This article talks about the fact that baby seals are already dying from lack of sea ice. The largest marine-mammal hunt in the world was set to begin March 28th, and has now been postponed to later this week. Non-profit organizations say that the hunt should be canceld all together. The hold was place this year as well as last year because the ice floes where the harp seals meet to give birth and raise their pups are breaking up due to the above average temperatures we are experiencing. Because the pups don't have the swimming skills or body isulation needed to keep them safe, they are drowing or freezing. This years ice coverage is worse than that in 2002 when three-quarters of Canada's seal pups died because of the thin ice. This is apparently the worst one scientist has seen since 1981. This is the 5th year of bad ice in 7 and the common concenses is that it is due to GLOBAL WARMING!!!!! The pups are completing ice dependent. They are fed by their mothers for 12-14 days and then left alone. They need the ice to rest after fishing. They aren't great swimmers and need to be able to take a break, without ice the simply drown. The govenment is planning on decresing the quota from the proposed 335,000 to 270,000. The majority of the seals are caught off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, where the hunt is considered necessary to keep populations under control. IFAW an animal welfare group feels that this number is to high and unsustainable. They are worried the population will decline if more than 165,000 seals are caught. Records indicate that the seal population has been stable since 1994. The next survey has been moved up to 2008.
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