population not even being listed as endemic to the Dutch fauna anymore. While
hunting may have had impacts in the past, it was particularly the outbreak of the
phocine distemper virus in 1988 that reduced the seal populations drastically. In
order to ensure the species’ survival, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands
adopted the Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea in 1990
23
as one ‘Agreement’ under the CMS (see Sect. 4.3.2). The agreement fosters the
cooperation between the countries on the protection of Wadden Sea seals through the
adoption of seal management plans, scientific studies and monitoring. The protective
measures in place have led to a significant growth of the populations. Despite this,
the deliberate killing of Wadden Sea seals takes place for two reasons: first, fishers
consider them pest species since they interfere with fishing activities; second, in
order to prevent further outbreaks of diseases, individual seals are being killed to
protect the overall population.
6.5
The Shifting Paradigm: The 1983 Seal Pups Directive
The large-scale hunts in Atlantic Canada were to a large degree driven by commercial incentives, meaning that it was the demand for seal products that motivated these
hunts in the first place. As we have learnt above, seal oil was no longer of interest to
the world since the development of hydrocarbon resources. Instead, it was the
fashion industry that was in high demand for seal fur, first and foremost stemming
from harp and hooded seal pups. The former, the so-called ‘whitecoat’, is indeed the
perfect poster species that almost everybody will know: a white, fluffy seal with
large black eyes. A seal that embodies innocence and cuteness, fragility and purity.
On the one hand, this purity spurred the demands from the fashion industry since the
white fur was a much sought-after commodity for high quality fashion products; on
the other hand, it was exactly these trademarks that fuelled the anti-sealing protests
of the 1970s. At that time, it was particularly the European markets that were looking
for seal furs, inevitably making them the primary target for anti-sealing protests.
Three countries were particularly interesting for the anti-sealing movement in this
regard: the United Kingdom, West Germany and the Netherlands. Organisations
such as IFAW or Greenpeace put significant efforts into creating materials that
depicted the cruelty of the seal hunt and that addressed the conservation status of
seals. The efforts did not miss their mark and several million letters and phone calls
by concerned citizens of Europe reached the European Parliament, putting pressure
on policy makers, urging them to take action to protect seals. But letters and phone
calls did not constitute the only means of action: in the UK and in West Germany,
thousands of people took to the streets protesting against the seal hunt and for the
putting into place of trade measures to stop the hunt.
Impressed by such massive public outcry, in 1978 Italy was the first country to
nationally ban the import and trade of seal products stemming from seals smaller
23 Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea, 16 Oct 1990.
6.5 The Shifting Paradigm: The 1983 Seal Pups Directive
145
hunting may have had impacts in the past, it was particularly the outbreak of the
phocine distemper virus in 1988 that reduced the seal populations drastically. In
order to ensure the species’ survival, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands
adopted the Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea in 1990
23
as one ‘Agreement’ under the CMS (see Sect. 4.3.2). The agreement fosters the
cooperation between the countries on the protection of Wadden Sea seals through the
adoption of seal management plans, scientific studies and monitoring. The protective
measures in place have led to a significant growth of the populations. Despite this,
the deliberate killing of Wadden Sea seals takes place for two reasons: first, fishers
consider them pest species since they interfere with fishing activities; second, in
order to prevent further outbreaks of diseases, individual seals are being killed to
protect the overall population.
6.5
The Shifting Paradigm: The 1983 Seal Pups Directive
The large-scale hunts in Atlantic Canada were to a large degree driven by commercial incentives, meaning that it was the demand for seal products that motivated these
hunts in the first place. As we have learnt above, seal oil was no longer of interest to
the world since the development of hydrocarbon resources. Instead, it was the
fashion industry that was in high demand for seal fur, first and foremost stemming
from harp and hooded seal pups. The former, the so-called ‘whitecoat’, is indeed the
perfect poster species that almost everybody will know: a white, fluffy seal with
large black eyes. A seal that embodies innocence and cuteness, fragility and purity.
On the one hand, this purity spurred the demands from the fashion industry since the
white fur was a much sought-after commodity for high quality fashion products; on
the other hand, it was exactly these trademarks that fuelled the anti-sealing protests
of the 1970s. At that time, it was particularly the European markets that were looking
for seal furs, inevitably making them the primary target for anti-sealing protests.
Three countries were particularly interesting for the anti-sealing movement in this
regard: the United Kingdom, West Germany and the Netherlands. Organisations
such as IFAW or Greenpeace put significant efforts into creating materials that
depicted the cruelty of the seal hunt and that addressed the conservation status of
seals. The efforts did not miss their mark and several million letters and phone calls
by concerned citizens of Europe reached the European Parliament, putting pressure
on policy makers, urging them to take action to protect seals. But letters and phone
calls did not constitute the only means of action: in the UK and in West Germany,
thousands of people took to the streets protesting against the seal hunt and for the
putting into place of trade measures to stop the hunt.
Impressed by such massive public outcry, in 1978 Italy was the first country to
nationally ban the import and trade of seal products stemming from seals smaller
23 Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea, 16 Oct 1990.
6.5 The Shifting Paradigm: The 1983 Seal Pups Directive
145