I focus on the case 23 : The Canadian Seal Hunt. It is a unique problem can not find some before substitutes. According to the articles I researched (Sara Malm, 2015), it is easy to find out that hunters are not humane when hunting a seal. There is a huge conflict between the commercial hunters and the animals’ protectors. Beside these two, there are other stakeholders who take involved in this issue, such as crowds and Canadian governments, whose attitude is really vague. Stakeholders have various values of interests and one side’s views can be strongly opposed by the other member. In this circumstance, numbers of alternatives will be really large and there is not a perfect solution making all the stakeholders satisfied. Furthermore, there has not been a stopping rule which can solve this issue in so far. The environment keeps changing so even we have a solutions, it may be not capable of catching the pace of change of environment, for example, the movements of ice, ocean currents and barometric pressure. To conclude, seal hunt is unique, ill-structured, unstable and persistent. It has multiple stakeholders with multiple views. It possess the characteristics of a wicked problem. In one word, poor knowledge and different values of stakeholders cause commercial Seal Hunt a wicked problem.
Mind map for commercial seal hunt
In terms of the process of making mind map, facts, stakeholders, impacts and improvements are the four main branches which firstly came in my mind. I collect several important facts of seal hunt, which may be useful in future analysis. For example, 3-month old baby seals are the main focus of the hunters and it is really unsustainable. However, 5000 to 6000 Canadians make their life on this, which makes this issue complicated and hard to solve. (Myths and facts, 2008)
Quite a few of stakeholders take involved in hunting and their values as well as interests vary a lot. From the perspective of the environmentalists, they argue that seal hunt in inhumane and unsustainable(Sara Malm, 2015), taking a lot of pictures to prove their statements. (Nick Visser, 2015) However, on the other side, Canada government show a totally opposite attitude towards seal hunt. According to their websites, seal hunt is “highly sustainable, economically significant, humanely harvested and strictly regulated”(Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2015) There is a huge divergence in their statements and the real situation is hard to be figured out.
Hunting’s huge impacts make it a serious problem that we need to pay high attention to. For the biological sector, biodiversity and ecosystem there will face a catastrophe if we keep doing nothing. There are tons of articles recording a hunting disaster, claiming seal is a significant role in maintain balance of marine system. (Death on ice, 1972) However, it is hard to decide what to do and make most of the crowds agree. Furthermore, since this is a commercial hunting, economic sector becomes a indispensable portion. Hence, policy maker ought to take consideration of the short-term profit as well as the long run economy. Even politician add subsidy to seal hunt since its huge political advantage. (Animal Alliance of Canada) Though European Union suggest a ban of seal hunt, politicians inside Canada are not willing to execute it.
Last but not least, we need to hand in some improvements in order to lighten the current pressure of this issue. Other than the three sectors mentioned above, technology is a nice breakthrough point. If possible, we can utilize technology and chemicals to help seals. If the DNA can be changed, the baby seals may shed their “white coat” later, gaining more time for them to survive and reproduce.
Hopefully finally we can come out with some solutions to make a “greener business” for seal hunting with most degree of consensus.
References:
Canada Commercial Seal Hunt Animal Alliance of Canada retreived from http://www.animalalliance.ca/campaigns/canadian-commercial-seal-hunt-seafood-boycott.html
Fisheries and oceans Canada Canada Seal harvest at a glance retreived from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/seal-phoque/facts-faits/facts-faitsb-eng.htm
Fisheries and oceans Canada Frequently asked questions about seal harvest retreived from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/seal-phoque/faq-eng.htm
Graphic Video Of Annual Canadian Seal Hunt Released By Animal Rights Group, Nicker Visser, 2015 retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/20/canada-baby-seals-killed_n_7087092.html
Myths and facts: The truth about Canada’s commercial seal hunt Humane Society International/Canada, 2008 retreived from http://www.hsi.org/world/canada/work/protect_seals/research/seal_myths_and_facts.html
Return to Canada’s killing fields: Government gives green light for almost HALF A MILLION seals to be killed for their fur in annual cull – and vast majority will be pups who die by a club or ice pick to the head, Sara Malm, 2015, retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3014363/Canada-s-killing-fields-Government-gives-green-light-HALF-MILLION-seals-killed-fur-annual-cull-vast-majority-pups.html