My 2 cents again
There is a difference between testing commercial products on animals, and conducting MEDICAL research on animals.
The first one is frowned upon, and a lot of companies specify that their products were not tested on animals. No one wants to see animals suffer to see if something like hair spray stings the eyes
The second one however is important. Like some posters have already mentioned, there is no effective and clinical way to do without animals in some instances. We can work in vivo and in vitro at the cellular level for some drugs, but with the sheer complexity of the human body, animals are best we got in most cases. My experience with cancer research, we have obtained rats that were bred percisely for research and would not be found ordinarily in the wild. There is not a better way to induce tumour growth to test cancer drugs.
PETA and other like minded organizations seem to think it's easy and that any researcher can experiement on animals. That's not correct
You have to apply for animal testing rights, and both the US and Canada have Medical Research Bodies that specific oversee such applications. Animal experiementation has to be justified and shown to be necessary as there is no other effective way to experiment before it's allowed. There is also oversite bodies that monitor for abuse and penalties can be severe such as revoking of research licenses if animals are not treated humanely.
Also, Alberta (can't recall if it's a province or Country standard, too long ago) have some incredibly strict rules for testing. All procedures much be humane, even when we have to kill the animals. Animals are usually knocked out first with drugs or gas, and their euthanisia done using efficient techniques to ensure the animal feels no pain (cervical dislocation, Removal of blood directly from the heart...etc). For our rats, the tumours are not overly painful and once the tumours grow too large and the rats begin to have problems, they are quickly euthanized
we as humans are different than the animals for our ability to reason and adapt. Animal rights, just like any rights, are a human creation that does not occur with the animals (that we know of). Animals don't care about pain when they inject vemon to dissolve the insides of their prey (Poisonous spiders and snakes), tear apart their prey (any animal with sharp teeth, claws), or crush and strangle (snakes).
As humans, we think higher about oursleves and learn to respect what we have, so of course their is emotion when it comes to killing something for the sake of killing it, or even taking more than needed.
However, we also have the ability to rationlize that as the top order of the world, we have the intelligence to use what is in our environment, and use it as we see fit. Right now, it's not the matter that we can kill things, but whether it should is what everyone is torn up apart.
With medical testing on animals, unfortunately it is a need at this time until a more effective method is made available. All steps are taken to ensure animals are not mistreated, abused, or suffer needlessly.
Back on topic, this hunt is backed by sound scientific backing that determines the numbers that can be safely culled without effecting the ecosystem. There is no clubbing anymore as the seals are culled using rifles, which is much more humane. I think seals are cute and it's a horrifying image to know that they are hunted. However, this legislation is ruled by emotion. I rather people just take upon themselves to avoid seal products, or any products they don't agree with. That's noble of them and I respect their right to.
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