Although the ice floes provide a birthing place for seals that is safe from natural predators, they are not safe from seal hunters.

In Canada, the majority of the seal hunt takes place in March and April when the seal pups are born on the ice off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. A harp seal can be legally killed as soon as it has begun to moult its white hair - about 2 weeks after birth.

This is one of the very few hunts that occurs in the spring when young are being born. As a result, most of the seals killed in the commercial hunt are between 12 days and 4 months old. The young pups have not yet developed good swimming skills and they are reluctant to leave the ice - making them easy prey for sealers.

There have been many protests against the slaughter of the seals and the brutality of the methods used (observers estimated that a recent hunt killed 140,000 seals in just two days). Seals are usually clubbed to death, but sealers often only stun them - resulting in the animals being skinned alive.

Footnote: Norway is now inviting foreign tourists to come and shoot seals. "This could be a hit," said their Fisheries Minister.

PICTURES of the seal hunt - Viewer Discretion Advised )