Kill a seal to catch a cod or drill a well

I assume for hundreds of years Harp Seals are hunted.

In the 70's they stop.

Cod disappear faster than expected.

The Cod fisheries close.

Harp seals eat cod. Apparently 1 billion cod in 1994 according to this tourist information site in St. John's.

The ban is lifted and the hunt resumes. You can watch it daily from the IFAW Canada site.

But apparently it's not the harp seals fault according to the Humane Society of Canada whose best argument appears to be this quote "The truth is we do not know what the effects of a change in seal numbers would have on commercial fisheries."

And confusingly even the the above St. Johns site does not blame the increased number of seals for the collapse of the fisheries.

"Harp seals are not to blame for the collapse of groundfish stocks in the Newfoundland area. This responsibility must be shared between scientific advisers and the authorities in Canada and the European Union who have allowed blatent and harmful overfishing by draggers."

I'm really confused on this and have chronologically agreed with all the points above.

I think oil is the answer. Premier Danny should get his wells drilled, start spreading the cash, like they do in Alberta. With a new car, faster internet, multiple big screen TVs and either a full time job or increased social payments, who in their right mind would want to go out on an ice flow to club a seal or boat to catch a fish for that matter.

Newfies, the new Blood shot eyed sheiks.

I'm such a scut.