Some years ago I was on a work trip, travelling around the coast and fjords of South Greenland on a small ship. Together with eleven other passengers from several European countries we enjoyed the stunning environment – monolithic cliffed peaks rising straight from the sea, icy grey bergs drifting in the glittering blue. I felt completely dwarfed by the spectacular world we found ourselves in. Not least were we in awe also of the wildlife. The sea birds, whales, seals skimming slick through the smooth, mirror-like water. It all felt untouched, untouchable.
One warm, still afternoon as we gathered about the deck, moving up and down from the galley with coffee, winding down from the day and waiting for a welcome dinner, one of the passengers spotted a large and beautiful Greenlandic seal sprawled drowsily on a nearby iceberg. Immediately the skipper, a middle-aged and weather-hardened Danish man, brought the ship around and drove it slowly toward the stirring creature.
A shot fired and the seal slumped forward, deep red blood staining his icy bed. Suddenly everyone rushed on deck, chattering, pointing, camera shutters snapping. Some were fascinated, some were horrified, all were wide-eyed. Soon began the debate with next to equal proponents and opponents – was this ok? Could he just shoot a seal? What were the ethics here? As the debate raged on, the skipper continued in silent indifference. He pulled the ship alongside the berg, raised the hydraulic crane, attached the seal using slings, and brought the languid beast on deck.
The passengers slowly shuffled away and took the debate, still strong, below to the galley. On the one side, a creature had been shot and killed in its natural, pristine, environment. On the other, the argument was almost the same – a creature in its prime, healthy, wild, untainted by farming practices or artificial hormones, shot and killed instantly. Meanwhile on deck the butchering continued. The deck was awash with an intense red. The skin was slung over the rails. A drum was filled with large bloody pieces, limbs, staring dead eyes.
As the debate slowly waned and some slunk away, crestfallen, most settled in for a welcome meal. The seal steaks were downed heartily and the ship sailed on in the crisp, cold Arctic evening.
