Storm delays second phase of seal slaughter

The conservation ship Farley Mowat seen in calmer weather during the first phase of the seal kill on April 1. Picture / Reuters

Conservationists attempting to disrupt the second phase of the annual Canadian seal kill are crediting a spring storm with keeping most of the sealers ashore.

Paul Watson, leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said this morning that his crew were "in a joyful mood" on what had been planned as the first day of killing on the Newfoundland Front.

In an email from his ship, Farley Mowat, at 1.30am today (NZT), Watson said 200 of some 300 sealing ships in the area had headed for port in the face of the storm.

"I love this storm," Watson said. "I hope it gets worse, much worse. If ever we needed the perfect storm it is today and the rest of this week."

He said sealers who sought refuge in port could find themselves trapped.

"The wind is pressuring the ice against the land and they will be locked in as if Neptune slammed the frozen gates of hell shut behind them. They will have a hard time returning. And the ones out here with the Farley Mowat have their own share of problems." 

The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans last night postponed the start of the hunt from Tuesday (local time) to Thursday, and the bad weather was expected to continue for several days.

"It is like a replay of the fortunate weather that plagued the sealers in the Gulf (of St Lawrence) on the second day of the seal kill there. The Gulf sealers did not make their quota there and with luck the Front sealers won't either."

He said 34,000 seals had been killed in the Gulf, which was 56,000 below the quota of 90,000. As a result, the Newfoundland Front quota had been increased by 56,000 to a total of 285,000 baby seals.

Canada plans to kill 320,000 baby seals this year, and over one million seals in the three years ending this year.

Watson said his 54m ship was being tossed about by the storm with decks awash and surrounded by ice. He said the volunteer crew were committed to remaining in the seal killing area, in defiance of Canadian law that makes it illegal to observe the killing.

"The seals can be seen in the water and riding small pans of ice. They look at home and content in this environment and if they are happy, we are happy," said Watson's wife, Allison Lance Watson.

The conservationists say their ship is being shadowed by the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Henry Larsen.

"One sealing ship calling the Coast Guard was told they were busy elsewhere," Capt Watson said. "They neglected to say they were busy tailing the Farley Mowat."