The harp seal hunt in Newfoundland and Labrador is a complex story involving indigenous and non-indigenous hunters, political activists and animal welfare and different levels of government around the world. Despite being such an isolated hunting activity, it has attracted international attention, both positively and negatively, sparking one of the biggest fights between animal welfare and wildlife use. resources of our history. Filled with complex questions about sustainability, animal cruelty, Indigenous rights, and Newfoundland and Canadian identity, this issue represents a massive puzzle with no simple solution, as is the case with many many environmental problems we face today. It is essential when considering questions like this to assess the human dimensions that determine how and why we use the natural resources available to us, particularly in examining how political and economic factors affect environmental policies. use of resources. The battle between the anti-sealing movement and the pro-sealing movement has been fraught with discord and unbalanced power relations. The anti-seal movement is represented by major NGOs, such as IFAW, PETA and Greenpeace, celebrities and other high-profile figures, while the pro-seal side of the fight is made up mainly of seal hunters and fishermen of Newfoundland and Labrador. Although the Canadian government has taken part in the fight to support the seal hunt, it is divided on the subject, with different departments supporting different goals. Seal hunters are generally divided into two categories, Aboriginal hunters and Newfoundlanders, both of whom have hunted seals in Newfoundland and Labrador for hundreds of years and rely largely on the income generated by the hunt to survive. In order to understand some of the...... middle of paper ......h environmental problems, those who oppose hunting practices and call for an end to the seal hunt ignore the rights of hunters and the realities surrounding hunting. using biased media images to project a negative image about seal hunters, thereby generating support for their cause. However, this approach fails to recognize the traditional hunting methods of local Inuit and Newfoundlanders, the many regulations that exist to control the number of hunters, and the rights of these peoples to a resource they have had access to for hundreds of years. 'years and on which they now depend. for their subsistence and other income (Knezevic 2009). It has been argued that hunting can be integrated into highly effective conservation efforts that highlight sustainable use as one of the most practical and functional approaches to wildlife and biodiversity conservation (Mahoney and Jackson). 2013).