Finally, eating Seals is cool. Are you ready?

[NautiGirl]

Go "old school" on the Juan de Fuca and Georgia Straight seal population. Take a reasonable proportion of seal stocks out of the population annually, and remove an equal weight from the native food fish quota. I am sure that seal meat was part of the diet and that seal pelts and meat were traded before the natives' lifestyles were effected by the arrival of Europeans. I will gladly harvest one fat harbour seal in exchange for allowing 150lb+ of salmon go upriver to spawn.

I asked DFO years ago if I could get a licence to seal on the Pacific and they refused and said no one will be getting any on the left coast. It is too big a political football for them to handle.

 

[TheBigGuy]

I've posted this before, but it seem to be a long forgotten (or conveniently buried) factoid. The federal government developed a subcutaneous birth control for seal populations on the east coast many years ago. It was feared the seal population on the east coast would explode when the embargo on seal pelts was put in place. The govt developed a birth control for seals that was injectable by a dart gun to control seal reproduction. The seals would obviously be far easier to inject when exposed above the water on the ice flows. The government was concerned that an increased seal population would hamper recovery of the Atlantic cod stocks which they had managed into collapse.

Perhaps it would take more money to adapt the birth control to West Coast seal populations. I don't know If the injection would work on our native species. I assume the cost of managing and administering the shot to our out of control seal populations is why a program has never been put in place. Our cod stocks are also not a big political vote getter like in Atlantic Canada either. So aside from the funds issue, there is no big political pay off for controling our seal problem like with voters back east .

Maybe someone with more knowledge on the subject can speak to the history of this long forgotten project.

 

[agentaqua]

I thought lead would be an immediate contraceptive. Here's the abstract to that study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9373857

 

[TheBigGuy]

I guess lead has a 100% success rate at preventing reproduction if you're a good shot. 90% is a pretty good prevention rate for a contraceptive though, and a whole lot easier to sell to the public than blasting away at the cute fur bags. That would keep the seal population in check without getting everyone up in arms about killing the cute Salmon thieves. Thanks for the link AA, I figured you'd dig up something. You're the master Agentaqua.

 

[Prairie Locked]

Maybe I would like sailing alone as well.... heh, heh.....

Can I be your Lieutenant Dan? Lol

Instead of 'sea legs', maybe I can bring 'seal legs'...

 

[Teja]

Would much rather host a seal feast for the transient whales.

 

[TheBigGuy]

In consevation posting we have sea lice and fish farms. i had a great idea for the abandond farms. seal on ice farms. a form of spca for seals .and we study them fix them and eventually selective remove them from the population in farm for harvest or release by there attiude.

"Would much rather host a seal feast for the transient whales"

Perfect, combine the two. Pen problem seals in a fish farm. Then train the transient Orcas that Uncle Willys Seal Buffet is now open for business.

 

[Stoisy]

https://ediblecanada.com/eat/

The "Dine Out" menu is sporting a Newfoundland Seal Pappardelle for a limited time... Might be worth checking out! 30$ for a set menu

 

[walleyes]

I have worked with numerous boys out of Newfoundland over the years and the topic has come up often. Its more common as one would imagine in the northern remote areas of the island than in the cities. They say it's definitely an acquired taste. Some hate it some like it. One thing they all agree on is the smell when it's being cooked, they say it's very strong smelling and if you can get past that the taste isn't all that bad.

 

[chinnok]

I'm from Newfoundland and IMO seal tastes terrible but my Dad loved the flippers. When he grew up they didn't have many options.

 

[TheBigGuy]

I really don't care what it tastes like. I still want to have my beach fire BBQ'd seal on a spit. Sure it might take a bunch of shots of tequila to deaden the old taste buds before chowing down, but that's a just being sociable right. Bunch of buds on the beach whooping er up, before the feast. Hell you could probably raise a lot of money for Salmon enhancement with all of the guys that would love to take a bite out of one of them for a change. Seems like a no brainer, for an annual fundraiser. Pass the Salt and lime, mmm, good. I'm salivating already.

FYI, I've got dibs on that gray f***er at the mouth of the Cap.

 

[agentaqua]

A "Handmade Cosmetics" shop in Vancouver has cut and pasted this article from our "friends" at the Sea Shepherd Society - filled with inaccuracies and out-and-out lies (e.g. harvesting the white coats):

Ban the Seal Hunt
End Canada’s license to kill
http://www.lush.ca/on/demandware.st...Article?cid=article_ethical-ban-the-seal-hunt

Their email address is: customercare@lush.com and more contact info - in case anyone wishes to give them another perspective: http://www.lush.ca/on/demandware.store/Sites-LushCA-Site/en_CA/CustomerService-Page?cid=contact-us

 

[agentaqua]

Interestingly, a restaurant on Granville Island in Vancouver is now serving seal meat - for those who want to give it a try. The Watson gang are attacking the restaurant on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ediblecanada/reviews/

The contact info/location is as below:

Edible Canada at the Market
1596 Johnston Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

@ediblecanada
info@ediblecanada.com
http://www.ediblecanada.com/

Call (604) 682-6681

 

[capt hook]

they should give our first nations people permits to harvest them..
the skin /fur is the best for hats, gloves, vests , boots , seat covers in your boat etc.
it would be a nice little industry for them.
i think they need to hunt with a cross bow with reel attached so they can retrive them.
when i,ve seen them shot , they sink pretty fast and are hard to get before going under.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Interestingly, a restaurant on Granville Island in Vancouver is now serving seal meat - for those who want to give it a try. The Watson gang are attacking the restaurant on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ediblecanada/reviews/

The contact info/location is as below:

Edible Canada at the Market
1596 Johnston Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

@ediblecanada
info@ediblecanada.com
http://www.ediblecanada.com/

Call (604) 682-6681

Pretty sad the organized negative review campaign that is being targeted at this restaurant for simply serving a Canadian heritage dish on their menu. They are posting negative reviews to impact the restaurants online rating, when none of them have even dined there.
I hope they don't succeed in driving them out of business for simply serving a plentiful game dish.

 

[seascene]

Beach stroll this morning along Sea Bay saw a huddled group of about a dozen seals 100' from shore looking in all directions pretty nervous. I did not see any 6' dorsal fins anywhere. I did see coupla big walrus further out. As far as I know they do not eat seal. I would guess that earlier a pod of orca pushed them shorewards. Regarding the restaurant posts about serving seal I am going to make a point of going there next time in Van.

 

[agentaqua]

Walrus? Where are you seascene?

 

[seascene]

Walrus? Where are you seascene?

... bottom of my 2nd 650 ml Tofino blonde (time of posting that) why ?

 

[agentaqua]

... bottom of my 2nd 650 ml Tofino blonde (time of posting that) why ?

Ha! Good sense of humour, seascene. It's just that South of the Bering Strait in Alaska - it'd be pretty uncommon to see a walrus.

Are you sure the animals weren't sea lions instead (tusks??)?

 

[TheBigGuy]

Or perhaps you've been into this? Probably go great with some BBQ'd seal.