Seal Hunting Revival: Balancing Nature's Scales in British Columbia

In a chilling video posted on YouTube, Thomas Seid, president of Pacific Balance Marine Management and founder of Sasquatch Island, discusses the impact of overpopulated pinnipeds on salmon and other finfish in the waters of Western North America. Seid, who is also a member of the Quaak Walky Walky Geek tribe from Northern Vancouver Island, shares his knowledge of the importance of balance and harmony in the animal kingdom according to Native legends. He explains that the Transformer, sent by the Creator, transformed animals into human beings to maintain balance and harmony in the animal kingdom. However, with the arrival of newcomers from Europe and Asia, many Native people disappeared due to diseases they were not accustomed to, and the newcomers harvested pinnipeds for oil and fur, almost driving some species to extinction. Seid shares his personal experience of his father, who used to hunt seals to support his family in the 1960s. He would cut off the noses and sell them for $5 each, and $8 each for sea lion noses. In 1965, a bounty was placed on seals and sea lions in Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia, including California Sea Lions, who were decimating steelhead returning to spawn in the Ballard Locks in Seattle. In 1972, the North American Marine Mammal Protection Act was created, disallowing the harvest and sale of seal and sea lion products in British Columbia, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, and Eastern Canada. This act protected pinniped populations, but they have since exploded, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. Seid believes that the only way to bring the seal and sea lion population back into balance is to redevelop the pinniped industry in California through to Alaska, British Columbia included. He is leading the First Nations, North American Indians of British Columbia campaign to see their Canadian government give them a license to harvest seals and sea lions and sell their organic meat. This video is a must-watch for anyone interested in the impact of overpopulated pinnipeds on the ecosystem and the importance of balance and harmony in the animal kingdom. It's a fascinating look into Native legends and the history of pinniped hunting in Western North America.