Whoah, Jack. Something like an attempt to address the actual issue tumbled out in your last post! Keep flinging the darts, though, you'll eventually hit the target. Here we go...

I am trying to be patient but I am not going to argue in circles with you. Here is my beef with this thread.

"I urge EU Mudcatters and Canadian Mudcatters as well to work for the end of this irrational and barbaric slaughter."...EJ

1. Its none of your business. You are not European or Canadian. Your government has already banned seal products.

2. It is not an irrational slaughter. It is you who are being irrational.

3. It is no more barbaric than any other slaughter.

4. If you still insist on minding Canadians' and Europeans' business let me point out that you are being a complete and total hypocrite...JtS

1. Many if not most of the seals killed are in international waters and are neither exclusively the property of you, Canada, Europe, or me. They are a naturally occurring wildlife population. As such, and as the proper stewards of the natural environment that we all should be, it IS my business and everybody else's.

2. Any activity which creates wholesale slaughter of a species with no corresponding and equivalent benefit is irrational in my opinion. Cattle are slaughtered to yield meat, a food which people desire and will pay for. The byproducts of this process, such as leather, is also a commercially viable substance. There is no corresponding demand for seal meat (as Peace said, maybe you and bill and other interested parties could take on a marketing project), and the pelt market doesn't yield the profit to make the industry viable without government assistance. ie., irrational.

3. I can't really think of an action much more barbaric than bashing the brains out of a 2-week old wild animal for an irrational reason...see#2 above... , but (and it's a big but) I realize that the word "barbaric" is a loaded term. What would work better to describe an activity that once had survival significance for the participants, but is now continued for no reasonable (once again, see #2 above) purpose? Archaic?

4. Jack, it was your wife who suggested I get involved in Canadian business by lobbying for a ban on fishing trawlers taking cod in Eastern Canada. I might also add that I have not really notice a reluctance from Canadian or European posters here to make strong comments on American business. Have you criticized American policy on the forum, Jack? If so, would you cop to some hypocrisy yourself?

So, I concede you a point regarding the term "barbaric", and would refrain my initial statements as follows -

"I urge EU Mudcatters and Canadian Mudcatters as well to work for the end of this irrational and archaic slaughter."