6. The International Legal Framework for Seals

Seals belong to the species of marine mammals with the longest history of legal regulation. Even though, at the time of writing in 2019, they do not play as prominent a role anymore as whales in international discourse, they have served as important conduits for legal change towards non-utilisation. By and large, the discourse on seals and whales shows significant overlaps concerning their perceived status of being endangered and a strong no-use narrative. A significant difference exists, however: there has never been the seal-equivalent to a ‘superwhale’—a ‘superseal’—that is social, intelligent and sings songs. Instead, the discourse on seals has been much less shaped by criteria that make it almost human-like, but instead has been shaped by emotional responses. Images of ‘baby seals’ that emphasise childlike looks and fragility and the ‘weeping’ mother after its ‘baby’ has been killed by commercial sealers have not missed its mark and have therefore burned themselves into (western) public consciousness. In the 1990s in Germany, where I grew up, it was not uncommon to find ‘Save the Seal’ stickers on cars—also driving through a Drive-Through of McDonald’s, the irony of which cannot escape the heedful observer—and a seeming consensus on the ruthlessness of commercial sealing. After all, how can one kill such a cute baby seal and cause so much harm to the loving mother?