The total number of species known to be threatened stands at 16,938 according to Endangered Species International. Of the 44,838 species assessed using the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List criteria, 16,928 are listed as threatened with extinction, with millions of species still yet to be assessed. As a result, the number of threatened species is definitely much higher than the current estimate. Threatened species are those listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable.

According to Wikipedia, A vulnerable species is a species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve. An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or completely extinct in the immediate future.

With so many species of animals threatened today, why are the animal rights protest groups screaming about Canada’s seal hunt? The Canadian harp seal is one of the most abundant animals on the planet. According to the Canadian Government Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian harp seal is listed as “least concerned”. Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, nor Near Threatened. Many common species such as the Pigeon are assigned the Least Concern category. The harp seal population is healthy and abundant. The Northwest Atlantic harp seal population is currently estimated at 5.6 million animals, nearly triple the population seen in the 1970s, and has been at that level for the past ten years.

What animal right protest groups have learned is that through cleverly worded propaganda messages, they can get the public to go running for their chequebooks. The animal rights groups use the Canadian seal hunt as an annual fund-raising event and their attacks fill up their coffers by using emotional pitches and half-truths. The fact is, these groups are actually making more money from the annual Atlantic seal hunt than the sealers themselves earn. Take for example the $77.5 million U.S. the International Fund For Animal Welfare raised last year – it’s easy to see that the seal hunt actually benefits the protest groups. Greenpeace pulls in 35 million dollars a year. PETA makes close to 31 million. HSUS earns a hefty 107 million a year. Fund raising, not protection of species, is often their prime objective.

Animal rights groups were very quick to see the economical gold mine in “Saving” Canadian seals. In 2007, it is estimated that animal rights groups earned nearly 300 million dollars worldwide protesting the seal hunt in that one year. This begs to question, how much money have the animal rights groups made since they started protesting the Canadian seal hunt in the 1970s? The figures are staggering. To put it into some perspective, the animal rights protest industry earns enough money each year to buy every last seal hunting vessel in Newfoundland – every single year.

In 2008 the sealers earned approximately 8.25 million dollars directly from the seal hunt. That is 250 thousand seals harvested at $33 (Canadian) each. The estimated earnings by the major players in the seal protest industry stands at 330 million dollars. For the sealers to earn their living, they require a ship and crew, expense money,and fuel; additionally, they need to be willing to take significant risks (four Canadian sealers died in 2008) for which they get paid very little.
The majority of Seal hunt protesters on the other hand, only require a computer, a chair and their hot coffee, for which they get paid their 330 million dollars.

The moral of the story here seems to be to get out of sealing and get into the seal protest business.

Animal rights protest groups argue against the Canadian seal hunt, a hunt for one of the most numerous animals on the planet, solely for the purpose of fund-raising. All the while, 16,938 species of animals that are actually in danger of extinction seem to be ignored.

Links:

http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/overview2.html