BORIS KAGARLITSKY, MOSCOW
THE SEAL PROTECTION THE RUSSIAN WAY
The main decision, which the Russian government made last week, concerned protection of seals. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin decided to ban the hunting of the Greenlandic seal cubs which are mercilessly killed for their fur when they are one year old. Not only does the Russian Prime Minister sympathize with young seals – the West European environmental organizations have come out against the hunting of baby seals for a long time. Those helpless downy beings need protection and now they are protected by the Russian government.
However, the Russian officials are used to applying a double standard to the protection of environment. While the authorities addressed the seal protection issue, the Altai inhabitants demanded that the officials, who were guilty of poaching wild rams recorded in Red Book, be punished. But the Russian authorities keep silence about that crime.
Unlike the Altai wild rams, the Greenlandic seals are not endangered species. The hunting of seals, despite of the environmentalists’ protests, is allowed in Norway, Canada and Denmark of which Greenland is a part. The total number of seals in Canada alone is about 250 thousand with its growing steadily. By contrast, there are only 200 wild rams in the world of which 28 ones were killed by high-ranking poachers in the Altai region in January.
Seal cub hunting is a source of income for the Russian North inhabitants. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised that the hunters’ economic interests would be taken into account and they would get compensation, but he did not specify when and how this would be done. This issue is under consideration now.
As distinct from the Russian northern seal hunters, the officials, who shot at wild rams from the helicopter in the Altai region, did that for fun rather than to earn money or to get food. It is so funny to kill somebody!
Vladimir Putin’s statement in defense of seal cubs has made sarcastic the Canadian press saying that the Russian Premier was often much less sympathetic with people. Here I have to agree with Mr Putin rather than with his critics. I like downy seal cubs far more than people, at least, some of them.
Unfortunately, the problem is in people and not in wild rams or seals. Why are the officials willing to work out the law on baby seals protection and, at the same time, they are unwilling to punish the Altai poachers? Maybe, because the Moscow officials care much more about their colleagues than about inhabitants of the Russian northern regions? The Kremlin officials personally know many regional functionaries whom they don’t want to punish. Bur the northerners, who can lose their earnings, are strangers for the Kremlin officials.
Seal protection does not infringe on the bureaucrats’ interests but makes it possible to display environmental political correctness. Even if the decision remains on paper and measures to stop the seal hunting are not taken, the hunting will most likely be scaled down as, because of the crisis, the demand for fur products slackens. The European Union banned the seal skin import, the external circumstances are unfavorable for the hunters. It is another matter that those continuing to hunt will be considered to be poachers.
It seems to me that the northern poachers will be persecuted much more firmly than the Altai ones. The police and public prosecutor’s office are unlikely to screen the people suspected of seal hunting. They have neither the government connections nor helicopters.
Any decision, which the government makes to improve the Russian environment, must be welcomed. The Russian authorities can be congratulated on the fact that they took the right step, whatever reasons they have. This may be regarded as progress, even if this step was taken only to please the Western community. It is a pity progress in Russia develops in a selective way. The Russian authorities acted rightly and in a principled way with respect to seals. Now we have to wait when something good is done for people.
Boris Kagarlitsky is Director of the Institute of Globalization and Social Movements
March 25, 2009
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