's newest tourist attraction.
So,
with recently relaxed national laws governing seal hunting,
tourists willing to pay around $250 will get a day out
in the wilderness and your own personal choice of seal
to kill. Those with a more bloody temper can fork out
more than $1600 for a four'day jaunt.
...This
could be a big hit,... Norwegian Minister of Fisheries
and Coastal Affairs Svein Ludvigsen said last month presumably
following his remark with a curt ...No pun intended....
...The
idea is not to step up seal hunting, or render the species
extinct. All we're doing is allowing foreigners to take
part.
...The
seals are a real threat to the fishing industry....
And
fishing is big business in the small Scandinavian country.
It is their second largest export after oil, with an estimated
annual value of between $5.5'6.5 billion.
Understandably,
the conservation and tourism industry were a little appalled
at the plan despite Norway currently being the only country
to conduct commercial whaling.
...It
is ridiculous to import foreign help to do something that
Norwegian fishers themselves don't bother doing,... fired
Rasmus Hansson, head of the World Wildlife Fund's Norwegian
section.
...There
have always been seals along the Norwegian coast. They
are part of nature. We can't just go around killing whatever
it is we don't like about nature....
However,
the issue is a bit murkier than it appears at first'hand
with the reasoning behind the move centering on bringing
seal hunting into line with the various other forms of
hunting. Each year foreigners apply for licenses to shoot
game such as deer and moose, but first they must pass
a series of strict tests including marksmanship. Reports
that a successful hit on a seal is rewarded with a series
of tokens redeemable for soft, cuddly toys at the gift
shop have yet to be confirmed.
Images
courtesy of Geek
Philosopher
