Grounded :-(
In the course of the morning, the weather conditions have worsened. At midday we pace around the HSUS head office. The prospects aren't good. The group that left this morning haven't had it easy. They are not only witnessing the horrors of the hunt, but the camerawork is made extra difficult by the rain. We hear that the IFAW didn't even attempt to land on the ice today since it was so dangerous.
Things aren't looking good for our first trip to the ice. The return of the helicopters is delayed by the fact that they are forced to refuel on the Magdalen islands. Without this fuel they'd never make it back to the heliport where we await them. It is now extremely uncertain whether we will be able to take off at all. The pilots are really experienced and risk-takers, if they say it's too dangerous no-one is going to argue with them!
As we wait, a CBC journalist arrives to interview Rebecca Aldworth as soon as she arrives. I get talking to him and tell him about the weight of Dutch public opinion against the hunt. Before I know it I'm on camera telling our story. I think that it'll be broadcast this evening on Canadian TV.
The two helicopters arrive in the pouring rain. Everybody looks really wiped out emotionally. They begin to share their experiences with us. Even veterans of the seal campaigns are highly disturbed by what they have seen. The hunt is more brutal than ever. Everyone listens as Rebecca is interviewed.
The lot of one particular seal, barely three weeks old, has made a deep impression on everyone. This animal survived being clubbed, but was left for an hour and a half next to a dead seal slowly suffocating in his own blood. Everyone is angry and frustrated. They are forbidden to intervene & no sealer comes back to finish the animal off. He continues to suffe. At least if a sealer comes back he could be put out of his misery. Rebecca tells that they were seriously considering loading the seal into the helicopter and taking it to the vet's school on PEI.
rAls dat zo was dan was hij uit zijn lijden verlost. She asks where the hell the DFO were to uphold the marine mammal regulations. They only saw a spotter plan which was checking up on the observers. She's furious and not without good cause. After 1.5 hours a skinning team arrives, steps on the seal, notices that it is still alive and clubs it to death. It is too barbaric for words.
As she tells her story, tears well up in my eyes. I haven't even got ou to the ice yet. I now also have a stay of execution. There is such thick fog that it is too dangerous to fly. We're really disappointed, but we are now scheduled to leave at 6 am next morning - at least if the weather permits...
Needless to say, I'll keep you posted.
Things aren't looking good for our first trip to the ice. The return of the helicopters is delayed by the fact that they are forced to refuel on the Magdalen islands. Without this fuel they'd never make it back to the heliport where we await them. It is now extremely uncertain whether we will be able to take off at all. The pilots are really experienced and risk-takers, if they say it's too dangerous no-one is going to argue with them!
As we wait, a CBC journalist arrives to interview Rebecca Aldworth as soon as she arrives. I get talking to him and tell him about the weight of Dutch public opinion against the hunt. Before I know it I'm on camera telling our story. I think that it'll be broadcast this evening on Canadian TV.
The two helicopters arrive in the pouring rain. Everybody looks really wiped out emotionally. They begin to share their experiences with us. Even veterans of the seal campaigns are highly disturbed by what they have seen. The hunt is more brutal than ever. Everyone listens as Rebecca is interviewed.
The lot of one particular seal, barely three weeks old, has made a deep impression on everyone. This animal survived being clubbed, but was left for an hour and a half next to a dead seal slowly suffocating in his own blood. Everyone is angry and frustrated. They are forbidden to intervene & no sealer comes back to finish the animal off. He continues to suffe. At least if a sealer comes back he could be put out of his misery. Rebecca tells that they were seriously considering loading the seal into the helicopter and taking it to the vet's school on PEI.
rAls dat zo was dan was hij uit zijn lijden verlost. She asks where the hell the DFO were to uphold the marine mammal regulations. They only saw a spotter plan which was checking up on the observers. She's furious and not without good cause. After 1.5 hours a skinning team arrives, steps on the seal, notices that it is still alive and clubs it to death. It is too barbaric for words.
As she tells her story, tears well up in my eyes. I haven't even got ou to the ice yet. I now also have a stay of execution. There is such thick fog that it is too dangerous to fly. We're really disappointed, but we are now scheduled to leave at 6 am next morning - at least if the weather permits...
Needless to say, I'll keep you posted.
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