Case Study - Seal Defense (Primary)
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Lesson duration is: 20 minIntroduction
This Case Study connects with our Lesson Plans: Seals. It focuses on our campaign defending seals.
Instructions
This Case Study connects with our Lesson Plans: Seals. It focuses on our campaign defending seals.
This Case Study takes 20 minutes to complete.
Contact: education@seashepherdglobal.org
© Sea Shepherd 2021
This Case Study takes 20 minutes to complete.
Contact: education@seashepherdglobal.org
© Sea Shepherd 2021
Instructions
Items in this lesson
Slide 1 - Slide
This lesson is provided by Sea Shepherd. Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 and is a marine conservation organisation working to protect the ocean and marine wildlife. Sea Shepherd works globally on a range of issues impacting the oceans, running numerous direct action campaigns each year. Seals are one species that Sea Shepherd is aiming to protect.
Slide 2 - Slide
During the lesson we will use these icons to identify the learning actions.
Slide 3 - Slide
Canadian Seal Hunt
Each year in Canada hundreds of thousands of seals are targeted by hunters for their fur, blubber and meat. Young, white coat, harp seal pups are killed and skinned in front of their mothers. They are used in the fashion industry.
Each year in Canada hundreds of thousands of seals are targeted by hunters for their fur, blubber and meat. Young, white coat, harp seal pups are killed and skinned in front of their mothers. They are used in the fashion industry.
Slide 4 - Map
The map shows the location of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.
Slide 5 - Slide
Canadian Seal Hunt
In March 1979, the Sea Shepherd (Sea Shepherd’s first ship) became the first ship to go into the ice, in order to protect the seals on the East Coast of Canada. Captain Watson and his crew saved over a thousand baby seals by spraying their white coats with an indelible organic dye to render them commercially worthless. They were arrested by the authorities for interfering in the seal hunt, by coming to close to the seal hunt.
In 1980, despite a court order barring Captain Watson from going near the Canadian sea hunt, he led a crew with three ocean kayaks to the Gulf of St. Lawrence to spray hundreds of seals with harmless blue dye to stop them from being killed.
In March 1979, the Sea Shepherd (Sea Shepherd’s first ship) became the first ship to go into the ice, in order to protect the seals on the East Coast of Canada. Captain Watson and his crew saved over a thousand baby seals by spraying their white coats with an indelible organic dye to render them commercially worthless. They were arrested by the authorities for interfering in the seal hunt, by coming to close to the seal hunt.
In 1980, despite a court order barring Captain Watson from going near the Canadian sea hunt, he led a crew with three ocean kayaks to the Gulf of St. Lawrence to spray hundreds of seals with harmless blue dye to stop them from being killed.
Slide 6 - Slide
Canadian Seal Hunt 1983
In 1983 the Sea Shepherd II blockaded the harbor at St. John's, Newfoundland, and prevented the Canadian sealing fleet from leaving for two weeks. The Sea Shepherd II then moved to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, escorting the sealing ships away from the harp seal nursery. RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard units rammed and boarded the Sea Shepherd II in a tear-gas assault, arresting Captain Watson and nineteen crewmembers. The Sea Shepherd II was confiscated and Captain Watson was fined $75,000. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to violate the Seal Protection Act, and another 6 months for approaching within a half a nautical mile of a seal hunt.
In 1984 the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Captain Watson, dropping all charges.
In 1983 the Sea Shepherd II blockaded the harbor at St. John's, Newfoundland, and prevented the Canadian sealing fleet from leaving for two weeks. The Sea Shepherd II then moved to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, escorting the sealing ships away from the harp seal nursery. RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard units rammed and boarded the Sea Shepherd II in a tear-gas assault, arresting Captain Watson and nineteen crewmembers. The Sea Shepherd II was confiscated and Captain Watson was fined $75,000. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to violate the Seal Protection Act, and another 6 months for approaching within a half a nautical mile of a seal hunt.
In 1984 the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Captain Watson, dropping all charges.
Slide 7 - Slide
Canadian Seal Hunt 1998
In March 1998, with the death rate from the Canadian sealing industry reaching 500,000 a year, the Sea Shepherd III made the voyage to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, as the first conservation vessel at Canada's annual wildlife hunt since 1983.
The visit attracted international journalists to the seal hunt and kept sealers away from the main seal nursery.
In March 1998, with the death rate from the Canadian sealing industry reaching 500,000 a year, the Sea Shepherd III made the voyage to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, as the first conservation vessel at Canada's annual wildlife hunt since 1983.
The visit attracted international journalists to the seal hunt and kept sealers away from the main seal nursery.
Slide 8 - Slide
Canadian Seal Hunt 2008
In 2008 the Farley Mowat arrived in the ice floes of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to document the illegal sealing operations. Although the ship never entered Canadian territorial waters, the Canadian government sends a SWAT team to board and seized the ship, and to confiscate all video and photos taken of the seal hunt. Dutch Captain Alex Cornelissen and Swedish First Officer Peter Hammarstedt were arrested and charged for approaching too close to a seal hunt.
They were released on $10,000 bail, posted by Captain Watson using Canadian $2 coins.
The timely voyage focused international attention on the Canadian seal hunt and contributed to the European Parliament adopting a proposal to ban all seal products within the European Union. This dramatically reduced the demand for seal products and resulted in a huge reduction in the seal hunt numbers in Canada.
In 2008 the Farley Mowat arrived in the ice floes of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to document the illegal sealing operations. Although the ship never entered Canadian territorial waters, the Canadian government sends a SWAT team to board and seized the ship, and to confiscate all video and photos taken of the seal hunt. Dutch Captain Alex Cornelissen and Swedish First Officer Peter Hammarstedt were arrested and charged for approaching too close to a seal hunt.
They were released on $10,000 bail, posted by Captain Watson using Canadian $2 coins.
The timely voyage focused international attention on the Canadian seal hunt and contributed to the European Parliament adopting a proposal to ban all seal products within the European Union. This dramatically reduced the demand for seal products and resulted in a huge reduction in the seal hunt numbers in Canada.
Slide 9 - Video
Operation Icewatch 2017
In March 2017, a Sea Shepherd team flew over the Gulf of St. Lawrence to document an ecological disaster. Movie star Michelle Rodriguez joined the group to help bring attention to the Baby Harp Seals, similar to what French actress Brigitte Bardot did 40 years ago when she posed with Baby Harp Seals. Show video (1.49min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TxXweRTS58
In March 2017, a Sea Shepherd team flew over the Gulf of St. Lawrence to document an ecological disaster. Movie star Michelle Rodriguez joined the group to help bring attention to the Baby Harp Seals, similar to what French actress Brigitte Bardot did 40 years ago when she posed with Baby Harp Seals. Show video (1.49min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TxXweRTS58
Slide 10 - Video
Operation Icewatch 2017
Harp seals are facing the threat of seal hunts and the disappearing ice. Operation Icewatch witnessed firsthand the difficulty seals face in finding solid ice to nurse their young. Seal pups are drowning as ice disappears beneath them, well before they are able to swim.
Show this video (2.01 min) which shows the disappearing icesheet in 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbqoQK8wzwQ
Harp seals are facing the threat of seal hunts and the disappearing ice. Operation Icewatch witnessed firsthand the difficulty seals face in finding solid ice to nurse their young. Seal pups are drowning as ice disappears beneath them, well before they are able to swim.
Show this video (2.01 min) which shows the disappearing icesheet in 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbqoQK8wzwQ
Slide 11 - Video
Operation Saimaa Seal
In 2015 Operation Saimaa Seal was launched to protect the world's most endangered seal and one of the most endangered mammals in the world, the Saimaa ringed seal of Lake Saimaa, Finland.
The Saimaa seal is victim to illegal fishing in the area, with nets and traps entangling and killing them.
Volunteers succeeded in removing 10 illegal nets and almost 200 illegal fishing traps during the campaign. No seals were killed during this 6-month campaign.
With low numbers it is hard to find the Saimaa seal, crew were able to spot and film the seal on their patrols, show video (1.16min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4UUNYwmaHs
In 2015 Operation Saimaa Seal was launched to protect the world's most endangered seal and one of the most endangered mammals in the world, the Saimaa ringed seal of Lake Saimaa, Finland.
The Saimaa seal is victim to illegal fishing in the area, with nets and traps entangling and killing them.
Volunteers succeeded in removing 10 illegal nets and almost 200 illegal fishing traps during the campaign. No seals were killed during this 6-month campaign.
With low numbers it is hard to find the Saimaa seal, crew were able to spot and film the seal on their patrols, show video (1.16min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4UUNYwmaHs
Slide 12 - Map
Saimaa Lake, Finland
The map shows the location of the Saimaa Lake, Finland.
The map shows the location of the Saimaa Lake, Finland.
Write down three things you have learned?
Slide 13 - Open question
What did you learn?
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.
“Write down three things you have learned?”
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.
“Write down three things you have learned?”
Write down one thing you didn't understand?
Slide 14 - Open question
What don’t you understand?
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.
“Write down one thing you didn’t understand?”
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.
“Write down one thing you didn’t understand?”
Slide 15 - Slide
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