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Public opinion in animal treatment affects farmers

Many people's views to traditional ways are quickly changing. That is particularly true in the way people see human association with animals. We saw it most poignantly with the seal hunt.


Many people's views to traditional ways are quickly changing.

That is particularly true in the way people see human association with animals.

We saw it most poignantly with the seal hunt. Once cameras took pictures and they were sent around the world people were appalled. The clubbing of seals is in no way a pretty sight.

The question of whether it is inhumane is a different one entirely.

The way of killing was not something the world wanted to see, and there was a backlash, but the hunt did have its reasons for existing, and the method of killing was efficient.

That industry was shaken to basic extinction by the media coverage, and there have been reports since of a burgeoning seal population impacting fish stocks in the areas of the former seal harvests.

Circulating recently on Facebook was a picture of whales being forced to shore and harvested on the Faroe Islands. The whale hunt was part of a long-held tradition, dating back to the 10th century.

Again, the reaction was generally negative, although there was no indication the species of whale was endangered, and the harvest was for food. It was just a general attitude that such a harvest was a bad thing.

We see that attitude creeping into the general viewpoint of average citizens more and more.

There is growing opposition to many equine sports because there is a feeling they are abusive to horses. We have seen it with chuckwagon races and to a lesser extent with horse races.

Rodeo comes under fire from some as well, and we have actually seen rodeo start to evolve with some groups moving away from the most controversial events such as calf roping and steer wrestling. Even though those events are most directly tied to what a cowboy might do in certain ranching situations, they are also the ones seen as most controversial.

As a result, bull riding - the premier rodeo event - has forged its own trail through the popular PBR events. Rough stock rodeos, like the one held recently in Yorkton that featured only bareback, saddle bronc and bulls, are catching on.

While these things might not be seen as agriculture, they do relate back to the way people in general see animals and that impacts farmers.

A prime example was the American horse slaughter, or loss of it, as short-sighted as that was.

Those arguing for the end of the slaughter have not considered where old horses should end up. Understanding death by old age in a field of clover might be a Hollywood ending for a horse, but it isn't reasonable in the real world.

But in a world where people are doing things such as dressing their dogs in tuxedos and having them walk down the church aisle as part of wedding processions, the view of animals is clearly changing.

That changing view is going to change the way we all interact with animals, whether as hunters, farmers or pet owners.

The changes will be made by politicians who are well-removed from farming, listening to masses of voters, also well removed from what happens on a farm where their food is produced. That combination will mean rules and regulations that lack both common sense and understanding of raising livestock.

And sadly there may be little farmers can do to prevent it either.