The Wire

Seal hunting season has commenced in Canada, with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, or DFO, setting the total allocated catch at 275,000 harp seals. Every year the hunt provokes fierce debate amongst animal welfare groups and the DFO, who supports the hunt. The DFO says that contrary to the accusations of the activists, the seal hunting is strictly monitored and humane. They also say that in some coastal communities it contributes 25-35 per cent of annual incomes.